Interests in common My wife is also my companion In artistic matters. And so We have many interests in common. Quattrocento sculpture is one theme That we never tire-of, though There can be differences of opinion: Me for the charm and grace of Rossellino Say, she for Donatello and his tougher work. I’m not much good at pottery talk I must admit. I’ve not read one ceramics book. I know nothing at all about Tang or Ming. Heavy lifting is my thing. Pots to be humped to the kiln Now garden urns replace Her early porcelain. She by contrast, is a stringent critic, Ever sharp for slackness Of creative impulse; hyper-alert For fake or merely feeble. But however gently put Blue pencils hurt. A grimace will suffice to stop me short. When she comes into my studio With coffee or when she Finds me writing verse I steel myself for the moment Of silence, that ‘no comment’ Which is even worse. I value these judgements. I’d be a poorer artist Without them.
Peter Lloyd Jones 