Monday, September 18, 2017

The Ghost of Jimi Hendrix at Stokesay Castle


Jimi Hendrix, aged only 27, died on this day in 1970.

Eighteen years later John James published a slim pamphlet of poems with the irresistible title The Ghost of Jimi Hendrix at Stokesay Castle.

Irresistible to me at least. I bought his Collected Poems just to get hold of the poems that pamphlet contained:
you can't believe everything you see & hear can you
the old heroes of desire sleeping where Handel slept
it's a long way from the surf
& the sign for victory equals peace
the River Onny & its mood of total calm 
when you're dead you're made for life
James may be the first poet since A,E. Housman to mention the River Onny. Unlike Housman, he spells it correctly.

1 comment:

David B said...

Not quite in the same league as a poet, however!