He was surprised
When I asked him to autograph
That particular page in the book
Surprised isn’t quite sufficient
He was visibly moved
Stopped in his tracks
Silent, for the first time that week
Eventually he gathered himself
Told me: that even though
It was a book of prize-winners
He himself did not win a prize
Something to do with the poem
Having already been published elsewhere
Which, at the time, made him disgruntled
Though he thanked me, he signed the work
Better still
On the Friday-night group readings
He asked to borrow the book
He read the poem out loud
With a bit of history for introduction
I like to think, that together
We both could wonder, just where
Those thirty odd years went to
Happenstance in Heptonstall
Poems Started at Lumb Bank
Arvon 2018
