John A. Hammond 

Woore, Crewe, UK 

John Hammond was born in Maybank, Staffs. He died recently. As editor of "Bibendum", he did the photography and wrote articles. He won the BBC Poetry Competition and many of his poems were broadcast. His chief interests were people and poetry, and, when young, running, swimming and cricket. He loved nature, particularly trees. He could sing in many languages. Moving South, he worked for the "Surrey and Hants," and then for the Army. His obituary called him "A man of many talents." Thank you, Johnnie, for fifty-five happy years, and for your poetry.

You Will Remember 

The spirit of a soundless treading,  
worn steps where stray moonbeams fell,  
The hour and the timeless dreading,  
You will remember them well;  
A rhyme with its faint words spoken 
By a dimly-remembered tongue,  
A note, and a listener broken 
After a song.  

And then in the quiet shading 
Moved from the heart's hot fret,  
The years and a lifetime fading,  
You will remember them yet;  
Your joy in the joy forsaken,  
Fragrance of flowers long forgot 
Will stir and in beauty waken 
When I am not. 

I Would Have Rest 

Eyes now are tired. Life gives small chance of sleeping,  
Only a pull of movement against a patient death;  
Yet I love the chaos in whose keeping 
This mystic form of living is balanced on a breath.  

I but a germ, yet fashioned of His reason 
With feet of dreaming where no feet have been.  
To weep, to laugh I know, and in due season 
After the end of dreaming, to see and to be seen.  

All tomorrow's seas of blue with cloud-ships sailing 
Above your puzzled eyes to some port within His hand;  
I shall have proof of what our hearts are proving,  
And shall be knowing what we cannot understand. 

Fidelity