Lifescapes

By Pam Crane

'Lifescapes' is a collection of Pam Crane's versatile poetry, written over six decades, observing 'life's rich tapestry' from her own doorstep to the troubles of the wider world. Her poems, written in many forms from rhythmic free verse to beautifully structured rhyme, deal with love, childbirth, nature, climate, politics, evolution and human pain. Her very first poem, written when she was seven years old, is here; also the many fine poems of her maturity in which she casts a critical and philosophical eye on modern culture.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pam Crane
• Release date: May 22, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370352524

Pam Crane

Pam Crane has been a poet since she was seven years old; it was only when she joined her local Writers' Club that she found she could also write short stories. She has also been a Christian astrologer for most of her life, is well known in that community, and is the author of two books plus many articles in the Astrological Association Journal (for which she compiles the regular Cryptic Crossword.) You can find her website at http://revpamcrane.weebly.com.

Book preview

LIFESCAPES

Poems by Pam Crane

Published by Shoestring at Smashwords

Copyright 2017 Pam Crane

Smashwords Edition, License Notes:

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Although it is a free book, it remains the copyrighted property of the author, and therefore may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy at Smashwords.com, where they can also discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.

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MATURITY

IRON

In the crust of a thousand islands,

In the rocks and the dust of Mars,

In the core of a whirling planet,

In the breath of a billion stars

The metal of Man was waiting

For a brain and a thumb and fire.

An age of history-making

Began with naked desire;

Firing, hammering, honing,

Ready for food and foe,

Blade and spear in the forest

To swing, to thrust, to throw.

Mankind has harvested iron,

Harnessed its weight for war,

Hard in the mouths of horses,

Strong on the fortress door;

Melting, moulding and casting

Cauldron, helmet and chain,

Armour against the weapon,

Shield to carry the slain.

Hoops for the cooper’s barrel,

Rim for the carter’s wheel -

And then the gun. And the girder.

Man has discovered steel.

With steel he plunders the planet.

With steel he murders the trees.

With steel he conquers his neighbour ...

But loses to Heart disease.

The crust of the whirling planet

Is left with the rust of war,

Waiting for souls to ripen

Just as it was before.

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MY CAMPAIGN

Roll up! Roll up! And vote for me,

This rare day of democracy!

Your Independent candidate

Is up for vigorous debate

On any issue - you may pick it;

I shall add it to my ticket.

Join me! Wear my fine rosette!

I found these on the internet,

The symbolism quite apparent -

Frills and ribbons all transparent.

My platform? I am anti-greed.

‘To each according to his need.’

So - nurses’ wages? They must rise;

That should come as no surprise.

I am also on the ball

With soccer - salaries must fall

To where they were back in the day

When games were televised in grey;

The pricey foreigners must go

So local lads can run the show.

Then we can all afford to cheer

Our teams three dozen times a year!

The beating heart of my campaign

Is second homes. Let me explain,

That only for a licence fee

In this corrupt economy

Should anyone at all be given

More than a single house to live in.

After somewhere nice to stay

With kids or friends on holiday?

You’ll have to rough it like the rest

Of us, and be a hotel guest.

Open the villages again

To local folk and working men!

My logo is a garden gnome:

Make every house a proper home.

Still on the theme of rural life,

One phrase that cuts me like a knife

Is National Park. A park’s for play.

We’re throwing peace and space away,

Granting the ignorant permission

To tramp the wild into submission.

I’ll curb the greedy National Trust,

Stop all the farms from going bust,

Punish the waste of food, and pull

Strings to revive the trade in wool.

(... Remember the verses on the bus

And tube that once