Hidden Histories project for Exeter University

A poem about Totnes railway station and Sean O’Casey’s contribution to it.

He lived in Totnes near the station from 1938-1954 

Sean O’Casey’s Pond  

The train is late,

heat tricks along the lines.

We sit resigned.We are

British and this our rail,

our station, which received

one bomb during the war.

Its casualty was a man sitting

in the waiting room. A direct hit. 

Our station, with its white picket fence,

its chiming bells and apologies

and a pigeon coddling her brood

in the rafters and the lily pond

on platform two, placed there by

Sean O’Casey during his sojourn

in Totnes, and happy chance that

he did, the pond with its goldfish

and several lily flowers and its

water boatmen, is a small eye

to borrowed heaven, reflecting

the sky, the hovering damsel-fly

and our peering faces.

Snakebasket South West

poem of the
month

The Keeper of the Clock of the Long Now

I am the Keeper of the Clock of the Long Now.
A slow job, it leaves me with plenty of time
to contemplate my short life with its many
twists and turns which I have introduced
in order to entertain myself so I will not
be bored with the straight running of it.
Breath by breath.Sometimes I forget it is I who has
filled up my life.
Then I sigh and call out
wishing to be free.
The clock is a help then.
It turns its silent face to me
and says nothing. It is a clock of wonder
measuring Long Time.
It ticks once a year
chimes once a century.
Who knows what it will do at the
passing of a millennium.
It may laugh.Rose Cook

Podcast

Listen to Rose (and others) read at the Wondermentalist Cabaret on January 25th on www.traydio.com

Sugar and Spice

PRESS RELEASE

SUGAR AND SPICE CABARET
to celebrate 100 years of International Women’s Day
raising funds for Womankind Worldwide

A lively mix of Comedy, Poetry and Music
compered by JACKIE JUNO
with ROSE COOK, LIV TORC, KELLIE COX, KIMWEI, LUCY LEPCHANI
Plus!  Honorary Birds MATT HARVEY and BRIAN ABBOTT

THE BARREL HOUSE, HIGH ST, TOTNES
SATURDAY 8TH MARCH   doors 7.30pm for 8pm start   £5 entrance

Love’s Camel

Whatever way love’s camel takes

let it take me too,

stowed up on the saddle, swaying,

let that be home.

The past nor future is our own,

only this trapeze moment.

Catch it now as it swings.

Who cares where we are headed,

it is enough to be with

this light filled present;

feel the sway, the night air on your face

stars bright in your hair.

Notice The Festival by rose cook

Let’s join the everyday festival -

the festival of street people walking

the festival of café people talking

the festival of bears, all kinds

the festival of waiting, a quieter pace

of clock watching, tick tock, leg shifting

the festival of sighs, all around,

notice the festival of feet, of shoes

the festival of beaks and paws

the festival of wings and berries

the festival of reflections with windows, water,of horizons, of chimneys, of roof-life

the festival of leaves, of crowds,of small blades of grass,

of glints in eyes

the festival all over town.

Hello world!

Rose Cook is a writer based in the South West. She performs poetry regularly. She also co-founded and co-presented the popular Devon poetry and performance forum One Night Stanza and poetry performance group Dangerous Cardigans. Over the last two decades her work has been shared through page based publication and performance. She has read, performed and presented her work in numerous venues, and at various festivals and poetry events in the UK. Her work has been published in various magazines and collections.  

She is one of the Apples & Snakes poets and recently performed at the Barnstaple Fringe as part of the North Devon Festival (July 07) and also at Ways With Words, Dartington. She is currently involved with the My Story reminiscence project based at Rowcroft hospice in Devon, which celebrates the life stories and creativity of those using the hospice service. Rose is an experienced creative writing therapist.

  Links:www.applesandsnakes.org