Tribute from a Wooden Hut

[FranktheFrank]

I was here on the cliff at glan-y-mor, his reverie.
Below, the boathouse, washed a pastel shade
of lemon doused by sea mists of the Afan Taf

that meander into Carmarthen Bay. He sat and wrote
window open to the sea across the marsh from Black Scar
the farm at Pentowyn, and Craig Ddu - Black Rock.

Lazy days, sun struck in summer, a flagon of bitter.
an empty bottle: his ty bach, when full he watered
the bushes. A sleep at noon and when the sun sat

near the horizon over the Celtic Sea, it was time
for tea. Welcomed visitors: a sea breeze to waft
the heat away and Vernon who came to gaze

upon his Arthur, a warrior of words, who wielded
a pen as cleverly as the sword. To sit and read
to listen to the sedge warbler's call, an infinite

variety of series of ratchet trills and warbled
peeps. No one warbler's call the same, too complex
far beyond any mere composer's grasp

This is where he watched little boats bob, wind
waving reeds, lovers entwine, Polly Garter
and Gossamer Beynon from Llareggub. He could see

Captain Cat pull in lobster pots, listen to the terror
in his dreams. He liked to get away from her-indoors
the sudden fury of her fists, her insatiable demands

No Blodeuwedd she, no dainty flower. A passing
local could serve, she danced on a yellow shore
showing off her all, her twmpath her wares.

R. S. Thomas said of Vernon that coins rattling
on the bank counter were to him like the splashing
of the waves at Ginst Point. Robert Graves spoke

of him as a man with hywl, and yet he spoke
no Welsh but the hywl is there, see it shine in:
Rage, Rage against the Dying of the Light

We grieve with him for the loss of a father. Fame
had reached out to hold him in its grasp, sad that
morphine administered by an inept physician took

him. Remember how the fag hung from his pout, poems
that trill like the sedge warbler's call, soak in the dreams
of his lush women, bard of the bards of Laugharne.

*****
Published in wiseowl.art March 2024

[BobBradshaw]

God, this is gorgeous. From those stunning opening 2 stanzas I was in love with this. Such wonderful details and sounds… I love the rolling lines, the authentic voice…the best piece that I have read in some time.

These lines below may be my favorite… or maybe those opening stanzas.

Good poems make my day. Thank you.

To sit and read
to listen to the sedge warbler's call, an infinite

variety of series of ratchet trills and warbled
peeps. No one warbler's call the same, too complex
far beyond any mere composer's grasp

This is where he watched little boats bob, wind
waving reeds, lovers entwine, Polly Garter
and Gossamer Beynon from Llareggub.

[FranktheFrank]

I put it on the Block about 5 years ago Bob. Bernie loved it. I guess I didn't have enough confidence to put it out. Thankfully wiseowl.art found some merit in it and published this day in March 2024.

Thanks Bob, I value your input and continuing support down through the years.

[BobBradshaw]

That’s great news! I loved reading this again.

[CalebMurdock]

There's a lot to admire about this poem, the images, the quality of the language. For me, there are so many words and references I don't know that I can't really say I understand it all.

glan-y-mor
Afan Taf
Carmarthen Bay
Black Scar
Pentowyn
Craig Ddu
Black Rock.
ty bach
Vernon
Polly Garter
Gossamer Beynon
Llareggub
Captain Cat
Blodeuwedd
twmpath
R. S. Thomas
Ginst Point
hywl
Laugharne

I'd have to spend all day with an encyclopedia to fully understand the poem. Still, it was enjoyable to read.

I gather the poem is set in Wales. (I have some Welsh blood in me, but not a lot.) Is this forum based in England? I never thought to ask.

[FranktheFrank]

No need for an encyclopaedia, Caleb, a good map of South Wales would do for the names of rivers and bays.
R. S. Thomas is a famous contemporary Wales Poet.
Gossamer Beynon, Polly Garter and Captain Cat are all characters from Dylan's story 'Under Milkwood'.
Blodeuwedd a famous woman from the Mabinogion
twmpath is a mound
hywl is passion
The rest are place names around Carmarthen Bay.

This forum is based in the USA, a large country in sub-continent of Northern America.

Thanks for commenting.

[CalebMurdock]

Thank you for clearing it up. I figured most of those were place names, but also figured most of them had a story attached to them, a story I wouldn't know. I agree that it's a nice poem.