Thursday 9th September at Jericho's in Liberty House in Launceston is Poetry and Prose night. This is an evening of poetry inspired by Janet Guest
The first Poetry and Prose evening at Jericho's was held on Thursday 22nd July.
Janet has a great love of poetry and entertained the audience by reading poems by Pam Ayers, Charles Causley and Rudyard Kipling amongst others. Janet also read some funny poems she had written herself.
Chocolate cake by Michael Rosen
I love chocolate cake.
And when I was a boy
I loved it even more.....
Rudyard Kipling (if)
IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!
Janets has written her own version of (if)
and is called (if all the world were chocolate)
Janet also read
Mary, Mary Magdalene
Lying on the wall
I throw a pebble on your back
Will it lie or fall?
From Mary, Mary Magdalene by Charles Causley
I remember as a kid, standing with my back to the wall and gently throwing a smallish stone back over my head to see if it would land (and stay) on Mary's back. The carving of Mary can be found on the end wall of the St Mary Magdalene church. The story is that a stone lodged on her back will bring good luck.
Alan Guest also told some stories about his dad Ken and the life's lessons and inspirations he had learnt from him and how he hopes to share them with you.
John Bailey read a piece called "here are two stories".
This will become a regular event to be held on the second Thursday of each month.
Come along and listen and if you would like to share a story, read a poem or piece of literature that would be great.
You can bring a drink with you or tea, coffee, soft drinks and a selection of Mels home made cakes will be available for purchase.
