Pennine Ink 38

Remember the poems we used to read at school? 'This is the Night Mail crossing the border, bringing the cheque and the postal order.' 'Half a league, half a league, half a league onward. All in the valley of death rode the six hundred.' There were fun poems like 'The Owl and the Pussycat' and Edward Lear's limericks. There were stories like 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' and 'The Pied Piper of Hamelin.' There was stirring stuff: 'Tyger tiger burning bright' and silly stuff like 'Jabberwocky.' not forgetting inspirational poems like Kipling's 'If.' We thrilled to them, read them over and over - even learned some of them by heart. So what happened? Why is it that most people today don't bother with poetry? Great poems are still being written. Modern poems. We believe we've captured some in our latest anthology. All in all, it's a great little package to dip into while you're waiting in the post-office queue. Happy reading.