Regular followers of Somewhere Else Writers may remember that Frank McMahon won the ‘Poetry Together’ senior prize for poetry in this annual competition for schoolchildren aged from eight to sixteen and older poets over sixty. Now in its seventh year, initiated by Gyles Brandreth with the support of Her Majesty, Queen Camilla the competition is administrated by Laura Skinner of Dukes Education.
For this year’s event, held for the first time in Manchester, Frank was invited to read ‘Pomegranate’, his poem on the theme of celebration to an audience of more than 550 children, their parents and grandparents. Featured on ITV’s ‘This Morning’ programme and interviewed by Gyles Brandreth, Frank has a different poem, ‘Nettles’ in the Ciren Scene online magazine this month. It’s taken from his latest book, ‘Joining the Ring’ available from Amazon and other good bookshops at £6.99
Find more at somewhere-else-writers.org
NETTLES
By Frank McMahon
Nettles resist the long hours of drought
at the margins of the field,
beside the dry stonewall as though its stones
hoard water. Yet their presence signals moisture.
Nettles insist, assertive green
among stick-dry grass, green
incanting for rain from stubborn blue.
Nettles persist, hedgerow philosophers
in their fertile ground, ready to rebut
any ill-thought proposition with the sting
of quaere and quomodo, encouraging
questions constructed with precision
and the skill to listen, listen to answers
which may at best be tentative
but ready to console with clues for water-mint and fleabane,
watercress and crows-foot
and saying wait, wait for Spring,
butterfly larvae deep
in our protective chambers.
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