Stamford Poet Laureate

Stamford In Bloom

Here is the poem as performed for the East Midlands in Bloom/Britain in Bloom judges who visited Stamford on Thursday 14th July 2022…

‘Stamford in Bloom’

Petunias trumpet the sun
Heralding summer’s glow
The days are long in hours
But short of shadow

Their petalled faces gaze
Perched upon their seats
They watch the goings on
In every lane and street

Greeting townsfolk and tourists
Who stand and stop
Waiting by the doorways
Of cafés, pubs and shops

And there they do sway
In a floral ballet
Every chair a stage
Bathed in sun rays

Dancing in breeze
To the chorus of bees
And the nectar flows
So easily

From foxgloves and roses
In plant pots and poses
In baskets and bath tubs
On houses and town pubs

So come take a seat
Amongst the flowers
And while away your cares
In endless hours

For these days are precious
And over too soon
So stay for a while
Whilst…
Stamford’s in bloom.

(C) Scott Coe July 2022

This is my recent poem and it’s translation into Ukrainian as performed at an welcome meal in Stamford in June 2022.

‘Would I Be Brave Enough’

Would I be brave enough?
To pick up a gun
To defend my people
From being overrun

Would I be brave enough?
To make a stand
To challenge a soldier
Who’s invaded my land

Would I be brave enough?
To defy my orders
To lay down my gun
And stop the slaughter

Would I be brave enough?
To join a protest
Against a dictator
And risk arrest

And would I be brave enough?
To face him down
And put a bullet
Into his crown

Would I be brave enough?
To wear the shoes
Of all the brave souls
I see on the news.

‘Чи був би я достатньо сміливим’

Чи був би я достатньо сміливим?
Щоб взяти пістолет
Щоб захищати свій народ
Від спустошення

Чи був би я достатньо сміливим?
Щоб дати відсіч
Щоб кинути виклик солдату,
Який вторгся на мою землю

Чи був би я достатньо сміливим?
Щоб порушити віддані накази
Щоб відкласти пістолет
І припинити різанину

Чи був би я достатньо сміливим?
Щоб приєднатися до протесту
Проти диктатора
Ризикуючи бути арештованим

І чи вистачить мені сміливості?
Щоб залякати його
І увігнати кулю
В його корону

Чи був би я достатньо сміливим?
Щоб уявити себе на місці
Усіх тих сміливих душ,
Що я бачу в новинах.

Well, rather than me type it all out here, you can check out my recent interview with Media by Molly here… An Interview with Scott Coe, The New Stamford Poet Laureate (mollysmedia.wixsite.com)