Saturday, December 17, 2005

Knowing when to stop, mad Santa, best in town

Knowing when to stop is one of the less recorded virtues. Artists know that there comes a time when another line may ruin a drawing; and writers, too, should know when to cut the power.So reading a review of the last book of poems by the late Michael Donaghy, I was impressed by these lines from one of his poems, which the reviewer quoted:
"Sometimes your writing's a soft tangle of subtleties
Undercutting each other, blurring the paths
And you arrive at a washed-out bridge or rock slide.
Don't try to end what's finished."

A little, wizened Father Christmas, powered by an electric motor, waves a wand up and down as though completely mad.

In Morrison's a staff member runs around wearing a jacket, which bears the legend, "Morrisons the Best Grocer in Town". Not for long! Morrison's is closing its only store in this town after Christmas.

No comments: