On a day when I wasn't really 'Poem for Suffolk-ing', I came across a man who told me a poem. It was during last week's session with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Lowestoft. We were in London Road North (main shopping area) trying to drum up some interest in their 'Celebration of the Sea' project - I'll be running workshops for the project in July. I was collecting people's thoughts about the sea, what it means to them, what they like about it or don't. We'd just had a really good poem/jam with a couple of young guys who arrived (one could play the guitar, the other was a beatboxer). They were telling us that the sea is 'minging' and 'dirty' and we suddenly turned their words into a song with orchestra backing.
After the fun and excitement died down, I noticed a quiet man with a bicycle who was looking at some of the Orchestra's instruments that were on display. 'Can I ask you, what do you think of the sea?' I said. He half-smiled and then in just a few words knocked me sideways. It was a change-of-gear moment but I'm glad he told me. And I did ask. Haven't we all been in the same boat?
THE SAME BOAT If you asked yesterday that’s funny – I’d have said I want to turn this bike around go straight down the beach walk into the sea. Really. It’s been that rough. But today I’m thinking of this boat. My ex father-in-law he was always sailing off and I thought, that’s what I’ll do give away a few bits and pieces get rid of the rest. Seriously. There’s no-one to stop me. Sell up, buy a boat and go. If I can wait till I retire four, five years or so.
