Our friend Rob’s 51st birthday
Our friend Rob’s birthday is 9th April. He will open our (Geoff & Steve’s) birthday card which Steve bought at the Bloomsbury Group exhibition at York Art Gallery. The card has two graphically decorated doors by which to open up its front. These are based on those designed for the cupboard in her bedroom in her and Duncan Grant’s home: Charleston in East Sussex.
Steve wrote a silly narrative poem to go inside the card and it is reproduced below. Below is a photograph showing the cupboard doors and there is a sample of the design of the doors after the poem.
Opening her cupboard door, Missis Bell
Utter’d an oath, something like: “I’ve mislaid
Rich gifts for Rob Goffee’s birthday – Oh hell! –“
*******
Rude expletives rarely pepper the tirade
Of words her memory slips often cause
But this time, her vexation was so wild:
********
Beyond her control! Let the artist pause
In meditative thought. Soon she smiled,
Recollected tranquil thoughts: “I’ll create
The ideal gift from scant resources. Hot
Her cooler thoughts became: In fluid state
Deep creative prompts to her mind are shot
And open there like blooms. There doors will be
Yet to disclose a loving thought: then say;
*******
“No more seek gifts that disappoint: but SEE
Inside these open doors:
OUR ROB: his BIRTHDAY”.
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