POETRY, Our "Poets Window".

We're going to have a space in our shop window to display poetry.
So, all you budding poets, send us your poems and yours could be on our "poets window".
Our first theme is simply: "Yes"
Please send us your poem by the end of September.
You can email your poem: charity_boookshop@hotmail.co.uk
Post to: Samaritans Book Shop, 125 earls Court road, London, SW5 9RH.
Or just drop your poem into us.

We plan for this to be a monthly or twice monthly.

"Yes". A poem.

The following is a poem which is a stream of consciousness so no need for punctuation. We have put it up as received.

Yes

Yes Yes Yes to life and yes to hope and yes to imagination so we can create and yes to the winds that blow away my troubles and the autumn leaves that fall gently like my tears and yes they bring me comfort,yes oh yes always yes to love because rivers flow through it and clear my eyes and yes to the rough oceans we must cross to understand its power and depth and yes to the waterfalls cascading with magical mystery and yes oh yes i only have to call its name and yes it will open the flood barriers so i can glide with it in its rich oceans and yes i must never fear its strength for yes it will give me wings and yes always yes i shout to the heavens and all the other spacemen and spacewomen YES because yes i want to be free.

- Sean Duffy

Another day. Apparently Thursday. 28/8/08.

Before I even open the bloody door I am accosted by our friend who has the uncanny knack of driving saints to seriously contemplating grievous bodily harm to their fellow man. Sorry- person. Fuck it- man! He manages to tell me in about 25 different ways that he’s never met such rude shop staff in all his 150 years of travelling the globe. Nothing against me, mind. Just the punks I get as vols. I see a bus. Bus. Man. Street. I give the Samaritans a quick call. There. Much better! Wants to take me to Oxfam so the staff there can confirm that he is a really nice bloke. He then admits that, in 15 years of shopping in Oxfam, he’s only ever spoken to one member of staff. Once. He says he’s nothing against me (really!) but that I should apologise for his being rude to our vols. Sorry- ignorant punks! I give the Samaritans another quick call.

-Opened door-

After meeting with said man I am looking around to see if there is anything I can break. Preferably something that makes a very load noise. I compromise by tearing up a Jeffery Archer novel. There. Much better.

-coffee-

-coffee-

Wonder if I should put an ad on Gumtree for ignorant punks with spare time on their hands. Would certainly liven thing up a bit.

-coffee-

A very large trunk arrives for Hal. Delivery man jokes it’s a body. I start to wonder where Hal has been.

Beginning to contemplate the meaning of existence when our lovely Korean vol, Young, comes in. She has just come back from four days in Paris and didn’t seem that impressed with romantic capital. Too expensive and too French!

American customer buys £15 worth of our 45’s. Can only assume he wants them for decoration!

-coffee-

Contemplate moving the shop to America.

Hal makes an appearance. He’s looking a little worse for wear and tells me he’s been partying till dawn at Ronnie Scott’s and beyond. He’s very tempted to do a Chris but soldiers on.

-coffee-

Lorena pops in at about 4pm. Tells me a story about this lady, dubbed “Alligator Mary”, who lives near her house in Brazil. Apparently this lady is quite famous as she feeds dozens of wild alligators in her back yard! I’m wondering if Mary is soon to be an Earls Court resident.

Mario makes a surprise visit with two charming Spanish lady friends. One of the lovely ladies wants to live in the North of Sweden. She’s very fond of cold weather!? They are all off to Camden for the night.

Maria pops in looking a bit down to say Hola. Maria goes home for a bath that involves perfumes and floor cleaner. Not kidding. It’s called a “bang bang” bath or something equally bizarre.

Maria comes back smelling of roses with a slight hint of “shiny floor” fragrance. Think very, very clean florist. Not entirely sure what she put in that bath but she’s now in very good form.

Wonder if a dash of floor cleaner would do our friend any good. Or at least come out with a few pleasantries amidst the continuous verbal assault.

-Close door.

T’was quite a good day at the till. The council will be happy!!

Wednesday.

Opened door.

-Coffee-

Realise the day has a very weird atmosphere. Street is empty but for a few folks who either were, or were pretending to be, on holiday. Today was a pretty good day financially considering it had the atmosphere of a New Years Day.

-Coffee-

Chris came in saying he hadn’t been able to sleep last night. He then curled up on the couch and had a good snooze in public. Chris, get yourself a good sleeping bag and find a public bench- that way you will sleep like a baby and save yourself rent. I’d try one in Sloane square. Hal tells me the public benches there are padded, silk lined marvels with a great security service. I’m sure Hal can arrange a visa for you ;) Chris then decided to take the film “Lost Boys” home to watch. For those who don’t know, that’s a cult film about vampires. I’m beginning to worry! J

-Coffee-

Malcolm (Earls Court Festival) and Hydi (our local artist) popped in to say hello.

-Coffee-

Lorena (our new Brazilian vol) came in at around 4pm. She’ll be with us Wed-Fri in the late afternoon.

-Coffee-

Tiru (Film Club) came in as he was meeting a friend in EC. I’ve come to the conclusion that Tiru has kinda given up on the “Film” part of the club. Mind you, a club that involves drinking, music, dancing and the odd, rare appearance, of a film sounds pretty good to me! Good work, Bacchus! Going to the cinema to see films and stuff is sooo yesterday. Our Film club is going to break new ground! J I love it, Tiru.

-Coffee-

One of our regulars (and, no, he’s not crazy!) wants us to provide him with take/away coffee. Says he doesn’t like the crap they serve in Coffee Republic etc. The man has good taste. He then left me totally disillusioned by heading directly to bloody Starbuck’s!

-Coffee-

Andrew, our friend from Lots Road auction house, came in to say hello. He gave us the light brown coach. He had some excellent news for Chris. He’s offered us the possibility of more!! We could have a sleep over J

-Coffee-

Hal went AWOL today but I did get a missed call from a withheld number. May have been him as I know he withholds his number in case the authorities get hold of it.

-Coffee-

Mihaela left for Paris yesterday. We should all wish her the best.

Catherine left for a town called Misery today. Apparently it’s a very pretty place in the South of France. Yeah, Catherine. And hell is a little piece of paradise off Thailand. But don’t worry. I gave her the Samaritans number J

Jordi, our Catalan gardener friend, popped in. He gave us the plant by the door- which Maria thinks I’m being cruel to J

Mario is currently showing his friends the more, shall we say, cultured, spots of Soho!

Man, I’m getting sick of coffee!!

Closed door.

I’m off to practice for the opening of the door tomorrow. I think, eventually, I’ll be pretty good at this door business.

Oh. And between all the important activities I believe someone sneakily sold a book!

News from Silvia

Silvia was one of our fantastic Italian duo and the artist who decorated our walls :)

Hey there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nice to hear from you...Hope I’ll finally succeed in sending this email...I tried to send to you another two or three of them from when I came back...Mysteries of technology...Just can’t put up with it...
Well, what can I tell you? I was working in a library in my town for the 2 weeks after my return...enjoyed the experience, but it had nothing to do with my Fantastic Fabulous Bookshop :) Then I spent the last 2 weeks in the mountains, unfortunately not on holiday but to work again... :( My parents had to do some improvements to my grandparent’s house and I helped them...So, as you can imagine, I’m not having a relaxing holiday this year...:) However, I’m looking forward to a week with my boyfriend at the seaside, in Tuscany, at the end of august...Peace and quiet at last!!!
I’ll keep in touch as often as I can...Please write soon and tell me all the news...
Love love love... To Hal (how’s your Venitian friend?) and Chris (I’ll visit Facebook asap ;) and Andrew (enjoyed Cape Town?) and Maria (I’d love to try another piece of tour delicious tortilla!) and everyeveryeverybody...

And now some other news...

I hope you’ll receive my postcard from Tuscany...I was there from the 14th to the 20th ...Beautiful places, really enchanting, believe me...have you ever been there? You must go if you get the chance...
However, now I have a lot of stuff to do for school, as we are starting on the 15th of September and I have done nothing all summer long...at the same time, I’m trying to get that bloody driving licence...so my boyfriend lends me his car almost every evening and I practice...He says that I’m improving a lot and I could do the exam now,but when I tell my dad so, he bursts into laughter saying that he must have been blinded by love! :) but he jokes, of course...he also admits I’m very good...
Well, bye for now!
Write soon!

Silvia

The truth lies within!

Ha Ha Ha... you're all in trouble now!!! We now have a blog where we can spread vicious rumours, lies and aspersions!! All thanks to Jusna! :)

New Blog Now Available!

The eagerly awaited blog for the shop is finally completed and now up and running. In the blog you can read about gossips and stories from the shop, what the volunteers are up to, how well the shop is doing and just general informal chit chat. The blog will be updated my various trusting volunteers and people are free to comment on any post.

Hold tight for the first post coming soon :)