This blog post features two poems written by Linda Bevan and Jo Porth, both members of the Sturmer and District WI. Jo Porth is Secretary to the Sturmer Village Hall Charity.  Their committee has been organising some events to celebrate the River Stour Festival in Sturmer, including a fun run, showing the film The River Runs through us and a photo competition. Whilst Jo’s poem portrays the beauty of the Stour, Linda’s poem shows us another dimension of the river, when it is in flood. 

We will feature some more poems from members of the Sturmer and District WI in coming weeks.

 

Flood in Sturmer by Linda Bevan

Woken up in the morning

S’posed to be an early warning

Open the door

Look at the floor

Water lapping – just a few feet

Cars making a tidal wave through The Street

 

Run to the back

Peer into the dark

Water lapping – just a few feet

Back and front soon will meet!

 

On the email

On the phone

Write to the Councillor

Have a moan

 

Then anxiously waiting to see how high –

Phew by noon it’s receding

Highways finally answers our pleading

Clears that gully but it’s too late – our neighbours cars have met their end

There’s no chance they’ll ever mend

 

Next morning

Review the damage

Mud on the drive

Garage swimming

 

But every cloud has a silver lining they say

At least now I can throw all that junk away!

 

 

Across Broad Meadow by Jo Porth 

Across Broad Meadow the River Stour,

A cottage built with Tudor power,

For fifty years has been our home,

Where ancient man and Romans roam,

The river running through the Mere,

Now home to heron, fox and deer,

Badgers, otters all live here,

Tawny owls that call at night,

Barn owls with their ghostly flight,

Buzzards call, with their cat like sound,

Wigeon and mallard abound,

Daises and orchids can be found,

The River Stour where swans swim,

And in the summer swallows skim,

Across Broad Meadow the River Stour,

In Sturmer Mere our hidden bower