POETRY CORNER Tea Towel Tales

Looking through our tea towel drawer (It’s not often that I do)

I saw there were some tales to tell And all of them quite true.

The first towel is of Devon and speaks to me Of my wartime days as an evacuee.

Then later when at peace once more Of holidays spent on its seashore.

The next towel’s of Suffolk in pictures displayed. I bought it near to Flatford Mill

At a coach trip break when we’d time to kill.

The places on it so finely displayed

Was just the thing to show to others the scene Of some of the places we had been

As through Constable Country we weaved our way On a most interesting and enjoyable day.

Now comes a towel bought in Chalfont-St-Giles A place from Wokingham just some twenty-five miles.

In this Bucks village, in the Chilterns fair,

John Milton lived, and his house is still there. T’was this poet’s house we had come to see

And we also enjoyed a tasty cream tea.

The village I found of some interest too

But more time was needed for a closer view.

The towel that’s next is a reminder for me Of two churches I knew as they used to be Which are now united together as one, A job not easy when it has to be done.

A new church was then from these two formed. This celebratory, fund-raising, towel

The church produced to mark the day

Of this new church’s special anniversary

For it had now lived for twenty-five years

From a start thought doubtful and full of fears That the joining of these faithful folk

Would not be for them an equal yolk.

But God has blessed this union.

A good example of what can be done.

The youngsters at our local church

When re-building started did their bit And produced the next towel

Which was quite a hit.

It showed their faces and names there on And really was a bit of fun.

It did the trick – the towel sold well. Another success story I’m pleased to tell.

Amongst our towels are two colourful ones. Bought on holiday when abroad in the sun. From them Madeira flowers smile at you As you dry the cups and a plate or two. Lovely memories we have of that Isle

Nice to have towels like these in the pile.

There’s a towel we had that’s no longer here Worn out with use, it was binned I fear. We bought at a Lifeboat House?

On it a lifeboat cut through a wave

Steadily on course one more sailor to save.

Yes, it was from the RNLI we bought this towel In support of a most worthy cause

Keeping folk safe by coast and on shore.

They save so many from a watery grave

Those fishermen who are so strong to save.

So end my thoughts on our tea towels.

Each has had a story to tell

And you now know them all as well.

The people, the places, the thoughts they bestir, The situations in which they occur.

Just ordinary tea towels they may very

well be

But they each have so much meaning

for me.

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