England, (b. 1951)
THE BRITISH LOP
- I think of you in Birdlip, Boxwell and Bisley –
- how you made a name for yourself
- with those long dangling ears.
- No wonder we christened you ‘Floppy’
- not in a droopy, flabby way
- but to lure you back with pig-chatter
- to acorns at our feet.
THE GLOUCESTER OLD SPOTS
- One spot was all we needed
- to accept you into the Registry.
- Welcome to our books.
- We are glad we spotted you –
- your good mothering ability
- that is – your docility too.
- We know you won’t blot your
- copybook. The neat entry
- in copperplate
- is proof enough of that.
THE SADDLEBACK
- We called you ‘igpay’ in Pig Latin,
- ‘pig lily’ the Lily of the Nile,
- as we shoveled your feed
- into the trough
- and watched you muster
- on the saddle-shaped hill
- your flared nostrils
- sensing the sustenance
- of kitchen waste –
- a meal fit for a King.
THE TAMWORTH
- Between Polesworth and Lichfield
- these ginger-coated animals
- are never far from the trough.
- Their thoughts do not stray
- to receptacles for kneading,
- brewing or tanning, to channels,
- gutters or conduits,
- hollows between wave crests
- or elongated areas
- of low atmospheric pressure.
- They only think of bread.
About the Poet:
Neil Leadbeater, England, (b. 1951), is a poet, author, essayist and critic. He was educated at Repton and is an English graduate from the University of London.
Leadbeater’s work has been published widely in anthologies and journals both at home and abroad. Now based in Scotland, he is a member of the Federation of Writers (Scotland) and one of the Burgh Poets (Stirling).
His many interests embrace most aspects of the arts and, on winter evenings, Leadbeater enjoys the challenge of getting to grips with ancient, medieval and modern languages. [DES-10/21]
Additional information:
- Neil Leadbeater at poetry p f, a showcase of poets writing in English.
- THE POET magazine – An interview with Neil Leadbeater
Neil Leadbeater is a friend of Porkopolis.org. I appreciate his overture that I might include these four poems in the Best Loved Pig Poetry section of Porkopolis.org.
And while I skirmish with my own fates and devils on cold Ohio winter nights, I’m gladdened to recall that a worthy poet-at-arms such as Neil has accepted the challenge of bolstering our grip on our language history. Thank you, good sir!