Fresh tears in my eyes as I view autumnal leaves
With the gnarled foliage tumbling onto asphalt.
The cold wind bites me with its inclemency
But I persevere along the road to somewhere.
Dancing in front of my face the amber pages spin
Pirouetting a final downward spiral to oblivion.
No doubt to start a new cycle of decay & birth;
Phoenixes that will arise from Bonfire Night ashes.
'Penny for the Guy, penny for the Guy'; I hear.
A penny for my thoughts maybe, maybe more ...
Maybe I will eat traditional hot groaty pudding
As Guido's effigy is similarly consumed by tongues of fire.
These are not my hands! This cold November night.
They are the dry leaves of the Conker trees.
The tears are dry now, like my Horse Chestnut hands.
The warm bonfire of my soul awaits the firework display.
Author notes
In the United Kingdom & some Commonwealth countries November the fifth is 'Bonfire Night'. Although the actual burning of a human effigy on a bonfire around this time of year is ancient & is probably more related to the Celtic New Year, it has been a celebration of the uncovering & thwarting of the infamous 'Gunpowder Plot' since 1605. The 'effigy' is now of Guido (Guy) Fawkes. Firework displays are also common on this night. In some parts of the Midlands (especially the Black Country) 'groaty pudding' also known as 'groaty dick' (or grorty dick) is traditionally consumed.
Remember, remember, the fifth of November...
Comments
1 - 11 of 11
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"... gunpowder, treason and plot" ... and cheating kids too, dressed in old clothes, sitting in a trolley pretending to be a guy. Never got away with it, though. Memories. Thanks for that, too though I did understand the wider implications of this well-delivered piece.
Mike
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Ah! Now I understand!
I love how you are " persever[ing] on the road to somewhere" This resonates so strongly with me. I'm never quite sure (in life) where I am going or where I will end up, but I work like hell to get there!
I like this! Now, go and eat some pudding!
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Yeah, we all have to persevere alright! I may have to persevere with some beer soon. I dunno about the grorty dick, it will probably spoil my beer. & to think that I am actually descended (with a bend sinister probably) from one of the plotters!
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Remember, Remember
the fifth of November!
May your horsechestnut leaf hands
stay warm tonight!
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I wrote a poem about Guy Fawkes night, just yesterday. They don't celebrate it here as they used to...I like the changes you see around you, though for me GFN has always been in mid spring.
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Oh, and did you know it was part of a plot by Venice, to make England declare war on Spain - at least according to what I read the other day, about how George Bush's mother was the love child of Aleister Crowley - I'll find you the link if you're interested...
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Oh right, & there was me thinking it was a plot of the 'Greys' from the Zeta Reticuli star system to harvest the organs of mutilated cattle to re-invigorate their dying planet.
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Excellent! What a wonderful lead up to 'Guy Fawkes Night' . This takes me back to my youth and the anticipation of bonfires as 'that' night approached.
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Thanks Bob, it is a re-write of a poem I posted last year. This is in fact closer to the original version.
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This is excellent. As a child looking forward to 'Guy Fawkes night' was as exciting as anticipating xmas. Good times...
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Yes, it was for me until I got set on fire by a sparkler once! I was OK but my brand new parka coat was toast!
It was never the same after that...
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