Poetry…
I’ve written more of it than I can remember, and have been fortunate to have had some of it published. But I can honestly say I’ve never had a poem translated into another language – until recently.
The images you see are unique artworks by my good friend and collaborator Spira who translated into the Hellenic language the poem part of our 2020 collaboration when we marked the 2500th anniversary of the battles of Thermopylae and Salamis which took place in 480 BC during the Greco-Persian Wars.
The poem is entitled The Breaking of Bread and you can read it in its original English language version here along with its companion sculpture in the Spira/Ford collaboration project #1.
It is an honour and a treat to see my work translated, and for it to be done in such an artistic way is a treasure to behold .
Draig Tân (Welsh Fire)
In 2018 my eldest cousin and I, armed with ancient family photos and documents, and a subscription to a well-known online ancestry site, made some research on our family tree. We already knew about the paternal side – all from England, Birmingham, Peaky Blinders land, ay! But we knew little of the maternal side other than links to Shropshire and Worcestershire, and the intriguing but unproven link that our Great Grandparents came from Wales – thanks to elder family members remembering something about a ‘Welsh connection’.
Well, it came as exciting news when my cousin and I learnt from the documents we supplied that our maternal Great Grandparents and the lines before them came from Powys in Wales. Finally the dots had been joined. Welsh blood ran through us! Get in there you red dragon and up the Manics!
Then…
Back to Spira, who I told of this news, and who made a sculpture not only in celebration of our collaborations, but with a nifty ‘red dragon’ nod to my new Welshiness.
Draig Tân (Welsh Fire) by Spira.
The sculpture is called Draig Tân (translated to Welsh Fire). Please check the rest of the images here
My thanks to Spira, a Wizard of our age, and the finest person I could wish to collaborate with 😎
The Remains of She
And talking of collaborations… what news of Project #2 coming later this year?
I can tell you that the sculpture parts I’ve seen so far are both haunting and beautiful. Ancient anachronistic awesomeness awaits! I can tell you that the recent writing parts I made are organically pushing me to incredible boundaries and beyond.
There will be more Welsh fire. Hellenic spells. The Wizard and the Shaman will give precious gifts to the one who will bring renewal to the Earth. Look to the skies. The spring. A resurrection. Friends, in these dark times there will be a light to save us all.
Project #2. The Remains of She. Exclusive extract
The Remains of She. Coming in 2021!
The Vintage Toy Advertiser 
Amazing post, Ford!
Your creative mind is awesome, more fabulous than your toys and ads collection.
Cheers to you! xoxo
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Thanks for the good words, Resa! Big cheers to you too :)x
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Well, as daunting as it is to set letters and words in order of a response to the Words Whisperer, I’ll try to do so…
The honour and pleasure are all mine mate. It is impossible to emphasize this without sounding corny or pretentious; thankfully the synchronization we are experiencing makes things a lot easier!
You are too generous , and I hope to be worthy of your claims as we move forward into a fucked up world, carving our path of light.
I’m sure that some of the readers of this post will think of your final sentences as a poetic ending….
Boy, are they in for a surprise!
What I can say for now, is that my mate The Shaman meant every single word. A Wizard and a Shaman will take you on a voyage to unexpected destinations but with a compass fixed on a ray of light piercing through all the doom and gloom…
Mate, thank you ._
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Can only echo your words mate! The story is indeed organically growing as we speak, and integrates as well the characters of the Wizard and the Shaman.
Exciting!
Email coming later today!
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