The
Beestonian Grab a book - it’s National Poetry Day!
Issue no.
54
Beeston’s Own Poem S ince launching Buzzword: A Poem for Beeston at the start of August, the past month has been filled with Beestonians and others sending their poems in. All of these were collected, numbered, put into four groups and then presented anonymously to our eagerly awaiting judges who had the unenviable task of choosing a winner. They produced a shortlist of 12 poems, a selection of which is published in this issue, with others to be published in future issues.
We were delighted and impressed by the entries we received and the quality of poetry entering the Buzzword inbox. There are some truly heartfelt and altogether brilliant poems which go a long way in expressing our community spirit and why this town is a great place to live, work, grow up and make memories. We have two winners, one from each category. Our under 16s winner is Ava Waring, 12, for her poem ‘What do you see?’ which you can read on our back page. Our over 16s winner is Cathy Grindrod with her poem ‘The Beekeeper’. Well done to both winners, you’ve done Beeston proud. JM
The Beekeeper pays much attention, receives little, despite his years of witness to the bright parade babies, boffins, students, shoppe rs, meeters, makers, workers, wal kers – the whole brilliant buzz of you . He has learned the Art of the Cho colatier, knows intimately the Land of Boo ks, the stories the clicks of your bicy cle wheels relate, the shush of sheltering leaves above your fragile heads. All hours, all weathers, he wat ches over you, glad from time to time of your sweetest gifts – red pom-poms for his heavy boo ts, a blue balloon to dangle from his resting hand, a traffic cone to warm his cold stone head keeps safe, perched on his kne e, someone’s drunken midnight dau ghter, welcomes the small boy who star es into his inscrutable eyes to find his one and only need – for you to stop, just once, let go your busy work and sett le here beside him. Sit. Be still. Be ston e. Cathy Grindrod