Tales from the Welsh Marches
We’ve had a magical summer already here -
But summer has much more to offer and the usual events are beginning already. One eternal event in the English summer is the annual local Fete that raises money for the support of small churches, village halls and clubs.
This little sestina tells you about the local Church Fete -
The Church Fete
by Wilma Hayes
Summer’s the time to give and give; we all must do our share
The Church Fete needs us once again; this English summer rite
To pay for the new toilets, regulations and repair
Pray again that this year the work-
And then to the Met Office for the weather to be bright
Summer’s the time to give and give; we all must do our share
It began when Ann Jones fell down the narrow back porch stairs
The ones we tried to fix ourselves, but never got quite right
We need to raise the cash now, for them and the porch repair
The cake stall opened with a crush and I heard Janey swear!
In the scrum of blue rinsed ladies, she’s got a nasty fright!
Summer’s the time to give and give; we all must do our share
The pet show should have been the best of feather, fin and hair
We’re glad the vet was here to stop the bleeding from the fight
Now the Council insists we insure all our church affairs
Rain stuck the bandmaster’s sheet music firmly to his chair
The falconer’s prize buzzard hasn’t come from its maiden flight
Summer’s the time to give and give; we all must do our share
Kiddies’ fancy dress meant kicks and fights by all the mothers there
The face painting looked like Alice Cooper on a bad night
Rain has clogged the gutters and now they too are for repair
The tea tent was in crisis when the tiny borrowed chairs
Didn’t quite fit the trestle tables; the problem was their height
Summer’s the time to give and give; we all must do our share
The vicar says thanks, but next year the tow’r will need repair
Enjoy your summer