F W Harvey was born in 1888 and died in 1957 at his home in Yorkley. As a poet who served in the first world war the Forest of Dean and its sense of place and nature was the thing that inspired most of his writing.
Plump pears are plumping on the ground
(And Father said we must not pick them)
We didn’t, Rough-boy-Wind rushed around
And plumped those pears upon the ground.
Hark to him- what a lovely sound!
He cannot eat, nor even lick them
We can, since they are on the ground,
Though Father said we weren’t to pick them*
In 2010 The Coleford Festival of Words and the FW Harvey Society are combining to celebrate his collected works and the publication of a new book ‘Comrades in Captivity’. We are also inviting new writing to follow in Harvey’s footsteps to use the Forest as a subject.
Rich Snail to carry on your back
So beautiful an house!
You leave behind a shining track
For path you need not use
Slowly you creep your life away
Having small need to travel
(and nothing in rent nor rate to pay)
Nor Planner to tell you ‘yea’ or ‘nay’)*
'A Walk in the Forest’ can be in any style but must not last more than 5 minutes when performed.
There are three age groups under 11,12-16 and 16 and over
The work chosen will be part of a FW Harvey performance at the Coleford Festival of Words on Wednesday 11th August.
Please send entries (with name,age and address on back) to:
Forest Bookshop
St John’s St,
Coleford
Or e-mail to FWHarvey@coalway.f9.co.uk by 15th July
