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Dancin George
Dancin George is a collection of poetry published by Redbeck Press (2003). The poems reflect Craig’s own experiences of growing up in a farming environment in the 1970s. Beware – some of these poems contain language!
Extracts from DANCIN GEORGE
Dancin George
George had a moon of an arse.
As a kid
I could walk under
his barrelbelly
with no need to limbo.
Slept standing
in Grandfather’s mistal.
Eighteen hands
to the withers.
Shat mountains,
pissed rivers,
and I was nowt
but a big fat horsefly to him.
Loved a sugarlump.
Bluntstumps for teeth
that didn’t split the skin,
just purpled it a bit.
Come summer
I’d see George
mounting mares, kicking,
his truncheon dick twitching.
I’d give Grandfather
a look saying – What is he doing?
He’d give me one back saying
-Dancin lad, dancin.
Punchin a Pony
When your Lee Marvin spooked
that unbroke pony in the farfield
it bucked, kicked and caught you clean
in the ribs with a shoed hoof.
We winced, waited for the crack
for you to pale and fall as the wind
left your sails, no-one expected
what came next.
Your reflex was to shake the ache
away and throw a rhino of righthook
that caught that onekickpony smack
in the kisser. That nag didn’t flinch
just soaked it up like a sandbag.
I saw you blow on knuckles
you said didn’t smart before getting back
to your Wanderin Star.
Golden Wedding Photograph
A stranger in his suit.
Bibbed and tuckered.
Buttonhole: one white rose,
handpicked, homegrown.
Had his teeth in,
under duress,
a plastic smile
for the Telegraph and Argus.
A peacock quill
tucked in his trilby.
Alice on his arm.
The real feather in his cap.