Hugh's Poem

	Hugh is reading a poem.


Hugh		Underneath the bellied skies,
		Where dust and rain find space to fall,
		To fall and lie and change again,
		Without a care or mind at all
		For art and life and things above;

		In that, there, look just there,
		No right left up down past or future,
		We have but ourselves to fear.

Stephen		Hugh, you chose that poem. For God's sake why?

Hugh		I chose it for a number of reasons, Stephen.

Stephen		I see. The most important one being ... ?

Hugh		Can I perhaps turn that question round and say
		"because it was short".

Stephen		The poem?

Hugh		That's right. I chose that poem because it
		was short.

Stephen		And that's significant?

Hugh		Well of course. With the pace of modern life
		being what it is, it seemed to me that most
		people just haven't got the time to spend on long
		poems, and this would therefore ideally suit the
		short-haul commuter or the busy housewife. This
		is a poem that can fit neatly into the most hectic
		of schedules, and leave time for other sporting or
		leisure activities.

Stephen		So that represents quite a boon to the modern
		poetry reader?

Hugh		Oh an enormous boon.

Stephen		Well of course we're always on the lookout for
		enormous boons. And I presume it's reasonably
		safe?

Hugh		Absolutely safe. This is a poem you could leave
		around the house in absolute confidence.

Stephen		Excellent. Presumably though, there must be
		shorter poems than that one?

Hugh		Oh good heavens yes.

Stephen		Good heavens yes?

Hugh		Good heavens yes. There's a poem by Richard
		Maddox called "Institutions" that I can read for you
		now, if you like?

Stephen		Please.

Hugh		Here is it. "Li."

Stephen		That is short.

Hugh		It's very short indeed.

Stephen		Too short perhaps?

Hugh		Possibly.

Stephen		But I suppose that might just suit the busy senior
		executive who can only snatch a moment between
		meetings, and so on?

Hugh		Well that's right. That's certainly the market that
		Maddox was aiming for.

Stephen		Now at about this time, many people are going to
		be thinking about their summer holidays. Are there
		any poems that you might recommend to a family
		going on, say, a two-week get-away day leisure
		bargain break weekend away leisure holiday-break?

Hugh		Well first of all, let me give a warning to any
		families planning to take poetry on holiday
		with them.

Stephen		And that is?

Hugh		Be careful.

Stephen		Sounds like good advice to me.

Hugh		Check with your travel agent to see if there are
		any specific customs regulations regarding poetry,
		and if you're travelling outside the EEC, wrap
		up warm.

Stephen		Any particular advice on how to carry poetry, when
		travelling abroad?

Hugh		Yes, I would say it's definitely worth getting a
		proper travelling poetry bag.

Stephen		A travelling poetry bag?

Hugh		Yes. You can buy one of these at most big High
		Street travelling poetry bag shops.

Stephen		Great. Now I think you've got one last poem for
		us, before you go?

Hugh		I certainly have. This is "The Rest of My Life" by
		R.P. Mitchell.

Stephen		The R.P. Mitchell?

Hugh		No. A R.P. Mitchell.

Stephen		Right.

Hugh		This poem is fairly solid, but at the same time, not
		too heavy. I think it's quite stylish.

Stephen		So it might suit, say, a young couple starting out in
		the catering business?

Hugh		If you like. "Forward and back,
		Said the old man in the dance,
		As he whittled away at his stick,
		Long gone, long gone,
		Without a glance,
		To the entrance made of brick."

Stephen		Thanks very much.