The Inaugural Manning's Pit
Poetry Competition
Highly Commended
Richard Westcott (South Molton)
photo by Chris Chapman
After a fulfilled life as a north Devon GP,
Richard Westcott now happily finds he's got more
time to devote to writing. He's had poems
published in various anthologies and magazines,
as well as a wide range of places (including the
Mary Evans Poetry Blog, Lighten Up Online, the
Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, and a wall in
Exeter university), and won a few prizes here
and there. His critically acclaimed "There they
live much longer" is published by
Indigo
Dreams, and he blogs at
www.richardwestcottspoetry.com.
He plays an active part in the north Devon music
scene and being never happier than when out and
about with family, friends and Tim, a Jack
Russell, certainly appreciates how people feel
about Mannings Pit.
Richard's Poem
Manning's Pit
Rights and Wrongs
The ancient
oak tree bursting its bank
the scruffy blue rope that
swings in the wind
the not-very special edge of
town fields
and the dog-walker wanging his
ball...
The criss-crossing sheep
grazing the hill
the osprey that someone once
saw, it was said
the stickle-backs old men tell
tales about
and the lone jogger deep in
his thoughts...
The muddy old path winding
round puddles
the little brown birds that
sing in the hedge
the stream uncertain which way
to bend
and the children who splash in
the water...
The falling-out stones from
the crumbling bank
the herons like soldiers
waiting their turn
the untidy ivy clothing the
tree
and the old man, very slow
with his stick...
All have the right to
be where they are
let them be, let them be, let
them be...
