Hadley Wood in Lockdown

We like to walk in Hadley Wood, normally we park in Camlet Way, Monken-Hadley but there were no spaces so we went to the car park at the bottom of Hadley Wood Road.  It is a magnificent old English wood with magnificent Beech and Oak trees.  Both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I and possibly James I hunted here, it was then part of the extensive Royal hunting grounds, and I imagine stepping where royalty once rode.

Hadley Wood 2

 

There were more visitors, couples, groups, single persons than usual so we took our selves to a part of the wood we’d not before been, it was weird having to social distance in a such large wood!  This new part felt and looked quite different.

 

I used this photo in the featured image but I like the whole photo so I repeat it here.

P1010816

We absorbed energy from the trees, walked and chatted then found a convenient log to sit and stare a while.  Trees talk too, chemicals drifting in the air and dialogue through the network of roots and fungi running under our feet.  Even fallen trees shoot green and sometimes stumps are kept alive by nutrient supplied by the trees around it.

After a while to wandered off and came across a fallen oak tree that was being cut onto pieces.  Up close like this, trees seem huge I could see how oak is so very heavy, massive.

Hadley Wood Logs 2

 

Hadley Wood Logs

 

 

On one of them, that looked as if two trunks had grown together, you could see marks of the chainsaw used to slice it.

 

 

Eventually we came to the bridge made of railway sleepers, that crossed one of the little ditches that run down the hill.  It is near a pool that had form during the rain of last year.

Hadley Wood Pond

 

 

I liked the contrast of shadows painted on muddied water next to clear and bright reflections of trees and sky.

 

 

 

Hadley Wood Pond 2

 

 

More mud than reflection here.

 

 

 

 

Hadley Wood Pond 3

 

 

Here the tree seems to be holding up the bank in an upside-down world.

 

 

 

We dodged back into the newly discovered part of the wood to avoid some walkers.  Good job we did or we would have missed two shrines or, perhaps, shamanic portals to the other worlds.

Hadley Wood Door

I particularly liked this one.  One of the stones has red markings.

Hadley Wood Door 2

Then back to the car and home.

 

Poetic Voices – Sound Archive for Poets

The idea for this project came to me when I learnt of Andrew Motion’s initiative to create an archive for what I call “posh poets” and I thought “why not have one for all poets” and the Poetic Voices site was born.

 

Logo Poetic voices

 

I think it has about 40 poets at present and, naturally, I would like more; so poets please email me your recordings!  If you click here, you are diverted to the page in which I gave some simple advice about this.

 

 

For me, a poem comes alive when voiced, particularly by the author and especially if the poem is being read to an audience as there is then interaction between, poem, poet and audience; the poem changes and the poet gets a sense of how the poem is being received which is helpful.

 

Anthony Fisher

 

 

Here is me reading at an Enfield Poets’ evening in November 2019 at the Dugdale Centre; now closed as a culture and community centre by the council!!!

 

 

 

We do have an audience!  Usually 20 to 25 but can be up to 40.  The two photos below show the front row and whilst I was setting up.

Enfield Stanza May 15 2019

 

 

Though sometimes they can express disapproval.

 

 

 

Last year, poet and artist Giovanna Iorio contacted me about her site Poetry Sound Library which is a sound archive for poetry and the recording can be any one reading any poem.  It also has a fabulous map showing where the poets are.  During one conversation, Giovanna told me how important the sound of someone’s voice is to her and that it is sad how quickly we can forget what someone sounds like, I agree, someone’s voice is so much part of who they are.  Another reason why sound archives are so important.

If you would like to submit poems to be included or if you know of anyone who would like to have a page on the Poetic Voices site please click here.