Thanks Bob for the kind attention you've given to this piece. What you've 
put into words I  now realise that this is what I was up to, as you do when 
you write. I heard Selima Hill say recently that when she writes  it's like 
being dictated to, so what goes down is only what you were told by this, I 
suppose, poetic unconsciousness that you've been practicing with for a 
while.
bw
James


>From: Bob Cooper <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Pennine Poetry Works <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: New sub: The Ritual Of Dining
>Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2002 15:33:02 +0000
>
>Hi James,
>This is interesting! It captures the air that seems to surround meals in a
>cafe in a foreign land... where there's part of you that can't relax as 
>much
>as you can when things are more familiar.
>On a technical level, I've been thinking about the line endings... because
>it's usually the case that "free-form" poems have small words at the start
>of lines and work their way towards big/strong words at the end of each
>line. To (at the start, then) as, that, the, for, look (for me) strange at
>the end of their lines. I can read it, though, and enjoy the pauses (see
>each line as standing there with its own two feet) which I guess is what
>you're doing. Perhaps, therefore, the poem sounds better than it looks!
>(Like the food tastes better than it looks?). It all sounds good to say...
>the breaks give it a built in hesitancy.
>And "offered the threat of an apperitif" - Yes, I know that too!
>Bob
>
>
>>From: James Bell <[log in to unmask]>
>>Reply-To: The Pennine Poetry Works <[log in to unmask]>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: New sub: The Ritual Of Dining
>>Date: Sat, 5 Oct 2002 10:56:37 +0000
>>
>>Another what I did on my holidays poem, though the memory is rapidly 
>>fading
>>and the wine is a lot cheaper in Tesco. C&C welcome. The accents on French
>>words are of course not possible in plain text.
>>
>>THE RITUAL OF DINING
>>
>>We sit, talked down to
>>from on high, as if stuck
>>to our chairs, unable to rise,
>>in close sight of other islands
>>of comfortable distress,
>>until all seven courses
>>are completed and we
>>have delighted in being served
>>professional patronage -
>>offered the threat of an aperitif
>>we accept a passive wine list
>>where forty euros and above
>>has it served in a basket.
>>Only the sommelier must
>>pour after each swallow
>>from the glass and he
>>whisks away the bottle before
>>the final drop can be swigged
>>for dessert. Canapes
>>and entrees are as quick as
>>bon appetit each night,
>>a sin not to enjoy for that
>>would destroy the harmony, the
>>bonhomie, so we are patient for
>>the flourish of la plat principal
>>and fromage, suffer only a micro-second
>>huff as we decline cafe.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>bw
>>James
>>
>>
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bw
James


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