Stuart Miller-Osborne

When Gough’s guns on the Sutlej In flame begin to play Far down in fair Calcutta We started on our way Mid the crash of charging squadrons And the crossing cannon-balls The heroes of Sobraon Kept the birth-day of St Paul’s   When Garvock’s men were forcing Umbeyla’s trap of stone We came up to…

Edward kept his rather poor short stories In a battered Chinese vase   He knew that he lacked the talent of his older brother But he liked writing for himself   He hid his Chinese vase in the attic Under the only window in the room   The attic window could not be immediately seen…

Taking Tea at Torcross On an English afternoon Beatrice and Edward were taking tea at an outdoor café in the coastal village of Torcross The day was cool with an easterly breeze On the deep horizon two schooners were passing Out of Estonia Edwards was watching them through his binoculars Beatrice was writing in a…

In the distance Five fine schooners passed Unnoticed from the shore Their sailors were carrying Bunches of pale cornflowers And were dancing on the decks  

Over thirty years ago Marcello and I Watched a movie together On this beach It was called Tales of Ordinary Madness   There was a scene midway through the film Showing Ornella Muti feeding many seagulls On a wide sandy beach She was naked from the waist down   Ben Gazzara watched her from a…

Jack Jill and Jenny Had decided to run Through the swirling cornfields   School was over   Jack had a fine camera Dangling from his shoulder In a brown leather case   Claudia Dormouse was watching them From within the deep undergrowth That hid the sea road from their view   She knew that they…

High fine cloud Tinged pink By the setting sun Rain is forecast Cornwall is already wet But the Slapton air is clear With only a gentle breeze coming in from the sea   The church bells echo over the village Tonight the bell ringers are practicing They have given up their time In the service…

Devon Day Moon As the glowing afternoon fades into evening I can see you hidden In the deep blue sky   Sea Song   Ten sailors sing Let our ships pass This is all we ask On this voyage with our King   Both these poems were found written on the sea defences on Slapton…

It was perfectly still Nothing stirred Then we heard footsteps Which ceased almost immediately For an instant A lantern cut through the thick Devon night And then the darkness returned   Later a horse passed by Hollow in the early dawn light We ran into our lane But saw only the vacancy of the hour…

We were awoken by mysterious footsteps Perhaps youthful The reflections of a lantern Illuminated our bedroom for an instant I saw Marcello standing next to the wardrobe On his arm was perched a sleeping owl