With Our Great Pleasure

Scanning the field across from our front window with my binoculars has been the nearest I have come to the bit of snow we have had here but plenty of newborn lambs to see. I am very grateful to my old friend, professional clown and magician, psychologist colleague, traveller and seeker, Liz Kirkland for recommending another Larkin poem. This is what Liz said about 'First Sight': 'I have been haunted by Larkin since studying him for A Level English. Many of his poems have troubled me and struck mortal fear into me!.... but this one is very much in tune with the poem 'All that is gold..' that you shared. So unusually hopeful for Larkin'  Thank you Liz. You are dead right about how challenging so many of Larkin's poems can be and it can take a long time to be able to say 'yes... but....... that doesn't have to be the case....' So much of what we read when young can seem to have the ringing power of a prophecy - rather than an option, an idea of