With the sun finally finding its hat and another balmy weekend on the cards it seems that (late) Spring is finally here! It is a season like no other for inspiring the creative arts. 

At Royal High we are lucky enough to have a school poet laureate. Giving a crown or wreath of laurel leaves was an honour for poets and heroes in classical times and it is an honour bestowed on 21 poets since 1668 by the crown. The pay is modest and includes a barrel of sherry. 

No fortified wine or fauna crown is necessary to motivate our poets at Royal High, and this position is applied for annually and gives our poet the opportunity to share their verse at key moments in the year.

Freda Wirick was selected from strong competition as this year’s incumbent, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to share her work with the wider community. Freda has written a poem befitting the season and the wonderful re-awakening of nature that it brings. 

Early Spring

Back in the water, my clothes wet again.

The loafing log I'm putting out for the ducks,

floating patiently near me.

I stand there for a long time

So the teal start to swim close

a marsh wren tries to land on me

the cricket frogs start up their calls

sounding like pebbles hitting together

I scoop up one of the tiny frogs

floating Upon an old leaf

And hold him just tight enough.

His dark eyes have no fear in them,

body no more than an inch long

and brown as tobacco.

Knowing i'll never see him again

I hold on a bit longer

If nature has a soul,

this tiny frog could be the shape it takes.

And if that soul makes a noise,

it might sound like small stones being hit together.

We will next hear from Freda at Prizegiving with her valedictory poem for our departing Year 13 students. 

Creativity also continues to flow in our drama department, and I would strongly recommend our drama scholar’s production A Sudden Violent Burst of Rain. The innovative production uses split parts, poetic language and skilfully delivered rhythmic dialogue to present a truly thought-provoking fable about the immigrant experience in a hostile environment. I would like to congratulate our drama scholars on their superb production of such complex, mature and provocative work. There are two further performances: tonight and, as part of the Bath Fringe Festival, and on Friday 24th May in the Sophie Cameron Theatre. Tickets are available here.