Please note that the work on this blog is the copyright of the writers and may not be reproduced without their permission.

Friday 15 January 2010

Woolly Thoughts

First I thought of asking you to write poems about Wool... but it seemed too limited a subject.... so let's include Sheep...  Ballads, sonnets, limericks, please yourselves, but there must be wool or sheep in there somewhere.



Herdwick Sheep: photo by Tony Richards













Irish sheep dyed in colours of local football team: photo by John Smyth
















Woman in Sikkim: photo by Sukanto Debnath





Illustration from knitting blog






American World War I poster


79 comments:

mimi said...

knit one
purl one
black white red blue

Grandma's scarf is
full of sheep

Sorry Zeph - just seen the pics and can't come up with pome right now but just love those pics.

Are these sheep the Python's scary intelligent sheep? I'd like to think so.

Zephirine said...

Herdwick sheep are reckoned to be pretty bright as sheep go, Mimi. Not sure about those two that let themselves be died funny colours, though...

Zephirine said...

dyed, even.

file said...

sheep shape

born shorn
woolly quickly
shorn again

ringo37 said...

At risk of acquiring a reputation for being all northern and morbid... I don't think I can better this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiXINuf5nbI

ringo37 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ringo37 said...

I don't quite know what this is. It's obviously not really a poem. I just started thinking about sheep and this is what happened.

They were old friends of my grandfather’s:
She, Joyce, had no sense of smell (a girlhood mishap
With a hockeyball – she was forbidden to have
Gas appliances in the house) – and he, Jack,
Used to teach (with my grandfather)
At a Wakefield public school (quite a temper
He was said to have, then – broke a plate,
Once, on a misbehaving schoolboy’s head –
He lost his memory or his marbles, in the end,
And he died, choking on a fishbone (or sixpence)
One Christmas Day).

I remember these things about them –
And I remember that they kept sheep.

He, Jack, gave me a lamb’s tail to keep.
At the time (I think) I thought lambs’ tails
Just fell off naturally, like catkins,
In the autumn, or that (like tadpoles)
Lambs just lost their tails when they
Didn’t need them any more.

Not so!

He, Jack, took their tails away, my grandfather explained
(No, no, not in temper – rather, so that blowflies mightn’t
Burrow horribly beneath the damp and fetid lambswool and –
Oh, never mind – it was kind, anyway, of bad-tempered
Jack to take their tails away, my grandfather explained).

Zephirine said...

Very good, Filo, Moonesque in its brevity but showing a typically Filean inventiveness with sound...

That looks pretty much like a poem to me Ringo, it'll do fine anyway. I've never understood about the tail-removing thing, isn't the purpose of the tail to be swished around and keep the flies away?

Lovely Jake Thackray clip, which led me to this splendidly anoraky Wikipedia page about the yan tan tethera counting system.

offsideintahiti said...

Counting sheep in a field as you whizz by on a high speed train is dead easy. Just count the legs and divide by four.

munni said...

What do sheep do all day?
Sleep
Mull things over
Take stock
Keep a watchful eye out
Have a snack and sleep some more
Get rained on

The hegemony of the border collie

Clever dogs leap, creep, nip heels,
Restore order where it’s needed least

munni said...

the above obliquely inspired by a Polish theatre director I once worked with, who liked to talk about bringing ordure out of cows. Eventually it dawned on us, he meant order out of chaos.

Zephirine said...

Munni, that's a classic! Made me spill my tea.

freep said...

The Apotheosis of Ovinity

Thou bleatest! And Man heeds thy plaintive cry
With no attention save an upraised eye-
Brow. Yet, o fleece-clad race of quadrupeds,
An omen bright flames in th’empyrean overhead;
A star effulgent, lambent, tells me true:
This damaged Earth will be repaired by you.

‘Tis thee! wool-bearers, that will save our bacon,
When our cities are by earthquakes shaken;
Thy docile wisdom will our sins correct,
Thy prudent mien this fallen world protect.
The beef some had with you will soon be mute,
When Baron Herdwick’s rule bears precious fruit.

Thou leaders, press with haste no nuclear button!
The future’s bright! We’re all redeemed by mutton.

Anonymous said...

It is my belief that freep is half Bluefaced Leicester/half man. His instinctive understanding of the ovine gestalt, his weird ululating mating call, his thick wooly coat...QED...anyway:

Mary had a little lamb
Its fleece was white as snow;
It was shot dead by the anti-terrorist police,
Mary's in Guantanamo.

freep said...

A calumny, Mish. My foresheep number among them some Jacobs, Cheviots and Suffolks.
Important amendment to my poem. The fourth line should not read 'in', but '...i' th'empyrean...'

Zephirine said...

Very nice, freep, I always like a poem with "th'empyrean" in it.

A fine political squib from Mishari, and btw Munni: I was delighted to see a border collie make its appearance, wonderful beasts.

Offie, but wouldn't you go to sleep before you'd finished counting?

Zephirine said...

I phoned the bank; a gentle voice replied:
“Good afterno-o-oon, it’s Dolly here,
what he-e-elp may I provi-i-ide?
Intere-est’s way down from last ye-e-ear,
lower than other ba-a-nks you might have tri-i-ed.
Why don’t you borrow just a thou or thre-e-e
on e-e-easy terms?” But I declined.
She uttered her goodbye, it seemed to me,
in tones more snarling and far less refined
I even thought to hear her teeth snap wolfishly.

offsideintahiti said...

Yes, staying awake is one of the problems I've faced a lot recently. Counting lamas doesn't help, and neither does this thread.

Pinkerbell said...

The man from the city:

"Why is there a dog in that field?"
The man from the city said,
"Eating grass like he were a sheep?
Shouldn't he chase them instead?"

"Where is this dog you say you see?"
The girl from the country pled,
"I can see only grazing sheep,
Has the fresh air turned your head?"

"There he is chewing on that shrub,"
The city dweller exclaimed,
"You call yourself a country girl?
Do you need it all explained?"

"Yes, I do need explanation,"
Was the girl's bemused reply,
"How in a field with nought but sheep
You a ghostly dog espy?"

"I know what a sheep should look like,"
The city man did retort,
"A fleece of white and jet black face -
This is nothing of the sort!"

"Ah Sir, I see"..."I see the truth!"
As with laughter she did weep,
"That grazing dog you swear you saw
Is"... "Is really a black sheep."

Meltonian said...

I was saddened to see our comrade freep
had become involved in worrying sheep
the sheep were worried that his ancient cur
might infect them with its mangy fur

offsideintahiti said...

And I was referring to the counting of sheep, not the poems, ewes and rams.

Zephirine said...

Very good, Pinkerbell, reminded me of this for some reason.

Zephirine said...

Glad you cleared that up, Offie :)

Pinkerbell said...

Oh dear Zeph, I feared something horrible would happen to the dog, at least he only got shaved.

billymills said...

Offie, would counting the tails not suffice? The problem with your system is the effect of the odd three-legged ewe.

offsideintahiti said...

Billy(goat), that problem is offset by the well-known mouton à cinq pattes effect.

mimi said...

Just been reading a wonderful book in which the Mouflon makes a fleeting yet vital appearance. Here's one to look at - intelligent? I think so, could probably write his/her own pome.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mouflon_2.jpg

Zephirine said...

That's a fine Mouflon. They look as if they've borrowed a set of horns from a much larger animal and then decided not to give them back.

guitou said...

http://www.harcourtbooks.com/Images/LittlePrince/trans1_new.jpg
____________
I l from: the Petit Prince
l Sheep I
l inside I Ship the sheep for cheap
l___________I to: MUNNI
Asteroîde 90209-

guitou said...

sorry that was a box with a sheep inside by the drunkard who drinks to forget that he is ashamed of drinking-
and the box broke loosse.........and the sheep is gone.

Pinkerbell said...

Had to share this latest discovery, sort of Progrock/alpine fusion, clearly with a lot of drugs involved!

Not really woolly, except that there is a lot of facial hair.

Pinkerbell said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpV5InLw52U


oops...

Zephirine said...

Ah, Guitou, I'd forgotten the sheep inside the box... an early form of virtual sheep.

http://www.ebooksgratuits.org/html/st_exupery_le_petit_prince.html.

Zephirine said...

Pinkerbell, yes, very strange. Yodelling.

guitou said...

Zeph,

You forgot the sheep inside the box? you should check your morning post may be the box comes back with a familiar sound ...bêêêêhhh....

offsideintahiti said...

Has anybody here ever read Le génie des alpages ?

If you're into sheep (as Ingrid said to Greengrass), it's a must.

Zephirine said...

Offie, I never have, but judging by this description it's just up OtherStuffers' street (or alp). I like the bit about "different dialogs and simultaneous happenings, making the overall impression of a totally absurd and secluded world", sounds familiar to any blogger...

I must search them out, sadly as is usual with me and French humour I shall probably miss 50% of the puns.

guitou said...

for the french humor we have to french you more.

Anonymous said...

Have you ever read any Alphonse Allais, Zeph? I can recommend him...

Zephirine said...

Mishari, either Guitou or Offie has recommended Allais in the past, on some thread or other, but I haven't got round to reading him yet.

Guitou, ooh, you Frrrench are so naughtee!

Jeremy Jimenez said...

There is no reason why colorado drivers should pay more for their auto insurance when there is the online advantage. This position of the essay should be to let you use uniquehoodia review even though this buy uniquehoodia is definitely less than perfect. Having so many polyps gives people with fap a 100 chance of. Can i buy unique hoodia in gnc, walmart or cvs.

Anonymous said...

It's truly very complex in this full of activity life to listen news on Television, thus I only use web for that reason, and obtain the latest information.

Feel free to surf to my homepage ... environmental protection

Anonymous said...

Post writing is also a excitement, if you know after that you can write or else it is
complex to write.

Also visit my homepage - losing weight

Anonymous said...

I don't even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was great. I do not know who you are but certainly you are going to a famous blogger if you are not already ;) Cheers!

Here is my web blog; http://buymiroverve.eklablog.com

Anonymous said...

I savor, result in I found exactly what I used to be taking a look for.
You've ended my four day lengthy hunt! God Bless you man. Have a nice day. Bye

Have a look at my web page - buymaxoderm.eklablog.com

Anonymous said...

At this moment I am going away to do my breakfast, when having my
breakfast coming over again to read more news.

my blog post: http://hingston-publishing.co.uk/ /uncategorized/hello-world/

Anonymous said...

I am not sure where you are getting your information, but great
topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more.
Thanks for great information I was looking for this info for
my mission.

Here is my weblog :: buy meratol

Anonymous said...

Hey there! Do you know if they make any
plugins to help with SEO? I'm trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I'm not
seeing very good results. If you know of any please share.
Thanks!

My web blog; buy phen375

Anonymous said...

It's not my first time to pay a quick visit this web page, i am visiting this web site dailly and take nice facts from here daily.

Also visit my page; breast enhancement koh samui

Anonymous said...

excellent post, very informative. I wonder why the opposite experts of this sector don't notice this. You should proceed your writing. I'm
confident, you have a great readers' base already!

My homepage - breast enhancement herbal pills

Anonymous said...

Howdy just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you know a few of the pictures aren't loading properly. I'm not sure why but
I think its a linking issue. I've tried it in two different browsers and both show the same outcome.

Visit my blog - best ways to clear clogged pores

Anonymous said...

Every weekend i used to visit this site, as i wish for enjoyment, for the reason that this this web page
conations really pleasant funny stuff too.


Feel free to visit my web page: toe nail treatment

Anonymous said...

Good post. I learn something new and challenging on
sites I stumbleupon everyday. It's always useful to read through articles from other writers and use something from their sites.

Here is my web blog - growth hormone spray reviews

Anonymous said...

Actually no matter if someone doesn't understand afterward its up to other visitors that they will assist, so here it takes place.

my homepage - male supplement

Anonymous said...

Wow, this post is nice, my sister is analyzing these things, so
I am going to tell her.

My site ... discount volume pill

Anonymous said...

Hi there to every single one, it's genuinely a pleasant for me to visit this web site, it includes valuable Information.

My webpage :: http://stephaniebdeguzman.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Can you tell us more about this? I'd love to find out some additional information.

my web site genf20 Plus

Anonymous said...

This is my first time pay a visit at here and i am actually impressed to read all at alone place.


Feel free to surf to my site ... buy hoodia balance

Anonymous said...

I've been exploring for a little bit for any high quality articles or blog posts on this kind of space . Exploring in Yahoo I at last stumbled upon this website. Reading this information So i'm satisfied to convey that I've an incredibly excellent uncanny feeling I found out just what I needed. I most indubitably will make certain to don?t overlook this site and provides it a glance on a continuing basis.

Feel free to surf to my web site: weight loss supp

Anonymous said...

Hi there just wanted to give you a brief
heads up and let you know a few of the pictures aren't loading properly. I'm not sure
why but I think its a linking issue. I've tried it in two different browsers and both show the same outcome.

Feel free to visit my weblog :: fungal infection toenail

Anonymous said...

Thanks for finally writing about > "Woolly Thoughts" < Liked it!

My web blog ... hadleyesque.
blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Hello there! Do you know if they make any plugins to protect
against hackers? I'm kinda paranoid about losing everything I've worked hard on.
Any tips?

My website - buy thyromine

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your personal marvelous posting! I certainly enjoyed reading it, you might be a great author.

I will ensure that I bookmark your blog and will often come back someday.
I want to encourage one to continue your great work, have a nice morning!


Here is my weblog ... thyromine.herbalcurenow.com

Anonymous said...

Hi there just wanted to give you a quick heads
up. The text in your post seem to be running off the screen in
Internet explorer. I'm not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with browser compatibility but I figured I'd post to let you know.

The design look great though! Hope you get the issue resolved soon.
Kudos

Here is my weblog ... http://buyvenaproonline.org

Anonymous said...

It is perfect time to make some plans for the future and it is time
to be happy. I have read this post and if I could I
desire to suggest you some interesting things or advice.
Perhaps you could write next articles referring to this article.
I want to read even more things about it!

Here is my blog: breast actives review

Anonymous said...

If some one desires to be updated with hottest technologies after that he must
be go to see this website and be up to date everyday.

Feel free to visit my blog: provillus

Anonymous said...

I'm really impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout on your weblog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself? Anyway keep up the nice quality writing, it's rare to see a nice blog
like this one nowadays.

my blog; http://buyprovacyl.beep.com

Anonymous said...

Hello! Would you mind if I share your blog with my zynga group?

There's a lot of people that I think would really enjoy your content. Please let me know. Thanks

Feel free to surf to my web page; virility ex come si usa

Anonymous said...

magnificent points altogether, you just won a emblem new reader.
What could you recommend in regards to your put up that you made some days
ago? Any sure?

My webpage; venapro for hemorrhoids

Anonymous said...

I am regular reader, how are you everybody?
This article posted at this site is really nice.

Feel free to visit my web-site virility ex fda

Anonymous said...

I every time used to study paragraph in news papers but now as I am a user of web thus from
now I am using net for posts, thanks to web.



My site :: virility ex scam

Anonymous said...

Superb blog you have here but I was curious if you knew of any forums that cover the same topics discussed here?

I'd really like to be a part of community where I can get comments from other knowledgeable individuals that share the same interest. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Cheers!

my web blog - venapro natural colon health supplement

Anonymous said...

I am really happy to read this web site posts which carries lots of useful data,
thanks for providing these data.

Here is my website :: www.aquitusideas.com

Anonymous said...

Hi there! This is my 1st comment here so I just
wanted to give a quick shout out and say I genuinely enjoy reading your blog posts.
Can you suggest any other blogs/websites/forums that cover the same subjects?
Thank you so much!

Also visit my web blog ... alta white online

Anonymous said...

There's certainly a great deal to learn about this subject. I like all the points you've made.



Review my weblog performer5

Anonymous said...

Excellent post. I was checking constantly this weblog and I'm impressed! Very helpful info specifically the ultimate part :) I handle such information a lot. I was looking for this particular info for a very long time. Thanks and best of luck.

my blog post - herbalcurenow.com

Anonymous said...

My developer is trying to convince me to move to .
net from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the expenses.
But he's tryiong none the less. I've been using WordPress on a
variety of websites for about a year and am concerned about switching to another platform.
I have heard fantastic things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can
import all my wordpress posts into it? Any kind of
help would be really appreciated!

Also visit my site: virility ex

Anonymous said...

Greetings from California! I'm bored to death at work so I decided to check out your website on my iphone during lunch break. I really like the information you provide here and can't wait to take a look when I get home.
I'm surprised at how quick your blog loaded on my mobile .. I'm
not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyways, amazing blog!



My web-site ... buy idol lip

sleighs said...

click resources replica ysl important link Ysl replica bags explanation replica bags online