Our Thoughts Entirely

Roger Parr

Description

Throughout the course of my life, I have written a number of poems and was fortunate to have been left my late father's unpublished work, plus those of my past best friend. It seemed to me, therefore, that it would be appropriate to amalgamate them in one book, in part as tribute to their memory and on a personal level, to leave a permanent record for future generations to read and enjoy. I have always felt that poetry should reflect one's innermost feelings and expressed in a simple, honest and uncomplicated manner, to enable the reader to share that feeling and thus provoke a lasting emotion. To that end, I believe these poems will appeal to all age groups as they contain a rich mixture of emotions - love, humour, melancholy - and thought-provoking themes, and trust that in time, this book will become a favourite companion.

Informations

• Publié par: Andrews UK
• Date de parution: 07 juin 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780722346709
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Title Page
OUR THOUGHTS ENTIRELY
Roger Parr


Amour avecque loiaute
Love and Loyalty



Publisher Information
First published in Great Britain in 2015 by
Arthur H. Stockwell Ltd
Torrs Park, Ilfracombe, Devon
EX34 8BA
Established 1898
www.ahstockwell.co.uk
Digital edition converted and distributed in 2016 by
Andrews UK Limited
www.andrewsuk.com
© 2016 Roger Parr
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright holder.
The views and opinions expressed herein belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect those of AH Stockwell or Andrews UK Limited



Quote
“Yet I would urge any young man with ambition never to be too hasty in concluding that he doesn’t have the stature for top leadership. Often I have seen a man who had doubts about his own resources rise to the occasion and perform with great competence when the opportunity finally came. Any man who does his work well, who is justifiably self-confident and not unduly disturbed by the jeers of the cynics and the shirkers, any man who stays true to decent motives and is considerate of others is, in essence, a leader. Whether or not he is ever singled out for prominence, he is bound to achieve inner satisfaction in turning out superior work. And that, by the way, is what the good Lord put us on this earth for.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Quote from Reader’s Digest , June 1965
“I think I must have felt that unless one justifies one’s life and has something to show for it, then the whole thing is wasted.”
Frank Auerbach
Quote from an interview, 30 September 2013



Introduction
My love for poetry started when I was ten years old and it seemed a natural progression from the comics, adventure books and later, the much loved classics, which occupied most of my spare time. Although I did not understand things like the structure, style and some words contained in the poems, I felt a sense of elation and excitement in identifying what I thought the poet was trying to express. It was as though another door had been opened for me and one which was to enrich my life forever. I found one such poem, which acted as a catalyst for my future writings because of the strong emotions and beauty it aroused, on a visit to a watermill at Calbourne, on the Isle of Wight. On entering the mill, just inside and above the entrance, there was a framed extract from ‘The Miller’s Daughter’ by Alfred Lord Tennyson.
I loved the brimming wave that swam
Thro’ quiet meadows round the mill,
The sleepy pool above the dam,
The pool beneath it never still,
The meal-sacks on the whiten’d floor,
The dark round of the dripping wheel,
The very air about the door
Made misty with the floating meal.
From that moment, I knew I wanted to write poetry.
It was the move from London to the country village of Ashtead, Surrey, following the end of the Second World War, that I discovered a new world, which enabled my mind to run riot. Here, I found new sights, smells and colours, which I wanted to convey in verse and share with others. Wherever I walked, I carried a notebook in which I wrote my thoughts. Sometimes, it would be just a single word or perhaps a sentence or two. On some occasions, I was able to complete a whole verse. There were nights when I had woken up and my mind was filled with images and words, which would have been lost, had I not immediately written down my thoughts on paper. Even to this day, I still keep pen and paper close by.
Following several years in Surrey, I bought a house in Lulworth Cove, Dorset, and began to develop a deep love for the area and enjoyed the company of many friends, both of which I found stimulating. I also discovered Thomas Hardy and could empathise with his love for the landscape and the solitude it offered and his poem, ‘The Darkling Thrush’, epitomised his astute awareness of his surroundings and his place in the grand order of Creation. This was a time of many highs and lows, where I experienced love and death and felt a new chapter of my life was about to begin, for it was here that I met the woman who eventually became my wife.
Some of the early poets wrote most of their work based on their experiences when they travelled or worked abroad and many of them made an indelible impression on me. For my part, I found my inspiration closer to these shores and have never tired of discovering new scenes or revisiting familiar sights. In addition, I have had the good fortune to meet some wonderful and fascinating people, without whom my existence would have been robbed of one of life’s most precious gifts.
One of these became my lifelong friend, Anthony (Tony) Woodcock and before his untimely death, had written a number of poems and short stories and to honour his memory, I have included his poems in this book. Likewise, after my father, Thomas Alfred Parr, had died, I discovered, to my surprise and delight, a number of poems he had written, and as a tribute to him, have included them within this book.
From my youth I was cocooned within a warm, loving family circle and my parents were always there for me, to offer their support and encouragement. My mother was a song and dance actress and my father possessed the gifts of music and art, being proficient in piano and organ and later as an artist. He was the founder and president of The Ashtead Art Group and Gramophone Society and although I never inherited his skills, I came to appreciate how important music and art influenced my life and intertwined with my love for poetry.
Where possible, I have included dates and additional information to support the various poems. In addition to the poems, I have also included three short stories and lyrics for a song I composed, the latter of which has been recorded but not officially released. For completeness, I have also included the lyrics for this song within the poetry section.
Finally, my sincere wish is that you, the reader, will find pleasure when reading these poems and in the same way, as when standing before a great work of art or hearing a beautiful piece of music, experience that unique emotion that lifts the heart and the discovery of one’s true feelings and the common good.
Roger Thomas Sydney Parr



Illustrations


Roger Thomas Sydney Parr and his mother, between 1942 and 1954.


Ideal Home Exhibition, 1951.


The author’s mother, aged sixteen.


The author’s parents’ wedding day, St George’s Church, Camberwell, London, 12 July 1941.


Thomas Alfred Parr and Anthony Joseph Woodcock (on the right) on holiday, date and whereabouts unknown.


Thomas Alfred Parr working in his studio, Ashtead, Surrey, between 1970 and 1990.


Thomas Alfred Parr at the Ashtead Art Exhibition, Peace Memorial Hall, Ashtead, Surrey, between 1990 and 1995.


The author, near Lulworth Cove, Dorset, 1988.


The author and his wife, Margaret, Ludlow, Shropshire.



Poems - Part One
by Roger Thomas Sydney Parr Reflections - First poem composed at home in Overdale, Ashtead, 1952. Thoughts - Portholland, Cornwall, 1 June 1971. On Viewing Bembridge Harbour - Bembridge, Isle of Wight, 21 June 1972. Ashtead Woods - Ashtead Woods, 30 June 1972. Revelation - Ashtead Common/Woods, 30 June 1972. To Sonorous Resurrection - Bembridge, Isle of Wight, 27 July 1972. Entered in the Sunday Telegraph poetry competition, “A Poem For Our Time”, under the pseudonym, Roger Bembridge. Mary - Ashtead Common/Woods, 1 November 1972. In memory of a girl I once loved named Mary Purser, who lived with her parents at Shanklin, Isle of Wight. Colossus - Home at Ashtead, 17 March 1974. This poem reflected my strong belief in the life hereafter. Selene - Ashtead Common/Woods, 30 March 1974. Celeste - Ashtead Common/Woods, 23 May 1976. Mrs Stone - Sark, Channel Islands, 24 May 1976. This was completed on my mother’s birthday and was based on a lady we met on holiday called Mrs Stone. She was a real character, who had a habit of throwing her brandy over people who annoyed her at the dining table. This poem was entered in the Sunday Telegraph Cheltenham Festival Poetry Competition, 1976. Reality - Home at Ashtead, 1985. Love Got In The Way - Home at Lulworth Cove, Dorset, 21 January 1988. Written for someone very special. Ashtead Station - Home at Fuchsia Cottage, Lewidden Valley, St Ervan, Cornwall, 25 November 2012. The Passing Tide - Home at Fuchsia Cottage, Lewidden Valley, St Ervan, Cornwall, 6 November 2013. The Love That Owes - Home at Fuchsia Cottage, Lewidden Valley, St Ervan, Cornwall, 24 May 2014. The Journey - Home at Fuchsia Cottage, Lewidden Valley, St Ervan, Cornwall, 12 March 2015. Tunnel Vision - Home at Fuchsia Cottage, Lewidden Valley, St Ervan, Cornwall, 12 March 2015. I felt compelled to include an epitaph in this poem, in memory of a young man who passed me on the lane several hundred yards from my house and finally rested under a tree by a nearby stream. I believe I may have been the last person to see him alive, as he was found dead the next day from natural causes. The Reflective Day - Home at Fuchsia Cottage, Lewidden Valley, St Ervan, Cornwall, 1 July 2015. To commemorate the reign of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second.
Reflections
The valley