A Story of Poetry and Song -- Peter Leyland
A Story of Poetry and Song I recently accompanied my wife, Sue, to Sherington, a local village where a Christmas Market was in full swing. She was part of a choir and they were due to sing a variety of carols. The market was taking place in the grounds of a pub. I bought a drink, took up position and began to listen. As the singing proceeded, I stood half-shrouded by cream-coloured tents and I helped myself to the free food on offer – sausages, roast potatoes, chicken pieces and the most marvellous pork crackling - while joining in with the carols. It didn’t take me long to realise that most people were passers-by, making their way backwards and forwards to the market and dropping coins into the ready bucket proffered by Santa Claus. I noticed, however, that the charity the choir was supporting was Brain Cancer Research and my thoughts turned to the poet, Benjamin Zephaniah, and his recent and sudden death from a brain tumour. I mentally reviewed what I had known ab...