A FLYING visit to Sidmouth last week, by poet and broadcaster Matt Harvey, stirred deep emotions in Kennaway House Cellar Bar, when seagulls were (metaphorically) targeted .
The following poem, compiled from spontaneous one-liners from the audience, was clearly written with great feeling.
Matt is well known for his regular contributions on BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Live , and was the Poet Laureate at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in 2010.
He’ll be back at Kennaway House, with a science-themed Wondermentalist Cabaret on Saturday, October 20, for Sidmouth Science Festival.
Some Words about a Seagull…..
Orange beaky beady eyie hooky footy
Sandwich stealer
Motor car garlander, front wall plasterer
Sidmouth seagulls pooing slightly, day and nightly
Jonathan Livingstone splatter
Screeching! Squawking! Swooping! Diving!
Stop showing off and let me have my lie-in!
Your stomach-churning wheeling and turning
…what I want to see is you crashing and burning
So shine, do not whine, you non-special bird
Most elegant poobag
Barbecue-snatcher
Webbed feet in the attack position
The seagull swoops, smoked salmon gone
The beer a puddle on the grass
No lunch today, alas, alas!
It flew along the prom with ease...
Funny, it had no knees
My stolen pasty laced with bicarbonate of soda
I wait with joy at the impending supernova!
Crab-crunching,chip-stealing,tourist-heckler, banshee of the sea
Hey, Mr Big, you (expletive deleted), you (expletive deleted) on me…………
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here