Pru
Her kids all grown, she came to this place
To learn.
She sat at the back, afraid to speak
In case she got things wrong.
Then bit by bit, began to shine
As each new fact was hungrily devoured.
And like a bee, selecting flowers
Captured knowledge, and found it precious.
Now at the front, her arm raised high
She is smiling.
Her contributions like sweetest gifts to me,
Gratefully received.
I came to this place to teach, to help my students learn
But she is like so many more
Who, serendipitously
Teach me.
L.Young / September 1993
Published in Pateman, K. (Ed) 1994, ‘The Common Mind’, Poetry Now.
The Crosby Lads
It’s another place
Where the Mersey meets the Irish Sea
And time and tide wait for no man.
Yet two miles of men, one hundred strong
Cast from Iron and rooted deep
Stand apart, lines in the sand
And wait for ever.
I am like them, transfixed.
Lost in the moment, I follow their gaze
And fancy there is sadness in their eyes.
I wonder if there may come a time
When silently, bravely
Their vigil broken
They will swim home.
Lesley Young – Writer and Poet
Lesley specialises in helping senior managers in the NHS and not for profit sectors to cope with the challenges they face in bringing about sustainable change. She has also run her own organisational consultancy business since 2010, and is an accredited and experienced life and business coach.
But Lesley is first and foremost a writer and poet and has been writing for more than 30 years. She likes her writing to be of the moment and immediate, which means that she leans mostly towards poetry and short stories. She has been a member of the Scarborough Writers’ Circle for 8 years, where she currently holds the committee role of publicity and website officer.
Lesley is passionate about making a difference. The healing powers of poetry, and the written and spoken word, underpin and feature in Lesley’s work always. She has a growing interest in storytelling and memoir, and has several projects in the pipeline – one of which is to develop her interest in running writing retreats, and the other to publish some of her own writing.
To find out more about Lesley visit: integracoaching.uk.com
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