Below is a poem I wrote to summarise some of my own thoughts on the river, our recommendations and my ideas:
If you would like to hear a personal performance of it then please let me know, poetry always sounds better when it is read aloud.
Tone
I sat and pondered upon the Tone and this poem,
Was it to be a question? Sad, serious, defiant, inspirational or there to entertain?
Was it to be loud and boisterous or soft and subtle?
Or exuberant with a quiet refrain?
I sat and pondered upon the river and the tone,
You could say, I sat and let my words flow,
Like the river course changes so does the tone of my poem,
A tone I’ve come to discover and know…
The question? How do you feel about the river Tone?
“How do I feel?” I reply. “The river, you ask?”
“It’s in the town that I call home.”
Quite simply it’s always been there.
I’ve walked to and fro along its side,
The tone is sad no one pays it attention,
There are a few who look upon it with pride.
Or perhaps the tone is serious.
We should encourage different species to flourish,
Grow trees, keep bees and grow edible food that can sustain our parks and nourish,
I sat and pondered the tone and this poem,
Defiant.
Yes, I think that could be it!
We have no time for the river, we’ve turned our backs on it, there’s no place to stop and sit.
After all, what do you expect we’ve taken it for granted,
When we could make living connections over its waters via a living bridge we’ve planted,
Let the only crowding upon its edges be the crowding of people and passers by,
Let the only mass that towers above it be trees or birds or sky.
Highly idealistic, I know but why let the market driven economy always have the final say?
Taunton has to become more than a place to go shopping,
It has to have a draw that will encourage people to stay.
The river’s not just a living corridor,
A corridor you use to travel from A to B.
It should be the main event, the ballroom, the centre stage,
It should be the main attraction for all to see.
Let’s inspire.
We’ll animate the river. We’ll encourage schools to perform alongside it,
We’ll become the curators of public space,
There could be live music and river festivals that would give its communities a sense of well being and place.
The tone is entertaining,
Let’s feed some ducks, do some fishing or watch canoeists passing by,
Ok, so you don’t see canoeists very often but you can’t blame me for giving it a try.
Lets encourage them.
Should the tone remain a murmur?
Can we rediscover its voice and notice it is there,
Can we play and explore in our public space?
Can we stop to look and care?
The Tone has so much potential,
If only we’d animate its waters and its edges,
More access, more seating, more cafes, more landscaping,
More potential than just hedges.
So many tones and a wealth of opportunity,
I think that having more than one tone is what makes it stronger,
To ponder upon the tone and this poem.
Ponder upon the river a little longer.
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