13.04.13: Image: One of Austin's larger than life characters.

 

15) I arrived last night, my final flight

Called at the care hire place, then to collect my case

Good time management was my intent.

It worked, cos' I hadn't  lurked

All went right, I drove to my hotel for the night

Didn't unpack cos' it was my intent to take in my first poetry event

To The Full English I was bound, my GPS it found

Met up with Thom and Bob we were all delighted,

Then thanks to Sue I got up and recited

Three poems I read, then away to my bed

I'd come a long way, it had been a long day

Feeling tiredness over me creep, thinking time for a good nights sleep

The Full English is a diner in Austin that specialises in English style food

Thom is Thom Woodruff he lives in Austin we met in 2004 on one of his UK tours

Bob is Bob Mudd we met in Austin at the 2011 Poetry Festival

 

16) I woke this morning and took the time to put last night's events in rhyme

So much to do at the start of the day

Cellphone and map to get, so I would know where I was and where to go

And not find out to my cost, once again how easy I can get lost.

 

17) I’d got a phone so I could ring and say to others if I was a on my way

Rung Shazza and tell, when I asked “thank you I’m very well”

I told her it was my intent to go to a New Braufnels poetry event

But when I rung I was then told, the poetry calendar must be old

And they went on to say, “No open mic here today”

But me and Shazza weren’t filled with dread,

We went to a creating verse by images event instead

Shazza is Sharon Meixell we met at the Austin Festival ib 2011 and have been friends since

 

Poems 18 to23 were writen at the Image by Verse event

 

18) Images and poetry write what you see

How you conceive can help you believe

The image you can see

In your minds eye is what you want it to be

 

19) What I see I often find, conjures up pan image in my mind

Write it down, let it be read and I find

It conjures up an image in anothers mind

 

20) If I was an apple on his sons head and could see

I'd say to William Tell "don't point that crossbow at me".

 

21) Fall, and leaves turning from green to brown

Soon from the trees they'll be falling down

Leaving the trees stark and bare

Images in memory of the green that was once there

 

22) Follow the woodland path to who knows where

Follow the woodland path don't ask why 

Follow the woodland path for a simple reason

Follow the woodland path to enjoy the beauty of each season

 

23) Apples ripening on a tree, Maiden ages wistully

Why can she be so lonely, sadness in her eyes only

In the city behind do people know why she's  feeling sad and low

Do they really care, about the sad maiden standing there

Love to give, no one to share it with

Behind her a winged figure appears, to drive away her lonely fears

Cupids arrow from his bow will start, a hope for love in her heart

Or would she end up feeling blue, if he crept up behind her and just said "Boo"

Inspired by John Roddam Spencer Stanhope's Cupid and Psyche

 

24) I rung the Shanty at Canyon Lake, part of the journey I would t take

Asking if it was right, they held an open mic on a Tuesday night

But my question was in vain, I was told no again

It seemed of late the event calendar was out of date

Cos’ it happened before on last year’s poetry tour

Still I’ll not be blue, cos’ there’s something else I can do

Now I’ve got the gist, write more poems and add ‘em to my list

 

25) To the Full English I went, an Austin Saturday night event

Poetry, song and music too, no reason to be blue

Cos’ there’s English style food to be had

Just the thing for this Yorkshire travelling lad

But there may well be a right barny, if I can’t get a sausage and bacon sarny

 

Barny:  argument.

Sarny:  Sandwich

 

26) I got up to read, poems form inspirational seed

Written at home or on my roam

Capturing in rhyme, my tours moments in time

The time to take a break

A sausage and bacon sandwich like mum used to make

Topped with the Full English’s version of English HP sauce

Was it good? Of course

The cafe’s dog got none it hadn’t lasted

It probably thought you mean English b*****d

 

27) Inspiration flowing, the event still going

Poems recited, songs sung with flair outside in the open air

Can make us laugh or cry, beneath a Texas evenin’ sky

 

28) They listened to me, I listened to others

My poetic sisters and brothers

Then Thom invited me to try

The Full English version of an English Shepherd’s Pie

The dog looked longingly but all in vain

The poor li’l crittur got nothing again

 

29) The Full English over but not in vain I was told “come and see us again”

But for now back to the motel and a rest to get ready for the Lamesa Forrest Fest

But before the lull I’ll make sure the gas tanks full

But there’s one more even to do, an all nighter at the Strange Brew

I’ll not be dour, I’ll read during the first hour

Then back to get my head down, before leaving for Lamesa town

And my quest, to help and promote the Forrest Fest