The third poem for this National Poetry Day comes from wonderful Pie Corbett – English educational trainer, writer, author, anthologiser and poet, who has written over two hundred books. He is now best known for creating Talk for Writing which is a teaching programme that supports children as storytellers and writers. He has supported children’s writing and children’s poets as well as the education of primary children for many years. His main collection is called Evidence of Dragons, illustrated by Chris Riddell and Peter Bailey, published by Macmillan Children’s Books.
I set out to seek the truth
Not knowing where to look,
I took the lane towards the fields
to see what time might yield…
as the knot grass
caterpillar moth
humps and bumps
along the fence,
resting
for a second
at the wind’s touch;
then undulates
its rhythmic pulse
like a heart monitor;
its lean, stippled body
and soft bristles rippling,
as the whopper swan
flexes its neck, stretches bridal wings,
open as blank pages of frail feathers;
white washing-line sheets take off in a flutter,
skimming the lake with a clatter,
as the orb-weaver spider
tests each thread,
waits at the edge
to scuttle, seize and wrap
any unsuspecting fly
that passes by –
diamond specks of dew
freckle the leaves;
the web clings, glittering,
as kindly morning sun
warms the lane.
Early this morning,
while the sun set out at first light,
I sought the truth.
Not knowing exactly
where to look,
I took Farm Lane
towards the fields
to see where rambling
might take me.
The road ahead glowed,
blackberries polka-dotted hedgerows,
blackbirds broke the silence
and clouds scudded
through sheer blue above.
Truth blossomed with every step,
every stop to stare,
and there I found
that truth
was everywhere
I chose to look.
© Pie Corbett 2019 Photos © Nicola Stables
Thank you Pie Corbett for this fabulous Poem!
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