Uniformed comedians

Anthony Wilson,
A carboard sign from the pandemic reading 'Thank you, Key workers'

I’ve been saying Tom Paulin’s line about ‘uniformed comedians’ a lot this summer. I don’t really want to go into the details, except to say that we had need of them. ‘We’ as in not me directly, but those who are dearest to me.

I’ve blogged about the poem here before. A poem that’s been in my life for almost 40 years and which I’m finally beginning to understand.

In the words of Mark Halliday, this is what the ‘cool flash of the serious’ feels like. There you are in a meeting, the phone goes and before you know it you are stuck in traffic looking at blue lights on a hill which can mean only one thing.

I’ve grown accustomed (perhaps overly so) to using the word ‘trauma’ recently, but for once I don’t think this overestimates it.

Uniformed comedians. Paulin has it spot on. I can remember the jokes now, even as the Oramorph came out.

It’s a poem of great anger, but also tenderness. He is a terrific maker of phrases: ‘uselessly intricate’; ‘taught blue silence’; ‘a style/ of being perfect in despair’; and the concluding ‘this great kindness everywhere:/ now in the grace of the world and always’. I’ve never been more glad for a redemptive ending to a poem.

All of which explains my radio silence over the last few months. The effects are still with us. But there is grace every day and we are lucky to be here. (As we all are.) I’m hoping that more posts will follow this one in the autumn. I notice that I’ve been making notes of possible first lines. Thank you for your patience. We are on the other side. I hope to see you there.

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Published by Anthony Wilson

I am a lecturer, poet and writing tutor. I work in teacher and medical education at the University of Exeter. My anthology Lifesaving Poems was published by Bloodaxe Books in 2015. In 2012 I published Riddance (Worple Press), a collection of poems, and Love for Now (Impress Books), a memoir, about my experience of cancer. The Wind and the Rain, my sixth collection of poems, is available now from Blue Diode Publishing. My current research project, funded by the Foyle Foundation, is Young Poets' Stories: https://youngpoetsstories.com/. This blog is archived by the British Library.

7 Comments

  2. Many thanks again for aiding the beginning of my day, A sunrise and brain settling words. Wishing you well also on your continued journey.

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  3. Looking forward to hearing more of your wonderful words again. Hope things continue to improve and your opening lines continue to second lines 🙏 All the best, Connie

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  4. It’s 2:30 a.m. on this side if the pond, Anthony. I’m awake and saw your post. Then I found the post with the entire poem. Great comfort at this dark hour with both. I’m happy to “see” you again and to know you are back. Poems are truly lifesaving. Thank you.
    Molly on this side.

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  5. Your Life Saving book of poems was a real daily comfort and lunchtime oasis as I started a new work chapter in the spring. Thank you Anthony

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