GUBU
An Irish woman's social, political and domestic commentary
Friday, May 14, 2004  

Just listened to Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. Thank god for Radio 4 as it keeps me educated. The guest was UA Fanthorpe who is a famous lady poet. I had never heard of her. I would know very little if it wasn't for the BBC. Anyway, she read one of her poems, which instantly appealed to me. Here it is:

There is a kind of love called maintenance
Which stores the WD40 and knows when to use it;
Which checks the insurance, and doesn't forget the milkman, which remembers to plant bulbs;
Which answers letters, which knows the way the money goes, which deals with dentists
And road fund tax and meeting trains, and postcards to the lonely
Which upholds the permanently rickety elaborate structures of living; which is Atlas.
And maintenance is the sensible side of love,
Which knows what time and weather are doing to my brickwork;
Insulates my faulty wiring;
Laughs at my dry rotten jokes,
Remembers my need for gloss and grouting;
Which keeps my suspect edifice upright in the air,
As atlas did the sky.

Needless to say I identify myself with Atlas. Except I don't know what a WD40 is.

posted by Sarah | 10:20 1 comments
Comments:
WD40 is a lubricant used to stock doors squeaking etc. Lovely blog and lovely poem.
Regards
 
Post a Comment
archives
Previous Popular Posts
Other Blogs
contact