Liverpool poet, member of The Scaffold, founder of The Mersey Sound, President of The Poetry Society, CBE and a Freeman of the City of Liverpool, Roger McGough is performing his new book ‘joinedupwriting’ at one of my places of work (Lancaster University) on Saturday 30th March with his band LiTTLeMACHiNe.
This’ll be the first performance of the new book, at 81 years young – his 75th published book. (Come on you slackers – get writing!!!) Roger says it’s his first performance of the new book and he’ll be reading some poems for the first time. About death, politics and serious stuff – but mainly like they’re funny!!
One of Britain’s best loved poets.
My favourite.
A hero since I was 15.
Check out www.rogermcgough.org.ukand www.littlemachine.com. Read Summer with Monika. And here’s three verses from a favourite:
PAY-BACK TIME
O Lord, let me be a burden on my children
For long they’ve been a burden upon me.
May they fetch and carry, clean and scrub
And do so cheerfully.
Let them take it in turns at putting me up
Nice sunny rooms at the top of the stairs
With a walk-in bath and lift installed
At great expense…..Theirs.
…
It’s been a blessing watching them develop
The parental pride we felt as each one grew.
But Lord, let me be a burden on my children
And on my children’s children too.
The parental pride we felt as each one grew.
But Lord, let me be a burden on my children
And on my children’s children too.
KR
