All writing courtesy Margaret Clough
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Loving the Moon
Once upon a time
there was a fat hairy caterpillar who fell in love with the moon.
“Moon, Moon,
beautiful Moon,” he called to her. “Come here to me.”
But the moon just
looked down coldly at the caterpillar from high in the sky and didn’t answer
him.
“How can I get the
moon to come to me?” wondered the caterpillar.
He went to the
forest and there he saw a tree. It was
so tall that its branches seemed to be brushing the sky.
“Tree, Tree,” he
said. “Give me your tall trunk so I can make a ladder to climb up to the
moon.”
“Even the longest
ladder will never reach the moon,” said the tree.
“No,” said the
caterpillar. “But when the moon sees me climbing up so high to get to her, she
will know how much I love her and she will come down to meet me. ”
“I can’t give you
my trunk,” said the tree. “It has already been promised to make a telephone
pole.” But the tree felt sorry for the
caterpillar and threw down some small pieces of bark and a little of its soft
creamy pollen and the caterpillar picked these up and put them carefully away.
Then the
caterpillar went down to the lake and there he saw a kingfisher, hovering over
the water. In the sunlight its blue wings looked like little blue flames.
“Kingfisher, Kingfisher,”
said the caterpillar.” Give me your wings so I can fly up to the moon.”
“Even the
strongest wings will never reach the moon,” said the kingfisher.
“No,” said the
caterpillar.” But when the moon sees me flying so high to get to her she will know
how much I love her and come to meet me.”
“I can’t give you
my wings,” said the kingfisher. “I need them, because I have to fly all day
over the water to catch my dinner. Fish is scarce these days”
But the kingfisher
felt sorry for the caterpillar and threw down a few bright blue feathers and
the caterpillar picked them up and put them carefully away.
Then the
caterpillar looked up at the sky. It was evening and the setting sun had
coloured the clouds all pink and mauve.
“Sky, Sky,” said
the caterpillar. “Give me one of your clouds so I can get on it and float up to
the moon.”
“Even the lightest
cloud will never reach the moon,” said the sky.
“No,” said the
caterpillar.” But when the moon sees me floating up so high to get to her she
will know how much I love her and come down to meet me.”
‘I can’t give you
a cloud,” said the sky. “They are needed to make rain to fill the dams. There
is a shortage of water everywhere.”
But the sky felt
sorry for the caterpillar and threw down just a little bit of pink cloud and
the caterpillar picked it up and put it carefully away.
“If no one will help me,” said the caterpillar. “I’ll
just have to help myself.” So he took
some thread that he always kept in his mouth and twisted it round and round
himself to make a cocoon, the way you make a ball of string by winding it round
your hand. Inside the cocoon he set to
work. He took the fluffy pink cloud and
the papery, brown bark and the shiny blue feathers and the fine creamy pollen
and he mixed them and put them all together to make the most beautiful wings.
Then he took the wings and fastened them onto his body.
When he was done
he broke open the cocoon and stepped out.
He spread out his wings and they shimmered in the moonlight. Then he flew away, up, up towards the
moon.
Now sometimes if
you go out at night you may see him fluttering excitedly round a street
lamp. He is happy because he thinks it
is the moon, come to meet him at last.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
New York Fashion Week
I am not much interested in Fashion and have not watched a fashion show for years ,but
a few days ago I happened to watch a clip on TV of this event. I was appalled. It was the state of the models parading on the catwalk that horrified me. All of them were unhealthily thin and some of them were absolutely emaciated. They looked as if they had been recently dragged from a ward for the terminally ill or that they had been victims of a particularly severe famine. As I watched one poor creature dressed in the richest of clothes, wobbling grim-faced across the ramp on fragile stick-like legs I was reminded of someone I once visited in hospital who was in the last stages of full-blown Aids. She had the same tragic,frail appearance. I am distressed to think of how much damage these models have done and are still doing to their bodies.
How can reputable fashion houses employ and even seek out these poor starving young women.
a few days ago I happened to watch a clip on TV of this event. I was appalled. It was the state of the models parading on the catwalk that horrified me. All of them were unhealthily thin and some of them were absolutely emaciated. They looked as if they had been recently dragged from a ward for the terminally ill or that they had been victims of a particularly severe famine. As I watched one poor creature dressed in the richest of clothes, wobbling grim-faced across the ramp on fragile stick-like legs I was reminded of someone I once visited in hospital who was in the last stages of full-blown Aids. She had the same tragic,frail appearance. I am distressed to think of how much damage these models have done and are still doing to their bodies.
How can reputable fashion houses employ and even seek out these poor starving young women.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
A precarious time- poem
This is a precarious time
of running about on loosened
tiles. They slide and crack.
making me shake and stumble.
Too much is flowing over me
like waves at the full moon.
when gulls gather around dirt bins.
From the beach I can see
five pelicans in the sky.
I fill my hands with sand,
microscopic jewels,
jade, rose-quartz, garnet
but bones too are buried in the sand
thin and brittle, frail as day old chickens
I walk barefoot over them.
The moon, grown large
comes closer on the wane
The wind sweeps clouds across its
bleakness.
There is sadness in the singing.
circling the cold starry night
playing with shadows
on the shifting sand
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Christmas play: The friendly beasts
THE FRIENDLY BEASTS
CAST
DONKEY HORSE
COW ONE CAMEL
COW TWO AN ANGEL
SHEEP
(Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus)
SCENE: Outside a stable in Bethlehem. There are various implements lying about and a large heap of hay. Donkey is lying asleep on the hay. He is snoring loudly.
Enter Cow one and Cow two.
COW ONE: Whooo, Whoo is that?
COW TWO: Moo, moo to you too.
COW ONE. Not moo, WHO.
COW TWO: Who?
COW ONE: Yes, Who, over there on the hay. Who is it?
COW TWO: It looks like a donkey.
COW ONE: Yes, It does look like a donkey. Hey you! Are you a donkey?
DONKEY: (waking up) What’s that? What’s that noise? Can’t anyone get any rest around here?
COW TWO: Are you a donkey?
DONKEY: Of course I’m a donkey. Got eyes haven’t you?
COW ONE: Well if you are a donkey, what are you doing here? This is a cow’s stable.
DONKEY: It can’t be. Cows don’t have stables.
COW TWO: Neither do donkeys.
COW ONE: It used to be a stable for horses.
COW TWO: But they moved the horses when the innkeeper built new stables last year.
COW ONE: So it is our home now.
DONKEY: Not any more. You will have to share it with me and my family.
COW TWO: A whole lot of donkeys?
DONKEY: Of course not. My human family. They are settling in now and don’t want to be disturbed, so will you just go away so I can go back to sleep.
COW ONE: What cheek! Who are you to boss us around? Where do you come from anyway?
COW TWO: You are the one who should go away. Shoo. Shoo.
DONKEY: Don’t shoo,shoo ME. I’m a very important donkey I’ll have you know.
I’m Joseph the Carpenter’s donkey.
COW ONE: Never heard of him.
DONKEY: That shows how ignorant you are. He is the best carpenter in the country and an important man in Nazareth.
COW TWO: Nazareth? That’s a long way away.
DONKEY: Yes. It is far away. We had a long journey and the roads were so crowded. It was traffic jams all the way and then we had to search for accommodation when we got here. The inns were full up. I’m quite exhausted.
COW ONE: Did you have a heavy load?
DONKEY: Well, Joseph helped with that, but I had to carry Mary almost all the way.
COW TWO: Who is Mary? Why couldn’t she walk?
DONKEY: Mary, my other human. Poor Mary, I couldn’t expect her to walk. She is going to have her baby very soon. We got here just in time. I wouldn’t be surprised if the baby were born this very night.
COW ONE: In the STABLE! Whoever heard of a human born in a stable!
DONKEY: Shocking, isn’t it. There was no other accommodation to be had at all. I can tell you this is not the sort of thing WE are used to and it’s all because of the census.
COW TWO. The censers? Aren’t those the things they use for incense in the temple?
DONKEY: Haw haw, Hee haw! And they call DONKEYS stupid! Census, silly – the time when everybody gets counted. Joseph and Mary have come here to be counted.
COW ONE: Why can’t they be counted in Nazareth?
DONKEY: Search me. Some Roman Government red tape.
COW TWO: Perhaps no one in Nazareth can count.
DONKEY: NONSENSE. Just because we live in the country, a long way from Jerusalem doesn’t mean we are as ignorant as cattle.
COW ONE: (belligerently)What do you mean, as ignorant as cattle!
DONKEY: All right, all right. Keep your horns on. I take it back. No need to get upset.
ENTER SHEEP.
DONKEY: Hello. What are you doing here?
COW TWO: Why aren’t you up in the hills where sheep belong?
SHEEP: I’m not sure. I only know an angel appeared and sent us all down here.
COW ONE and COW TWO: An angel?
DONKEY: (amazed) An angel sent a whole lot of sheep here?
SHEEP: Well, the angel sent our shepherds here and, of course they couldn’t leave us sheep alone, so we came too.
(the noise of hoofs can be heard)
COW ONE Oh no! Not that old horse again with his boring old war stories.
COW TWO: He never lets you forget that he was once in the cavalry.
ENTER HORSE:
HORSE: He-ay-ay What’s going on here? Just passing my old stable. Saw it full of people and animals. Some sort of gathering What?
SHEEP: Something very exciting is going to happen. A very special baby is going to be born here. That’s what the angel said.
HORSE: Just like a sheep. Believe any wild story you hear. Angels and babies in stables! What a lot of nonsense!
SHEEP: It’s TRUE. There really was an angel. I saw it myself.
DONKEY: (looking towards the east) What’s that I see? Three camels? I can’t believe they are coming here. Stuck–up creatures. they think they’re too good to mix with the likes of us.
ENTER CAMEL
COW ONE: Hullooo. What have you come here for?
CAMEL: I’ve come to check out the accommodation and I must say it is not up to standard at all. We three camels have been traveling for weeks over the mountains and the desert, to come here and we really expected something much better. I don’t know what all you domestic livestock are doing here, but we expect you all to move out at once and make sure you leave everything neat and tidy when you go.
COWS: MOVE OUT! We’re not moving out. This is our home. We were here first.
DONKEY: Who do you think you are? You can’t chase everyone out. Don’t you know that a very special baby is going to be born here tonight?
CAMEL: A special baby? What is he going to be? A top camel driver?
DONKEY: No. I don’t think so, but something very important. (thinks) I know! When he grows up he will be the most famous donkey rider in the world! He will ride through the streets of Jerusalem and everyone will come out to see him and cheer him on
COW ONE: A donkey rider! What’s special about that? Donkey riders aren’t important.
COW TWO: No the most important people are the dairymen that look after us and feed us. I think he will be someone who provides food for hundreds of cows or if not for cows, at least for hundreds of people.
COW ONE: Or perhaps a thousand
COW TWO: Or five thousand.
COW ONE: Or ten thousand.
DONKEY: That’s enough. Don’t get carried away.
SHEEP: I don’t like to disagree with you cows, but really the most important people are shepherds. What would any of us do without them? How would we know where to go if they didn’t lead us? I think this baby will grow up to be a great shepherd.
HORSE: I’m a military horse. Served in the army since a colt so I know what I’m talking about. Soldiers are more important than donkey riders, cowhands or shepherds. Go on horseback don’t you know. Must be more important. I think he will grow up to be a mighty warrior and a conqueror, destroying evil rulers and bringing peace and all that.
CAMEL: None of you know anything. Do you think WE would have traveled all the way across the desert for anyone less than a prince. No, If this is the one we have come to see, I know for certain that this baby will grow up to be a great king. No doubt about it. No doubt at all.
HORSE: (half convinced) You are just saying that. Where’s your evidence, Sir? You have no real evidence have you?
CAMEL: No evidence? New stars don’t just appear in the sky for nothing. My masters, who are very, very wise men, have been watching the sky all their lives and they saw this baby’s star.
DONKEY: His star? What star?
CAMEL: That star over there in the sky. Look it’s rising now!
The star is seen behind the stable shedding light on Joseph and Mary and the baby in the manger. An angel stands beside them
COW ONE: O LOOK, THERE’S THE NEW BABY!
DONKEY: The one who will ride a donkey through Jerusalem,
COW TWO: The provider of food for thousands.
HORSE: The mighty warrior who will bring peace
SHEEP: The good shepherd
CAMEL: The wise king
ANGEL (Stepping forward) Yes. He will be all these things and more. This baby is JESUS, the Son of God, the SAVIOUR of the world.
CAST
DONKEY HORSE
COW ONE CAMEL
COW TWO AN ANGEL
SHEEP
(Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus)
SCENE: Outside a stable in Bethlehem. There are various implements lying about and a large heap of hay. Donkey is lying asleep on the hay. He is snoring loudly.
Enter Cow one and Cow two.
COW ONE: Whooo, Whoo is that?
COW TWO: Moo, moo to you too.
COW ONE. Not moo, WHO.
COW TWO: Who?
COW ONE: Yes, Who, over there on the hay. Who is it?
COW TWO: It looks like a donkey.
COW ONE: Yes, It does look like a donkey. Hey you! Are you a donkey?
DONKEY: (waking up) What’s that? What’s that noise? Can’t anyone get any rest around here?
COW TWO: Are you a donkey?
DONKEY: Of course I’m a donkey. Got eyes haven’t you?
COW ONE: Well if you are a donkey, what are you doing here? This is a cow’s stable.
DONKEY: It can’t be. Cows don’t have stables.
COW TWO: Neither do donkeys.
COW ONE: It used to be a stable for horses.
COW TWO: But they moved the horses when the innkeeper built new stables last year.
COW ONE: So it is our home now.
DONKEY: Not any more. You will have to share it with me and my family.
COW TWO: A whole lot of donkeys?
DONKEY: Of course not. My human family. They are settling in now and don’t want to be disturbed, so will you just go away so I can go back to sleep.
COW ONE: What cheek! Who are you to boss us around? Where do you come from anyway?
COW TWO: You are the one who should go away. Shoo. Shoo.
DONKEY: Don’t shoo,shoo ME. I’m a very important donkey I’ll have you know.
I’m Joseph the Carpenter’s donkey.
COW ONE: Never heard of him.
DONKEY: That shows how ignorant you are. He is the best carpenter in the country and an important man in Nazareth.
COW TWO: Nazareth? That’s a long way away.
DONKEY: Yes. It is far away. We had a long journey and the roads were so crowded. It was traffic jams all the way and then we had to search for accommodation when we got here. The inns were full up. I’m quite exhausted.
COW ONE: Did you have a heavy load?
DONKEY: Well, Joseph helped with that, but I had to carry Mary almost all the way.
COW TWO: Who is Mary? Why couldn’t she walk?
DONKEY: Mary, my other human. Poor Mary, I couldn’t expect her to walk. She is going to have her baby very soon. We got here just in time. I wouldn’t be surprised if the baby were born this very night.
COW ONE: In the STABLE! Whoever heard of a human born in a stable!
DONKEY: Shocking, isn’t it. There was no other accommodation to be had at all. I can tell you this is not the sort of thing WE are used to and it’s all because of the census.
COW TWO. The censers? Aren’t those the things they use for incense in the temple?
DONKEY: Haw haw, Hee haw! And they call DONKEYS stupid! Census, silly – the time when everybody gets counted. Joseph and Mary have come here to be counted.
COW ONE: Why can’t they be counted in Nazareth?
DONKEY: Search me. Some Roman Government red tape.
COW TWO: Perhaps no one in Nazareth can count.
DONKEY: NONSENSE. Just because we live in the country, a long way from Jerusalem doesn’t mean we are as ignorant as cattle.
COW ONE: (belligerently)What do you mean, as ignorant as cattle!
DONKEY: All right, all right. Keep your horns on. I take it back. No need to get upset.
ENTER SHEEP.
DONKEY: Hello. What are you doing here?
COW TWO: Why aren’t you up in the hills where sheep belong?
SHEEP: I’m not sure. I only know an angel appeared and sent us all down here.
COW ONE and COW TWO: An angel?
DONKEY: (amazed) An angel sent a whole lot of sheep here?
SHEEP: Well, the angel sent our shepherds here and, of course they couldn’t leave us sheep alone, so we came too.
(the noise of hoofs can be heard)
COW ONE Oh no! Not that old horse again with his boring old war stories.
COW TWO: He never lets you forget that he was once in the cavalry.
ENTER HORSE:
HORSE: He-ay-ay What’s going on here? Just passing my old stable. Saw it full of people and animals. Some sort of gathering What?
SHEEP: Something very exciting is going to happen. A very special baby is going to be born here. That’s what the angel said.
HORSE: Just like a sheep. Believe any wild story you hear. Angels and babies in stables! What a lot of nonsense!
SHEEP: It’s TRUE. There really was an angel. I saw it myself.
DONKEY: (looking towards the east) What’s that I see? Three camels? I can’t believe they are coming here. Stuck–up creatures. they think they’re too good to mix with the likes of us.
ENTER CAMEL
COW ONE: Hullooo. What have you come here for?
CAMEL: I’ve come to check out the accommodation and I must say it is not up to standard at all. We three camels have been traveling for weeks over the mountains and the desert, to come here and we really expected something much better. I don’t know what all you domestic livestock are doing here, but we expect you all to move out at once and make sure you leave everything neat and tidy when you go.
COWS: MOVE OUT! We’re not moving out. This is our home. We were here first.
DONKEY: Who do you think you are? You can’t chase everyone out. Don’t you know that a very special baby is going to be born here tonight?
CAMEL: A special baby? What is he going to be? A top camel driver?
DONKEY: No. I don’t think so, but something very important. (thinks) I know! When he grows up he will be the most famous donkey rider in the world! He will ride through the streets of Jerusalem and everyone will come out to see him and cheer him on
COW ONE: A donkey rider! What’s special about that? Donkey riders aren’t important.
COW TWO: No the most important people are the dairymen that look after us and feed us. I think he will be someone who provides food for hundreds of cows or if not for cows, at least for hundreds of people.
COW ONE: Or perhaps a thousand
COW TWO: Or five thousand.
COW ONE: Or ten thousand.
DONKEY: That’s enough. Don’t get carried away.
SHEEP: I don’t like to disagree with you cows, but really the most important people are shepherds. What would any of us do without them? How would we know where to go if they didn’t lead us? I think this baby will grow up to be a great shepherd.
HORSE: I’m a military horse. Served in the army since a colt so I know what I’m talking about. Soldiers are more important than donkey riders, cowhands or shepherds. Go on horseback don’t you know. Must be more important. I think he will grow up to be a mighty warrior and a conqueror, destroying evil rulers and bringing peace and all that.
CAMEL: None of you know anything. Do you think WE would have traveled all the way across the desert for anyone less than a prince. No, If this is the one we have come to see, I know for certain that this baby will grow up to be a great king. No doubt about it. No doubt at all.
HORSE: (half convinced) You are just saying that. Where’s your evidence, Sir? You have no real evidence have you?
CAMEL: No evidence? New stars don’t just appear in the sky for nothing. My masters, who are very, very wise men, have been watching the sky all their lives and they saw this baby’s star.
DONKEY: His star? What star?
CAMEL: That star over there in the sky. Look it’s rising now!
The star is seen behind the stable shedding light on Joseph and Mary and the baby in the manger. An angel stands beside them
COW ONE: O LOOK, THERE’S THE NEW BABY!
DONKEY: The one who will ride a donkey through Jerusalem,
COW TWO: The provider of food for thousands.
HORSE: The mighty warrior who will bring peace
SHEEP: The good shepherd
CAMEL: The wise king
ANGEL (Stepping forward) Yes. He will be all these things and more. This baby is JESUS, the Son of God, the SAVIOUR of the world.
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