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Purple Poets
(and Friends)
POSTCARD POEMS
to celebrate National Poetry Day



PICK OF THE MONTH: OCTOBER 7th    

PURPLE POSTCARD POEMS
Purple Poets (and Friends) host the  3rd Annual
CAMDEN NATIONAL POETRY WEEK CELEBRATION``
at the Camden Town Hall, Judd Street. 
2011 theme: Games in Camden. 
Come read your own Poem on a Postcard
(14 lines or less) to the Mayor of Camden,
Councillor Abdul Quadir, at the
Camden Town Hall Council Chamber
FRIDAY October 7th, 3 p.m. to 5. Free. Everyone welcome.

WORKSHOP IN THE READING:
SPECIAL SCREENING OF BACTERIAL OPHELIA
BY Jo WOnder

If you would like your Postcard Poem to be archived
please send a copy of it (on a postcard) to:

Purple Poets and Friends Postcard Poems
c/o Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre
Holborn Library, 32-38 Theobolds Road
Camden WC1X 8PA.

2011 confirmed poets, artists, and guests:
The Purple Poets

and friends:
Robert Ilson

PURPLE POETS Workshop 2011 National Poetry Day Projects (on-going): SATURDAY AFTERNOON, OCTOBER 22, 2011 BTCV'S BIG GREEN WEEKEND, REGENT'S PARK, LONDON Free! All afternoon in the tent! Come help us create A Child's Alphabet of Regent's Park! Click here to see Our Alphabet Grow! Purple Poets (and Friends) 2011 National Poetry Day Project: (on-going) 100 Great Things About The Olympic Games! Poetry Competition Sponsored by The Mayor of London Deadline: November 30, 2011 for young poets living in London aged 10 to 16 Pop-Up Poetry Parties (Not Just For National Poetry Day) steps 6 or Paint a Purple Poetry Tree Bench (The Purple Poetry Tree  Bench & Ice Cream Project) 1.Choose a park bench that needs painting under or around a beautiful tree 2.Ask permission to paint it purple (first bench: Dulux Velvet Ribbon 2) 3. Paint it with some designated painters (ask your local Workshop or poetry group, or Ecostars, or BTCV for volunteers, if you need help) 4. Make sure no one sits on it for at least 24 hours 5. Let it dry for at least a week before you: 6. Invite everyone to help to make Aria's ice cream, and have a Pop-Up Picnic and Purple Poetry Party! --recite your own Postcard Poem about a Childhood Game or recite your favourite poem, sing a song, tell a joke, do a dance ask people to translate the recipe into another language, to celebrate your Purple Poetry Tree Bench! Do it again next National Poetry Day! from Purple Poets Cook: Poetry on A Platter www.purplepoets.com/cook.html Aria's Scientific Ice Cream (20.12.2008 cook: Aria, age 10) (taught to Kim at Aria's house during the 2008 New Delhi International Literature Festival) special equipment: two self-sealing plastic bags (a little bag and a big bag) Little Bag: 200 ml cream (Aria used UHT single cream) 2 Tablespoons chocolate sauce (Aria used Hershey's) (or any other flavouring you like, including vanilla) 2 Tablespoons sugar Mix the ingredients in a small plastic freeze bag. Seal the bag and roll the top down (to take out as much air as possible, which will speed up the freezing). Seal the bag or the salt and ice will get in and ruin your ice cream! (but don't double-bag, or your ice cream won't freeze in five minutes) Big Bag (or a self-sealing solid plastic container): ICE CUBES TABLE SALT Fill the  BIG BAG halfway up with ice cubes, and add 5 Tablespoons of salt to the ice. THEN put the Little Bag with the cream mixture into the Big Bag and seal. Shake the Big Bag for about 5 minutes until it looks like ice cream. Delicious! Delhi VS Deli: Hold a Big Purple Poets and Friends Ice Cream Shake-Off! Aria's Scientific Ice Cream VS The BBC's No-Churn Ice Cream recommended by Graham of Kendrick Street Deli, Stroud www.purplepoets.com/cook.html FRIENDS OF THE PURPLE POETRY BENCH PROJECT: project created by Kim Morrissey start of project 2009: The Purple Poets start of project 2009: Nick Barber, communal garden expert (works with MIND in CAMDEN) start of project: 2009  Tom Nandi (Green Heroes, BTCV) start of project 2009: Josie Nakos, Greenlight Pharmacy start of project 2009: Urmi Alim, Third Age Project 06.08. 2009    Neighbouring expert Keith Harris 24.07.2011 Paxton Green Workshop 24.07.2011 Ecostars 16.08.2011 Make A Difference (approved Project) csv 17.08.2011 project news retweeted by The Poetry Society ...............................................................................................................

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THE PURPLE POETS:
GAMES OF CHILDHOOD

POEMS FROM THE WELLCOME COLLECTION PICNIC
JUNE 26 2010

SNAKES AND LADDERS (Bithi Das)



BITHI DAS
Forgetting Janan Bagi
(The Game of Heaven and Hell)
'Snakes and Ladders'
Wellcome Indic Sanskrit MS 276,18th Century

It was my childhood game
lots of screaming and crying!
Me and my brother and cousins, who wins or who loses.

I know the game but I cannot read the board.
It is in Sansrit, which I studied sixty years ago.
This square, 68, is the Heaven, Nirvana.
And this mouth of the snake is Seduction
leading back down to square 2 - Mada. Desire.

Heaven. Nirvana. Seduction. Desire. That is all
I remember of this very spiritual game. Snake and Ladder.
My teacher would be so disappointed.

Bithi Das, Purple Poets, read at the launch of The Poetry Tree June 26, 2010 at the 2nd Annual Cumberland Market Midsummer Picnic; first draft 18.06.2010. Image courtesy Wellcome Library.

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PATSY FUTATSUGI
Purple Plastic Joy Forever:
'Jelly Baby 3' (chemical cloning, 2004)
by the British artist Mauro Perucchetti.

The Purple Jelly Baby

glows; happy, happy, happy,

dancing jelly belly joy.

Patsy Futatsugi, Purple Poets , read at the launch of The Poetry Tree June 26, 2010 at the 2nd Annual Cumberland Market Midsummer Picnic; first draft 24.06.2010. Image courtesy Wellcome Collection.

`

THE PURPLE POETS
LONGER POEMS

BITHI DAS
THE PURPLE POETS
Memory For Ever:
Playing Musical Chairs
With the Mayor
for Jill Fraser
10.06.2007


Jill Fraser. The distinguished person
With a distinguished name. 'The Mayor of Camden'

It was a sunny summer day, 2006
I was asked to join Family Sport Event
By the Boys of Surma Centre
          Regent's Park

It came in my mind
The Mayor is coming to
Open the event! I came and waited
          For her to arrive.

A big car came, and there she was:
A beautiful Lady in her pink
Salwar Kamiz - Indian outfit.
          The Lady Mayor.

She was surrounded by people
          Who wanted to greet her.

In due course
The Event started.
There were many games
          Mostly for children.

I was asked to join the game
For the grown-up ladies
Called Musical Chair.
          Jill joined too.

Jill and I stayed side by side.
It was the moment when we became
Just like children trying to secure our seats.
          But we didn't win.

Soon Jill and I were out.
But during our play, I saw Jill's face
A little girl, enjoying her past
          Forgotten days.



Bithi Das was inspired to write this poem after Jill Fraser,
2006 Mayor of Camden, opened the London Workshops
2006 London Workshops National Poetry Day Celebrations
(hosted by the Purple Poets)
(Diorama Gallery Euston Square, West London).

`

KATHY RANDLE
THE PURPLE POETS
Memories of Childhood
27.07.2006

I remember the smells, the yells,
And the street calls
Of the cats-meat-man
And the winkle-and-cockle woman.

These were regular noises
In our cul-de-sac
Of tenement houses
In Chalk Farm.

Three families shared our house
"Auntie" Dora and her cats on the ground.
Mum and I in one room
On the second.

And the Ciccones on the top.
We all got on OK,
But the six kids plus Mum and Dad
Were always shouting in Italian.

Summer was great in our street
Only the odd horse-and-cart came by;
And the barrel organ and the monkey.

The whole street was ours for fun and games.

Rolling old tyres up and down;
Hop-scotch, whip and top, marbles,
Flicking cigarette cards and
Snakes and ladders on the pavement,

You could move from house to house
Enjoying the games, nearly as good
As Hampstead Heath Fair!
But no money needed.

When I pass it on the bus
All that is left are the memories.
Our street bombed,
High-rise flats there now

No more street games.
Anywhere.



Kathy Randle first performed this poem at the Cumberland Market Festival,
Cumberland Market, at 2 p.m. on the Main Stage on July 29, 2006.
She also read it at the First Annual Winter Capital Age Festival,
February 8th 2007, London City Hall. Performed at Language Day,
The West Euston Partnership H-Pod, February 22nd 2007.

BABUSHKA
EARLY MEMORIES
22.03.2007


One foot in heaven,
And one foot on the Earth,
That's how it always seemed to me
Since my birth
In grimy North London many years ago.

What a dismal place that was,
Row upon row of sooty, terraced houses.
What was I doing there?
There must be some dreadful mistake.

I had the loveliest mother
But so much was lacking -
No books, no real conversation,
No music, culture or art.
No beauty except her gentle nature.

No men in our street - they were away at the War.
No children - they were all in the country.
No one to play with, just old
Follk and young Mums and babies.

Jimmy James was my salvation,
My brother, father, play-mate, friend.
He had a white star in the middle of his back
This most beautiful cat
And I adored him.

One day my world expanded,
It must have been soon after the War.
I was taken to a big country house
With huge gardens.
Lawns, and flowers, and beauty.

Children of all ages were dancing
To music, live music.
I joined in, and we danced
Until the sun went down.

It was heaven.

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Wimbledon Ode 2008
"if a noble deed be wrought with labour,
many make mention thereof"
- Pindar, Olympic Ode VI
RF Ilson

The thwack, skip, and skim
To turn to advantage
The stroke short or soft,
The net's intercession
Between the twin Totems,
The court's and the sport's pride !
Five-laurelled Federer,
Victor Ludorum,
No serve than his surer,
Nor no forehand fiercer,
Nor no footwork feater,
Desistless defending,
Attacking resistless
As many foes found
--But not Nadal,
Lavishly bicepped,
Savage returner
Of Federer's service,
In whom encountering
All that endeavour
Federer faltered,
Surrendering two sets
And all but the third
When, pitied the Hero,
The Rain-God exempted
Him from extinction
With tears of respite.
Federer, laved clean
Of self-scorn, astonished
Nadal by sheer gumption,
To triumph through tie-break
After such lashing,
Such flailing, such flying
That Gravity's self seemed
To worship the rivals.
A fourth set ensued.
The third repeated ?
The third enhanced !
The score was two-all.
Long had it lasted ;
Ever, it would not :
One must buckle
That one might soar.
Air's friend Hector,
Earth's darling Ajax :
One ball connects them,
One net divides.
This way and that
They danced in the fifth set
Till Federer flubbed one
Into the net.
And all was over.
Over ? Not quite !
Federer frenzied
Fomented his fans' hopes
But failed to break back.
Victor, Nadal !
Myriad householders
Glued to that glory,
Their tea postponed,
Half-woke from entrancement,
Plugged in their kettles
All in one instant
And well-nigh fused
The National Grid.
Still, what will survive
For those who saw it ?
Much more than the outcome
Is that the two
Together achieved
Producing against
And with each other
A composite art-work :
A moving reminder
That beauty of form
Need not be skin-deep.

...................................................................................................................
On-Going Project  from 2008

BOOK EXCHANGE BOXES
FOR SURGERIES, TOWN HALLS,
BUILDINGS, COMMUNITY CENTRES


BOOK EXCHANGE POSTER
designed by Urmi Alim book stack graphic by Colin Shelbourn
dedicated to the memory of Kathy Randle an Rose Hacker

BOOK EXCHANGE BOX LAUNCHES
(WITH READINGS) SO FAR:
Fitzrovia Surgery,  Fitzrovia Square, October 13, 2010

Islington Town Hall with the Mayor of Islington
and Councillors Arthur Graves and David Wilson
National Poetry Day 07.10.2010

CityBeat Radio Station (UCH),
University College Hospital Radio with Katie Ginger
National Poetry Day 07.10.2010

Hilldrop and Caledonian Road Workshop
at their Open Day July 15, 2009

Surma Centre. Robert Street,  01.04.2009.

Samuel Lithgow  Centre (at Netley School)
After School Club 05.03.2009.
(World Literacy Day)

BBC Radio Light Entertainment Department,  
Henry Wood House, London, 05.03.2009.
(World Literacy Day)

Pain Management Clinic Waiting Room,
National Hospital
for Neurology and Neurosurgery,
Queen's Square, London, 05.03.2009.
(World Literacy Day)

Camden Town Hall:
Councillors' Surgeries Waiting Area 05.03.2009.
(World Literacy Day)

Camden Town Hall:
Births, Deaths and Marriages
Registrations Room
05.03.2009
(World Literacy Day)

Saint Lukes' Time Bank
(at Finsbury Arts Festival) 28.02.2009.

Camden Town Hall:
Staff Cafeteria 27.01.2009.

Camden Town Hall:
Members Room 19.01.2009.


Book Exchange Box
at the Hillwood Resource Centre (Age Concern),
30 Eversholt Street, on 24.10.2008
opened  by Deputy Mayor of Camden,
Councillor Omar Faruque Ansari

Book Exchange Box at The Crypt on 16.10.2008

The official launch of the first Purple Poets
Book Exchange Box at The H-Pod,
Cumberland Market  on 09.10.2008