Wednesday Writes on Radio Devon #1

During the current crisis, I have had the wonderful honour of working with Abby Davies at BBC Radio Devon. Abby and I have been in contact via the marvels of modern technology and somehow managed to organise a regular poetry feature each week. The feature (which we've named Wednesday Writes) goes out at 11.15am on the mid-morning show, and is a great showcase for local writers. It is the chance for talented poets to share their own work whilst also helping to inspire and enthuse listeners to pick up the pen themselves. So far we have had Robert Garnham and Kat Savage take to the waves, and Abby has kindly shared some of the submitted work received from listeners following those shows. They are below so you can read them yourselves. - Thom

Thom Boulton
Wednesday 18th March 2020
www.thomboulton.com

 Robert Garnham
Wednesday 1st April 2020
www.professorofwhimsy.com

Kat Savage
​Wednesday 8th April 2020
​www.facebook.com/fiercesister/

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Poems submitted by the listeners of Radio Devon

Poem
I hope you're not going out like that!
You'll catch your death of cold
It's like talking to a brick wall.
I can see you won't be told.

Have you got your mobile
just in case you're late?
Who is this guy you're meeting?
What's the name of this "hot date"?

Please don't have too much to drink
and go acting like a fool,
and if he wants more than a kiss,
remember, play it cool.

If you have a daughter then
you'll know what I'm about
except, she's the one who's staying in.
It's me that's going out!

Margaret Long

I Sat With You Today
I sat with you today
I sat and held your hand
Although you could not see me
I know you’d understand

It was a great honour
To be with you today
On your final journey
To the Lord I prayed

What an amazing life you’ve had
Spanning four and ninety years
It would be very selfish
If I sat and shed a tear

You were the best of Dads
A son could ever have
Teaching me to cope with life
So, I really can’t be sad

That final journey now you’ve made
I hope you find great peace
In God’s care you now reside
Marcus Neville Peter PEACE

Stuart (Exeter)

Poem
One day it all changed, things were not the same
The whole world was affected, but who was to blame
People pointing their fingers, without any care
Bringing negative feelings with negative stares
So how will we manage, what does it mean
How will we triumph, over Covid 19
The people are dying , all over the land
We cannot give hugs or hold on to a hand
Of a loved one who’s dying, we cannot be near
The world we have now is a world filled with fear
Anxiety whispered with its voice of persistence
Don’t get too close, please keep your distance
The feeling within us is to stay home and hide
But we need to get shopping, we must go outside
We put on our gloves, and some will wear masks
Just so we can complete ,the simplest of tasks
It’s tearing our countries apart like a plough
These things that we valued, they matter not now
Hold on to your families, keep your loved ones inside
Lose the anger, the hate, the fear and the pride
We must all stand together and keep ourselves strong
So the plague that threatens us, will not last so long
So stay in your house, don’t try and tempt fate
You don’t want to be thinking, I did, but too late
Phone your friends who are lonely,
Check on those that are ill
Will we get through this?
Together we will.

Vicki Lucas

What Summer Means To Me.

What summer means to me,
Lots of blooms on the tree.
Lots of plants and loads of flowers,
Blowing dandelions every hour.
Going surfing by the sea,
Different places we can be.
Putting sun-cream on my face and hands,
Then going off to play in the beautiful golden sands.
Zipping up a wetsuit whilst breathing in,
I’ve got a new one now-that ones in the bin.
There’s nothing that bad about the sea,
But sand in my sandwiches-not for me!!
Watching dad sail around the Hoe,
While mum is shouting at him, “Go, Go, Go!”
Seeing the swallows come and arrive,
And watching their babies, grow and thrive.
So what does summer mean to me,
Well happiness and family.

Lily Hambly

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