020 7001 60007th July 2003:
The poem, below, 'Page Turner' by David Crystal was discovered when the boyfriend of Vicky Armstrong (Bywaters Marketing & Sales Executive) was flicking through a publication called Liar Republic, distributed by Central Books, the company where he works.
Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the word Bywaters and curiosity encouraged him to read the poem in full. It did not take him long to discover that this was in fact referring to Bywaters, where his girlfriend works. In the second line of the poem, it describes 'the young guy sleeping out in a Bywaters skip'.
Bywaters is naturally delighted to be part of such creativity and has since contacted the poet David Crystal who lives and writes in South London. We have even discussed some further creative projects.
If you are interested in David Crystal's work or have an interest in Art or Literature, see the website www.tworiverspress.com.
Please note that this poem uses some strong language and we apologise for any offence caused.
'Page Turner' by David Crystal
Life sometimes made little or no sense-
the young guy sleeping out in a Bywaters skip
and the woman spotted on cctv
in the busy shopping centre
with a wheelbarrow of chicken shit
a warning to us all
madness is no laughing matter.
The other day in Waterstone's Piccadilly
the new Wilbur Smith, (signed Author copy)
made me ghost back to 2 South View,
staring in disbelief at Arthur's bookshelf.
All his life he read to relax. A South African sunset,
cocktails by the pool and a fucking elephant
charge before dawn. All in a days work dear boy.
Someone new lives in their house
gliding about the place like they never existed.
When I sleep these days it's like I'm dead.
He said that once and I wrote it down. I felt like that
on my last visit when he said that little things now made him cry.
my sweaty right hand down the side of the settee,
looking for something to make him smile again.
Do you know Arthur's one and only bet? Devon Loch the horse that
did the splits just yards from the Grand National Winning Post
The jockey, Dick Francis, one of his favourites on that bookshelf of phoney sunsets
now groaning with the latest Nigel Slater and Jamie Oliver
new recipes for a new life in a house that no longer smells of them.
Editor's Note: For more information or images, please contact Isabelle Lefaut, Marketing, on 020 7001 6000 or email i.lefaut@bywaters.co.uk.
