Graham’s verse “Ode to Wednesday” is a sort of in-joke about the day of the week when the writers gather to share examples of their work and discuss the craft of writing. There’s much more about the group at somewhere-else-writers.org, and you can read this month’s verse by searching the online magazine at Cirenscene.com
It’s interesting to look at the way that different languages find their own ways of describing the same things, which often shows some of the character of the people who speak their language. Where English often uses words ‘borrowed’ from past invaders, such as the Romans, the Vikings and Normans, the Germans call Wednesday ‘midweek’ (Mittwoch) and the French name it after Mercury (Mercredi). Somewhere Else Writers aim to be more imaginative than Artificial Intelligence.
An Ode to Wednesday
Odin, Woden, Wotan; your day is coming forth –
Between Tiu, who probably started a war to come third after the Sun and the Moon,
And noisy Thor who probably came fifth because he rode bareback which made Thor sore.
But you, Odin, are worthy of many odes, being the god of poets
And the one eye love; the wise full-bearded magician of midweek
So placed to keep you a safe distance from Christians every Sunday
I bet Tolkein was thinking of you when skiving and dreaming up Gandalf
In the Bird and Baby, to parry the thrust of CS Lewis’ self-righteous Tuesdays
Which, I have an inkling, is enough to make anyone maudlin.
Anyone can have it off at the weekend, but Wednesday has been the hinge:
The day of half day closing, many charter-markets, and football in Sheffield
And indisputably the day of great literary achievements Somewhere Else.
So, Odin your runes have sanctified my Wednesdays
And no woe has visited this Monday’s Child, even with sackcloth and ashes
So, I offer this ode in apology for the misdeeds of Christians, and the French.
How dare they name your day after Mercury?
Graham Bruce Fletcher
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