Drinking Coffee
I’ve spent many an hour drinking coffee beside the grave of William Blake. I live nearby and it’s a tranquil green space amidst the hectic pace of the City of London.
I would sit there waiting for my boys coming home from school. A friendly gardener named Tom used to make me a cuppa in his hut—affectionately known to me as Tom’s Cabin—in Bunhill Fields. We’d chat about poetry (Tom wrote beautiful poems) and he was a mine of information on all the fascinating graves scattered throughout this famous Non-Conformist cemetery.
I’m sad that after 25 years at Bunhill Fields, Tom moved away. These days, I have to settle for a takeaway coffee and not one brewed in his hut.
Here’s an attempt at a Sijo poem that I wrote last year:
I tread where blossoms fall like snow, and bluebells ring with fragrant song—
Above, the poets lie ten deep, wrapped in that forever dream of sleep.
Their haunting histories linger still, hushed in the shade of Bunhill Fields.
—Lesley Scoble, April 2024
Some Days I Drink My Coffee by the Grave of William Blake
I love, love, love this song by The The.
The song Some Days I Drink My Coffee by the Grave of William Blake by The The opens with the haunting line:
“Some days I drink my coffee by the grave of William Blake
Some days – when the hour’s past too late…”
It’s a deeply reflective piece, weaving themes of nostalgia, disillusionment, and political critique. The lyrics mourn the loss of a familiar London, with imagery like
“The sun hangs low, the church bells toll
The clouds unfold with burning gold”,
and confront the state of modern Britain with lines such as:
“This greedy, unpleasant land wraps itself in a flag
Pretending its freedom – a dictatorship in drag”
The song was written by Matt Johnson, the founding member and creative force behind The The. The current lineup includes Matt Johnson, Barrie Cadogan (Electric guitar and backing vocals), DC Collard, James Eller (Bass), Earl Harvin (Drums), and Sonya Cullingford (Fiddle).
Resource The The
I wrote this post for Jim Adam’s SONG LYRIC SUNDAY. Thank you, Jim
And thank you, dear reader, for taking time to linger a while. I hope you enjoyed the song! 🎶
LesleyScoble.com 
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