Pestle

 Those who enjoy this type of thing may well enjoy today's Enigmatist. We know we did...

Autumnal

 Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,

  Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun...

... And time for a flu jab, and our 10th?  (11th?  12th? ) Covid jab...

... Now all done.

We Thought We'd Share This...

 ... because we have a Chapter in it!

Available here.

RIP Brian Patten

 Another Poet lost.

Minister for Exams

When I was a child I sat an exam.
This test was so simple
There was no way i could fail.

Q1. Describe the taste of the Moon.

It tastes like Creation I wrote,
it has the flavour of starlight.

Q2. What colour is Love?

Love is the colour of the water a man
lost in the desert finds, I wrote.

Q3. Why do snowflakes melt?

I wrote, they melt because they fall
on to the warm tongue of God.

There were other questions.
They were as simple.

I described the grief of Adam
when he was expelled from Eden.
I wrote down the exact weight of
an elephant's dream

Yet today, many years later,
For my living I sweep the streets
or clean out the toilets of the fat
hotels.

Why? Because constantly I failed
my exams.
Why? Well, let me set a test.

Q1. How large is a child's
imagination?
Q2. How shallow is the soul of the
Minister for exams?

See also Gust Becos I Cud Not Spel

Labour Conference

 Very pleasing, sensible things being said.
Starmer calling out Frage's racist policies.

Lammy good on Justice.  Coooper and Mahmud excellent.

Mackerel Sky, Yesterday Evening

 

RIP Tony Harrison

 Sad news of the death of Tony Harrison, much admired by us hear at the Trees.

Guardian Obituary

And A Kumquat for John Keats