Gladding
From the cliff tops and harbour
at dawn or dusk
we may still be seen squatting
and gladding ..
While to the right, the Holms,
both steep and flat do rise ..
Religiously with each new day
and the tides ..
Tho always angry, vicious and
cold they be
the grey remnants of waves
that repeatedly spit, laugh and
lap at our ankles
while we squat here, like twats,
on our haunches ..
Today though, no more than
a handful of old Watchet lads
armed to the teeth tho’
with terriers and stout sticks,
go poking and probing in eel pits,
found only around here-abouts ..
Yes here, tween the razor-edged
rocks and the out tide ..
Some still do go gladding for conger
with nowt on their minds
but to fill, the kids bellies at supper ..
-
Author:
Neville (
Offline) - Published: November 25th, 2022 04:55
- Comment from author about the poem: Gladding is an old near extinct activity designed to catch conger eels from rock pools, it is only very rarely practiced nowadays and only near to where I live .. If interested, try Googling .. there is some great vintage and rare B&W YouTube footage of it in practice .. Let me know what you think .. The two Holms known as Steep Holm & Flat Holm referred to are islands with loads of history .. You can Google them too ..
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Comments4
devoid of your author's notes, these lines
transported me to that milieu you worded so vividly immersive:
'Those grey remnants of waves
that repeatedly
spit and do laugh and do lap
at our feet
while we all squat like twats,'
a poetic dreamscape in a read
I am delighted you approve brother Mek .. thank you sir and truly .. Neville
Thanks for a new word and its meaning - - I like the sound gladding makes and am sure it would be fun just as your look back moon ago at you and more boys "poking around at eel-pits" - - will look soon at some video vintage practice of gladding - - and agreed as your last lines admit to need of self-caught eel-fish as food even in these days of easy bought meal-time abundance. A stunning piece of prose Nev.
You are indeed most welcome dear Fay, as I, am indeed most grateful to you .. The practice of gladding has pretty much died out & as far as I now, was only really ever practiced around the area I now live .. the TV documentary I mention is fascinating .. so much so, I am thinking I may try to resurrect the old craft when I eventually knock work on the head ................ 🙂 x
I looked at the dictionary and came back disappointed, but then DA!, saw your notes - well thank you sir.
The amazing feat of accomplishment has its own reward, as your words in taking us there
thank you my friend, that is most kind of you .. if you are still interested or merely intrigued, old documentary black and white footage can still be found & viewed for free by Googling and typing in watch gladding at watchet on line -BFI Player .. Below is a little more info taken from the net .. Good luck and take care .. Neville 🙂
TV reporter Clive Gunnell is on the beach at Watchet in Somerset looking for conger eels. Underneath craggy rocks and seaweed the conger eels await the rising tide of the Bristol Channel. Two men are gladding with dogs, keeping up an old tradition believed now to have died out altogether. Conger eel commercial
I can remember many years ago when I was sitting in my local when one of my friends came in with a conger that he had caught.
Andy
Glad you made it here today sir 🙂 no pun intended ........ Neville
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