Ex-Patria Comments

Pip, usually I by-pass long narrative works but you got me in with this one. Great.

Gemma - I am grateful to you for your suggestions. Thanks!

You have all been extremely encouraging with your comments, for which I thank you. I am sure you will be glad to hear that this poem marks the end of poems about myself! Enough is enough. I am stepping out of my own system now into uncharted territory. As a fairly new Canadian citizen I intend to concentrate future poems with Canadian content. I am working on my first of these entitled: Journals of a Daughter. It is my daughter's observations when up in the Arctic on a geological expedition with other scientists. She wrote her journals on scraps of tiny white paper, carefully kept until her return, perched on various outcrops. I asked her if I could use her descriptions for a poem. She applied in the affirmative, so this is my work in progress. Wish me luck!

Hi, Philippa, I like the others' comments, and I like yours, too, that some things are best set down simply. I like the wholeness of your tale, and its accessibility and, as Peter put it, 'epic' scope. I think, as Michael suggested, there are likely other tales lurking, too.

Wow! Quite an epic! Well done; I hope you will write some more now the log jam has been broken

I read this very slowly, wishing it to last and never end. This is so well done it is hard to find words to praise it. A few rhymes that never disturb but rather make or mock a point and the story of a life, a generous glimpse freely given. Thoroughly enjoyed it. H

A life plainly and finely and skilfully set down. I suggest people read this in conjunction with Philippa's biographical notes - there's a prose writer there as well as a poet. Congratulations - for many reasons - Philippa. An autobiography must surely follow these glimpses?

this isn't a poem, its a whole life! its everything - your travels, your feelings, your visions, hopes and fears. what a wonderful read, philippa. thank you.....i will read this one again and again. rachael