PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINK TO GO TO THE VIDEO COVERAGE OF THE BADGERS...
Friday 30 June 2023
BEING ON THE OUTSIDE... (What it's like watching the Temple Balsall badgers...)
Being On The Outside…
Mild threat was always enough in company for me to behave
And speak only when I was spoken to.
My father reiterated it. Again. And yet again.
Being on the outside of things meant that I watched shyly,
Assimilated conversations, catchphrases and the behaviour
Of family members at occasional gatherings, wryly.
But there was no-one with whom to discuss my observations,
As an only child with a smile but with a countenance seemingly grave…
Mild fear was always enough in company for me to opt out
And watch others let go, whilst I stood back to rue
My father’s words, ingrained. Again. And yet again.
Being on the fringes of the action meant that I watched intently
The interactions, faces and the demeanour
Of companions at social gatherings and politely
Smiled. But I had only myself with whom to mull over my considerations.
And as an only child with a smile, my self esteem remained in doubt…
Mild fascination was enough in the badgers’ company for me to feel fortunate
But I remained hushed and perfectly still, on cue.
I watched the mammals feed. Again. And again.
Being at the edge of the copse meant that I watched, immensely
Captivated, humbled, yet respectful and in their favour.
I studied the creatures, largely ignorant of my presence and rightly
Curious, as I studied and filmed them, forming my deliberations
Like an only child with a smile, being on the outside but also somehow intimate…
Pete Ray
29th June 2023…
Watching the Temple Balsall badgers reminded me of being a kid again and being expected to be quiet until spoken to in company and merely being a spectator, usually in silence…
The fear of punishment, generally verbal by my father, left me reluctant to take part in things.
Later in life however, despite still feeling like an outsider much of the time, at least the shyness has faded on the surface and I guess I have become a total pain in the arse…
Inclusivity though has never included me…
Thursday 29 June 2023
WELLS TOWN FC: there's an oystercatcher on the pitch...
WELLS TOWN FC...
(There’s An Oystercatcher On the Pitch…)
A dog might have made a surprise appearance
Perhaps
At Villa Park, having slipped beneath a turnstile.
Not at St Andrews
However,
For why would any creature
Want to tarry there awhile?
A cat has been known to evade players’ lunges,
Erstwhile
At lauded venues, having been smuggled through a turnstile on a whim.
Not at Wells-Next-The-Sea
However,
Open on all sides to north Norfolk’s gales, wild and grim.
The moorhen patrolled the technical area,
The oystercatchers checked if the pitch would take a stud;
The pheasant encroached,
The seagull approached
Like a referee sensing blood…
Pete Ray
Brilliant place.
Wells-next-the-Sea’s football ground, early spring 2012…
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