Voices in the Coalshed

My View Today

Have a thought? A flash of inspiration? What is your view today?

Pen a para-graphic - a picture painted with words. Let the world see what you see.

In no more than 100 words, the fewer the better – written or spoken or videoed or…whatever way suits you – say what is, “My View Today”.

Then voice it in the Coalshed at:

Email Address: voicesinthecoalshed@gmail.com

Dave Alton

(Writer in Residence – National Coal Mining Museum)

Lonely Wonderings

(Or, will I ever sit in a pub again)

The ground it moved

Then was still

That deathly rattle

Was with me

Silenced by the movement

Of the cursive spread

Linked worthy trends

Incumbent need

Upon me crushed

With finality

Normality

Movement

Quiet dread

Paul Simms

My View Today

My View Today

Have a thought? A flash of inspiration? What is your view today?

Pen a para-graphic - a picture painted with words. Let the world see what you see.

In no more than 100 words, the fewer the better – written or spoken or videoed or…whatever way suits you – say what is, “My View Today”.

Then voice it in the Coalshed at:

Email Address: voicesinthecoalshed@gmail.com

Dave Alton

(Writer in Residence at the Mining Museum)

From a Wellington Window

From our window, at a distance, is the sea. We walked there yesterday, a crisp winter’s day with the sun shining. We still move aside on the pavement, without thinking, to give space; we still carry hand sanitiser in our pockets; teddies continue sitting in our window. But now the playgrounds are noisy with children. We meet friends in cafes, buy beer and pizza at our local pub.

Outside our window, birds visit. The best thing about the last few months was birdsong. The traffic stopped and for a time we could hear the birds better.

Janis Freegard

My View Today

Have a thought? A flash of inspiration? What is your view today?

Pen a para-graphic - a picture painted with words. Let the world see what you see.

In no more than 100 words, the fewer the better – written or spoken or videoed or…whatever way suits you – say what is, “My View Today”.

Then voice it in the Coalshed at:

Email Address: voicesinthecoalshed@gmail.com

Dave Alton

(Writer in Residence at the Mining Museum)

I gaze out of my window, cup in hand, from the lush green of the reclaimed Barrow pitheap, the spire in Worsbrough, the hills of Grenoside, over fields and woods to the mass of trees which frame the reservoir and reflect on the eighty days since lockdown began.

I've seen rainbows for the NHS, clapped for key workers, cheered on Captain Tom, commemorated VE Day, kept the two metre rule, used Zoom for yoga, maintained contact via WhatsApp, spent hours reading, crosswords, gardening, walking.

I've done my best, I really have, but oh! how I long for a grandchild's kiss.

Joan Shaw 

RELAX, REPEAT

Relax, kick off your shoes

Chase away Corona blues

Let your many worries go

Take each day a little slow

Don’t feel guilty, you’re allowed

To read a book or sing out loud

Wear your pyjamas if you wish

Drink your coffee from a dish

Wave your arms up in the air

Never mind your messy hair

Do your make-up now and then

Relax, and do it all again!

Marian Barker

 During this lockdown,            folks heads have started stirring.                                        As tempers burn, emotions    start whirring.                                                                    Imagination, finds a whole new meaning.                                    Whilst homes and Work.        Get a thorough cleaning.                                                                    Many more Gardens have a regal look.                              After many years, folks are finally reading a book.                                                                    The arts are helping, with a multitude of feelings.                As music and crafts, bring about deep natural healing.                                                Lockdown has definitely brought about, many hidden skills,and talents out.                  We all are going through this hell.                                           The only way we'll stay safe and well 

         

Andrew Lubelski

My View Today

My View

You should have seen it last week; the cry of every aspiring gardener. 

Then, there were

stabbing spikes of stipa, 

zinging flashes of alliums grown tall,

soft, sensual , promiscuous folds of peonies softly opening 

crowning the view, the stately glory of Aesculus hippocastanum

spreading her blowsy skirts and  flaunting her rose pick racemes.

But now, the 'March come lately' wind has roared out May instead. 

Blown this view apart, bashed it to the ground.

Broken, beaten, bedraggled and bewildered. 

Sally-ann Burley

Then and Now.

Bang of doors

Crunch of gears

Sound of horn

Squeal of brakes

Shriek of laughter

Shout of neighbours  

Bark of dogs

Whistle of owners

Cry of babies

Crash of pallets

Call of birds

That was then

Now its silence, disturbing silence with just the distant call of birds

Doreen Murdin

Voices in the Coalshed

My View Today

Christina Longden:

Two children throwing punches

Arguing over “crap packed lunches”

Home Schooling in the garden shed

“Sooo bored- going back to bed.”

Jackie Garrood:

Mill pond

Forest of green trees

Verdent pathways

Bull rushes and flag iris

Stand to attention

Water lily platform waiting

Silent ripples

Mirror glass reflections

All is quiet in the evening sun

Voices in the Coal shed

Kate Fraser Looking out on shades of green,
Speckled with buttercups,
Lively blackbirds singing for food.
Bird table distractions from the whining of washing,
The clatter of pencils, “Can I stop now, mum?”

Inside another day of grey clouds, grey minds, grey chatter.
The garden brings hope of brighter days to come.

Julia Chalkley Watery exclamations on the window
Clouds lurking overhead
Shiny drops gathering on the washing line
Drops dripping from the shed.

Pam Waites Wet, wet and dull
But lots of colour and very green Lawn
But no problem as inside warm and cosy and
I can make my own view with my patchwork quilt project
Roses and chocolate fabric and colours, building to a beautiful view

Carolyn Newton Family in the distance
Waving in the mist
Moving a little nearer
Never to be kissed

Social distance walking
Babies to be seen
Cuddles got to wait
Virus to be clean

Moments to be treasured
Weeks and months to be measured
Normality will be precious

Sharon Healy Grey skies
Trees waving gently
Shades of green.
Blackbird- yellow beak,
Feeding on the lawn.
Hunting for tasty worms to feed the babies.
Drizzle gently falling to the ground.

Barbara Neale As I walk along
by hedgerows full of song
And walk through an arch
footsteps dragging, not a march
See trees as tall as towers
lower branches forming towers
Home to birds with different hues
Help to lift my dormant blues
As I espy one through a leaf
glad’ning my heart, easing my grief
Watching birds both large and small
hearing their song, their mating call
Troubling thoughts begin to cease
Different leaves, different trees
Soon I see brick and stone
into crowds no longer lone
But now upbeat and very calm
the trees, the birds have been my balm

Concrete Poem

In early February, before Lockdown, a party of Year 3 children from Boothroyd Primary Academy had a visit to the Mining Museum. While there they ran into Dave Alton, the museum's resident poet, who invited them to to collect words and phrases from the information boards. The intention was to use their contributions to make a sort of free verse poem. However, the flip chart page they subsequently produced is a work of art in its own right (should that be write?), a concrete poem of found words.