Poetry and Appleby Scenes

Relax and enjoy the Appleby Poetry Corner - six pages covering topics such as the countryside, nature, wildlife and the seasons, accompanied by appropriate photographs taken from around the village!
Navigate the pages using the ‘Quills’ down the left side of the page!
Don’t miss the Disappearing Dialect at the foot of the pages!

Milda Morse:
THE GARGOYLES

For centuries, silent sentinels,
The gargoyles of St. Bartholomew church,
In Appleby, England, stare down,
On the inhabitants of the village.
Grimacing expressions, threatening stance,
They cling to the walls.
Grotesque in form, leering countenance
of malignity and lasciviousness
Season after season.
A quarter human, a quarter animal,
Half evil demons, keeper of the
Grave yard below.
Never tire, always diligent,
They watch, they forever watch.

Maureen Settle:
APPLEBY

Across the Ancholme, swirls of morning mist
Hang, wraith-like, soft as silk, above the wold;
Silv'ring the rustling barley, keeping tryst
'Till noontide sun repaints the fields with gold.
The children gone and men at work, dreaming
And quiet, the village nestles in its trees,
One single plume of smoky grey streaming
Its wispy vapours high above the eaves.
The cottage gardens stand massed thick with flowers,
Great drifts of blossoms, mingling sweet perfumes,
Where dusty bees, sleepy and slow, pass hours
In lazy flight, among the fragrant blooms.
And far away, across the carrs, a train
Rumbles and whistles: silence once again.

NEW
Poems and photographs may be found among the Poetry Corner pages.
Please browse through using the scrolls or click the page number below.

2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

Disappearing Dialects
At the foot of each Poetry Page are old Lincolnshire words that at one time would have been in common usage but are rarely heard today. Along with the varying localised accents from around the County,
Lincolnshire certainly had it’s own distinct dialect.

EYEABLE: Pleasant to look at! FAGS: The lice living in the wool of sheep!
DOOR DARN: A door-post - ‘Keep clear o’ yon door darn, it’s just been paainted’!