Alan Brownjohn read this poem at the poetry reading event to raise funds for the Marie Curie Hospice in Hampstead in October at the PHCC. This comes from his book A Bottle & Other Poems published by Enitharmon Press, 2015.

The Ship of Endurance

Some opt for the Terrace, the sunshine, the breeze,
And divide between tourists – letting in the draught
By taking their time to saunter through the glass doors –
And locals, who go out quickly. The tourists ignore altogether
The people preferring to sit at the tables inside,
And deliver the cafe a hurricane – single
Pages from broadsheet papers – notes on lectures – credit slips
With precious landline numbers that took months
To extract from their owners – inspirations
That just had to be written down – there they go,
Chasing over the just-swept floor, people’s whole days
Lost in fury and despair…Therefore I thank
The tall mindful local woman who when
She went out herself only opened the Terrace door
At the most acute angle enabling her to escape
– And before that had gathered up all my flying poems
In her hand to return them to me.
I dream up awards
For the – strictly speaking unrequited – courtesies
That make up the threads which hold the Ship of Endurance
Together. But all I can do for the moment
Is thank you, sincerely, Karin Johannesdottir,
Even though your business card speaks about `IT’.

Akureyri, 2012. Alan Brownjohn – http://literature.britishcouncil.org/alan-brownjohn
Reprinted by permission of the author