Anna

A hard time we have of it
Between the mating and the lambing
Between the act and the conception
And the gestation:
Mating and lambing, dung and death.
And even those of us in middle years—
Medio tutissimus ibis—
A hard time too is had by all
Between the writing and the lecturing,
between the speaking and the incomprehension
And the hour's end.

T. S. Piggins

NOTES

• The original poem enclosed in a letter from SP to Anna Ritchie. Anna wrote in the following email to the editors 13-i-2012: 'I have wondered about his early relationship with Peggy, because he was very sympathetic to me when Graham [Graham Ritchie 1942-2005, noted Scottish archaeologist. Eds] and I separated in 1973, whereas I had expected him from his own experience to take Graham's side entirely. He sent me two typescript poems at that time, one called 'The Scarecrow' which he says was written 'when I felt as you're feeling now', and 'Responses in the Cathedral', which 'I've been fiddling about with for some time'. Do you have those? Later on, and I can't remember quite when, he sent me a hand-written and untitled poem which is an amusing pastiche of part of TS Eliot's 'East Coker' in the 'Four Quartets'.