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Sunday, 2 June 2019

Just One Man, With One Other

He had written the poem a long time ago
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