http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber
I have
written many ‘place’ poems; places I have visited and with which I have fallen
in love. Always hopeless at taking photographs, I try to absorb my surroundings
and later compose a poem to reflect them.
Now, I
love Somerset so was delighted when reader ‘Kathy’ in New Zealand got in touch
recently to say how thrilled she was to come across my poem Dunster, Marking Time on the blog as she
was born there. It appears her family migrated to New Zealand in the 1970s. Since
I have not posted the poem since 2008 it is good to know that some readers
enjoy browsing the archives.
The poem
first appeared on the BBC Somerset site which is worth exploring and will also
take you to my poem on another picturesque village, Watchet, closely associated
with Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s famous poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner:
For good
measure, I am also posting Classic
Somerset inspired by R. D. Blackmore’s classic novel Lorna Doone; the poem appears
in my latest collection Tracking the
Torchbearer.
As well
as being a very beautiful part of the UK, Somerset is also steeped in history
and some of you may care to look it up on Wikipedia:
DUNSTER,
MARKING TIME
Come
clouds of steam or sea mist,
its
castle ghosts watch over
Dunster
village, shore and forest
Yarn
market shell among the best,
(hear
buyers and sellers barter)
come
clouds of steam or sea mist
Where
Benedictines have blessed
history’s
customary makeover;
Dunster,
village, shore and forest
At a
water mill its days have kissed,
engage
with past and future,
come
clouds of steam or sea mist
Where
packhorses once crossed
and nuns
offered up a prayer;
Dunster
village, shore and forest
Where
Doomesday stories persist,
along the
Avill river…
come
clouds of steam or sea mist,
Dunster
village, shore and forest
[Dunster,
Somerset, May 2008]
[From:
On the Battlefields of Love by R. N.
Taber, Assembly Books, 2010]
Photo: 17th century Yarn Market, Dunster
CLASSIC
SOMERSET
Doone
valley, classic fiction
for
holiday images
conjuring
true inspiration
Come
any with a predilection
for
turning nature’s pages;
Doone
valley, classic fiction
At
Badgworthy Water, listen
out
for Carver’s rages
conjuring
true inspiration
At
Earth Mother’s invitation,
share
a Love of Ages;
Doone
valley, classic fiction
Celebration
of Lorna and John
(birds
singing their praises)
conjuring
true inspiration
Cream
teas teasing imagination
to
revisit R. D’s pages;
Doone
valley, classic fiction
conjuring
true inspiration
[From:
Tracking the Torchbearer by R. N. Taber,
Assembly Books, 2012]
Photo: This
bridge marks the boundary between Somerset and Devon in Doone Valley.
[
Please
Note: My poetry collections are only on sale in the UK but anyone can order (signed)
copies from me at a generous blogger discount. For details, contact
rogertab@aol.com with ‘Blog reader’ or Poetry collection’ in the subject
field.]