Geese and Daughters
“This outstanding new book of poems shows Moira Andrew at the peak of her poetic powers as she casts an unerring eye over contemporary life, relationships, love (and physical love), and nature. There is great tenderness here as she speaks with confidence and clarity in poem after poem that seems to materialise magically on the page. ‘Geese and Daughters’ is a treat, rich in language, easy on the ear, personal – yet filled with shared experience and honed to perfection.” Wes Magee
Details
Geese and daughters
It’s preferable to raise geese than daughters
(Chinese proverb)
Geese? They strut
around the farmyard
sleek off-white
peering down
on their world from
haughty rooftop eyes.
Daughters? They kiss
you good-night from
wet pink mouths, dance
in your arms to jazz
on the radio, stamp
in red-cheeked fury.
They grow up, phone
to tell you stuff,
make sure you’re OK,
bake scones for you,
buy you flowers
for the kitchen table.
Give me daughters
any time. No doubt
geese are all very well
in their way, but
only those few who
lay golden eggs
merit a second thought.
Moira Andrew was born and educated in Scotland. She trained and worked as a primary teacher and became a lecturer in education at Craigie College of Education, Ayr, where she was known as ‘the poetry lady’!
Moira moved to Bristol to take up a post as Head Teacher of a primary school.
In 1988, she remarried, moved to Cardiff as a full-time writer and poet-in-schools. Wrote best-selling educational books on creative writing and display for Belair Ltd. When her husband died she moved to Cornwall, joined the prestigious Falmouth Poetry Group and was their secretary for five years. She now lives in Somerset with her partner, concentrating on poetry for adults. She runs a flourishing poetry workshop.
Currently she has 94 books with her name on the cover, ranging from children’s reading books and anthologies to books for teachers and full-length poetry collections – and one novel, aimed at teenagers.