Friday 30 September 2022

THE REIMS WAR MEMORIAL: my new poem...

 The Reims War Memorial



Fronted by a floral display of fleurs-de-lys,

The memorial dominates the Place de République

Like a theatrical stage, mounted

Upon bending white steps to feature

A writhing, dark human form.

Agonising about war, he curls in upon himself, harassed,

Scorned and hideously embarrassed,

Eternally and dramatically tortured, 

Yet offering the fallen in battle no real release…


In the wings, stage right, honouring the Reims dead,

Every covered, pitying female head

Is bowed, sad eyes tightly closed with the pain

Of family loss and the inexorable, unenviable strain

Caused by the maimed, the missing and the slaughter 

To every grieving mother, wife and daughter…

In the wings, stage left however, the forms ponder

The sacrifices made by the figures yonder:

Perhaps a soldier, an airman, a sailor, a nurse,

Lost in a war which was for a generation, a curse…



Pete Ray

29th September 2022








I can find no more words…



SIMPLICITY ITSELF: a poem about the war memorial in Lussan, Gard, southern France...

 Simplicity Itself…



It was the first specific memorial I had seen

And noted. And remembered.

Simplicity itself.

Sculpted for the French infantrymen

And the fallen of World War One…


He is understated, yet sadly serene,

With weary equipment unencumbered.

Simplicity itself.

Weathered for his fellow countrymen

And for every Lussan mother’s fallen son…


The bowed head beneath helmet carved from stone

And lean figure wrapped inside a greatcoat, alone,

Tells the sullen story of tragedy for an eternity.

And the serviceman’s portrayal is in itself simplicity…



Pete Ray

29th September 2022





Whenever I visit the beautiful village on a hill of Lussan, I have to spend time at the simple war memorial outside the Mairie… 



Made of stone, weathered but simple, it says it all, really…



Inside the Mairie there are also individual memorials to a number of local men who fought in the Great War…



Thursday 29 September 2022

CADBURY ATHLETIC v AFC COVENTRY RANGERS: THE MOWDOG'S PREVIEW...

 Cadbury Athletic v AFC Coventry Rangers: the preview...

UNIQUE...


Midland League 2 is proving to be a really competitive league already this term. Five teams currently sit on 16 points, whilst 6th placed Earlswood Town lie just a point back. 

Leaders Sutton United have an identical match record as third placed AFC Coventry Rangers: 5 wins, 1 draw and a loss from their 7 games but United's goal difference is a staggering +19, thanks to 5-1, 6-1 and 7-2 victories in the league. Rangers' goal difference is +9 but Sutton's only defeat actually came at Rangers' Tech ground, by a score of 3-2. 

Sutton will entertain second placed Kenilworth Sporting this week-end, who have played a game more than their hosts, whilst Knowle, 4th in the standings are at home to bottom-but-one Boldmere Falcons. Earlswood have an attractive home match against the much fancied Alcester Town, who are 8th in the list, just behind Fairfield Villa. 

Certainly Knowle will rue the four draws they have had to be content with from their eight matches but like Kenilworth the Robins remain unbeaten.    

So, Cadbury Athletic, last season's champions welcome AFC Coventry Rangers this weekend and it should be a cracking encounter. The Chocs fell from first to fifth last Saturday and although they have won 5 times and drawn once, crucially they have lost twice too. In both of those defeats, Cadbury failed to score but their goal difference is a healthy +8...

In recording the form of both teams below, I have included the names of the players chosen by their opponents as their most valuable player from each match...

PRE-SEASON AT THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY...


Cadbury's record so far...



A comfortable 0-4 victory at Barnt Green Spartak (currently propping up the division) saw MVP Adam Bourn and Jeson Dinanga score a brace apiece but next came a trip to Kenilworth, where Sporting managed a 3-0 victory. I saw that game and in truth, Cadbury struggled for form. Bourn was elected the team's MVP for the second match in succession.

A 0-2 success at Lane Head, where Jake Wicketts and substitute Wade Malley scored the goals and Daniel Morris was voted the MVP, was followed by a fourth away game on the trot. This time the Chocs beat Boldmere Falcons 1-4, where Malley scored twice and Dinanga netted once, as did Josh McGinley. Bourn won the MVP accolade for the third time from four matches. 

MALLEY FINDS THE NET IN PRE-SEASON...


A 3-5 success in yet another contest on the road, at Redditch Borough was achieved through goals by Kedeiah Warren-Paul, replacement Andrew Cooper and a hat-trick from Bourn, who was surprisingly not voted as the team's MVP... Josh Roberts took the title from Redditch's voters...

CRAINE SCORES IN PRE-SEASON...


At last Athletic returned to the Chocolate Factory for a home match v Inkberrow, who led 0-1 at the interval but substitute Tom Craine grabbed two second period goals to take all three points for the Chocs. Roberts again won the MVP award... Stubborn Hampton though were next to visit Bournville and were actually leading 1-2 until the 97th minute, when Steve Ruck struck for the hosts to grab a very late draw. The other Cadbury goal was an own-goal and Morris won the MVP award...

KENILWORTH'S TANK DAKOURI LEAVES MORRIS ON THE GROUND.
THE CADBURY PLAYER HAS WON 3 MVP AWARDS THIS TERM...


Last time out, disappointingly, Cadbury lost 1-0 at Alcester, courtesy of a strike by Odane Barnes but Morris won the MVP award for the Chocs for a third time...

Rangers' season so far...



Although holding Alcester to 1-1 at the break, the Romans punished Rangers after the interval to win the opening game of the season 4-1. Alpha Wurie not only scored for promoted Rangers but was also chosen as MVP. Next, Sutton United travelled to the Tech and in a game of seven goals, Rangers edged out their rivals 4-3. Curtis Cutts and Ryan Alexander both netted once, whilst Fola 'The Dunker' Fagbemi grabbed a brace, his second strike being the game's winner in the 88th minute. Skipper Jordan Powell was voted the team's MVP...

FAGBEMI IN ACTION AT HAMPTON...


A 4-2 home win v Inkberrow followed, courtesy of goals by Fagbemi, Rory Turnbull, MVP Wurie and Alexander, whilst Inkberrow's goals came from an early penalty and an added-time consolation strike.

A tough 2-1 home win v Barnt Green Spartak was achieved through goals by Cutts and a dramatic 90th minute winner from Max Howard. Defender George Swain was interestingly acclaimed as the team's MVP... 

The rather dire 0-0 draw at Hampton was the only league game I have seen so far involving Rangers this season and central defender Cutts was voted as the team's MVP.

ALEXANDER HAS A FINE SHOT WELL SAVED AT HAMPTON...


A fine 0-5 victory on the road at Lane Head was next, where Cutts and Joe Gardner each grabbed a goal but Fagbemi scored a hat-trick, for which he would surely be awarded the MVP accolade... But no... It was awarded to the team's singing winger, Liam Doyle, who, er, wasn't even on the team sheet... Weird, or what?

DOYLE (11) IS FOULED AT HAMPTON.
THE RANGERS' WINGER WAS VOTED THE TEAM'S MVP AT LANE HEAD BUT WASN'T ACTUALLY THERE...


A break from league action saw a Coventry Cup tie being played at Coventry Dunlop from Division 3 and the tight match ended in a 2-2 draw, which meant a penalty shootout, won easily by Rangers by 1-4. Fagbemi, Josh Bird, Dan Monger and Wurie scored the spot-kicks and in the actual 90 minutes, the in-form Fagbemi had netted a brace...

Last week, Rangers beat Bolehall Swifts 3-0, with all the goals coming before the break, which were scored by Fagbemi yet again, Owen Wassall and the game's MVP Wurie...


Final words...

Rangers' prolific striker Connoll Farrell continues to rehabilitate from a knee operation but in truth, AFC have started positively this term and this game at Cadbury should be a good measure of where they stand, for the Chocs are always going to be strong at this level... 

Full coverage of the match including video highlights with full commentary, screenshots, images and a comprehensive match report will begin to appear at themowdog.blogspot.com from Sunday morning...

The Mowdog... 



SUNFLOWERS DYING IN THRALL TO THE SUN... (New poem about the dying sunflowers at Boisson, Gard, France, in September 2022...)

 Sunflowers Dying In Thrall To The Sun…



Wizened and withered,

The tall stalks bent, 

Hunched like infantrymen entrenched

In sodden uniforms and driving rain

At the Somme in World War One…


Regimented and gathered, 

Their short lives spent,

Heads hang in shame, all colour wrenched

From faces in the early autumn strain

Of French fields: the flowers of the sun…


And their swollen faces bulged,

Like rusted cannon shot,

With seeds inside indulged

Until harvesting would stop the rot…



Pete Ray

28th September 2022



Boisson, Gard, France…




Sunflowers dying, awaiting the harvester…



SINISTER & LACQUERED BLACK... (New poem about a scorpion in Boisson, Gard, France, last week...)

 Sinister & Lacquered Black…



It had lurked, sinister and lacquered black,

Behind a small door of heavy iron,

Which, when slowly opened, revealed

Its sinuous agitation and erect, lethal tail…


It lurched its sinister and lacquered back

Into the damp, shadowy environ

Of the opening of a village well, concealed

Within the spider infested darkness, dank and stale…


Pete Ray

28th September 2022 



A small, if nasty scorpion, disturbed when the metal door of a village well was opened in Boisson, Gard, France last week…


 

Wednesday 28 September 2022

CÉVENOL STORM: MY NEW POEM ABOUT A STORM OVER THE CÉVENNES ON 21ST SEPTEMBER 2022...

 Cévenol Storm…



The Cévennes range disappeared

From view, erased by pallid, dank cloud,

Before light rain ushered in humid, breathless

Air, as daunting fractures of lightning flickered

And a slate-grey sky hovered low.

Cloud forms then swirled and turned within themselves

To hurl heavy rain from spindly wisps, restless,

Until Thor’s hammer thundered blows, frighteningly loud

And irritated tendrils were sucked into the spineless

Shroud, which hurled its anger and bickered,

Whilst the misted Cévennes mountains huddled, afeared…


Pete Ray

28th September 2022





A long storm on Wednesday 14th September 2022, as seen from Boisson, Gard, France, looking towards the Cévennes mountains…




MORE IMAGES FROM REIMS, TAKEN LAST WEDNESDAY, 21ST SEPTEMBER...

 

SUNRISE...


THE HOME OF STADE DE REIMS, THE SOCCER TEAM, DIRECTLY OPPOSITE TO THE HOTEL...


PLACE ROYALE...


ABOVE & BELOW: THE ROMAN AGE PORTE DE MARS...


DETAIL FROM JOAN OF ARC FIGURE IN THE CATHEDRAL...


AS IF JOAN OF ARC RIDES TOWARDS THE CATHEDRAL...