Beautiful Bournemouth

“Ode to Bournemouth (I can’t take credit for it):-

Borough of pines and sea blown peacefulness,
Safe haven for the traveller to take ease;
This readymade release for restlessness
Was nurtured for renewal, raised to please
The genuine fresh start, the well earned end;
And all the inbetween who sojourn here,
Who settle or move on, what soft surprise
Awaits you – family, colleague, lover, friend?
Walk by these waters and all becomes clear
Where nature spreads her wares and God feels near,
Amongst these gardens, streets of enterprise.

Old Bournes of blood and hidden histories,
Your treasures brought at last into the light;
Famed bathing town of deep springed mysteries
That whispers to my searching soul at night,
And by day soothes with the assurance of
A past homegrown, one built up bit by bit
From years ago when all the Captain’s eye
Could see was raw potential, and a love
Of splendor; then the rush to bottle it:
The officer’s fairplay, the smuggler’s spirit,
Inherent in us still, this land and sky

Turning like thoughts to action through the seasons;
From beachfront and on heathland I have seen
The pleasures weather makes for its own reasons,
Sun, or rain dappled with a misty sheen,
As years play out on that horizon’s stage
Of light – of airshows, festivals and praise,
Infamous now, renowned throughout the south;
And when this ink has vanished from the page,
Still the river will be speaking to us,
The sea inspire, and calm, and comfort, thus.
Belovèd town. Our home. This Bournemouth.”

Written and presented to the Mayor of Bournemouth in celebration of National Poetry Day 2015.
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One of our two shopping streets has been fully pedestrianised (both were already, except tne section above, which has now been smartly surfaced, and ingrained with art celebrating literary history). New landscaping and paving has also been introduced to Beale Place along with modern seating and ‘planting’ (artificial flowers!!!).

All looks great, somewhere to relax and watch the world go by. How long before the skateboarders trash it. Maybe if we ever get Boris’s additional police, that won’t happen.

In ½ hour the yellow warning for rain should take effect, forecast 11am to midnight. And very windy already. Looks like stay at home weather then. Anyway expecting delivery of new router and disc from BT. Typical I rang to renew my Line Saver and they succeeded in selling me a £5 per month improved product. Broadband already costs a small fortune. i’m gullible.