Carol Ann Duffy is now officially the Poet Laureate--the first woman, first dyke. She gets paid--£5,750 a year for ten years, and a butt of sack. Sack is white fortified wine, these days usually sherry. According to Wikipedia, a butt is 2 hogsheads, or 3 tierces, or 4 barrels, or 7 rundlets in volume--about 105 imperial gallons (bigger than American gallons) i.e. 477.3 litres. That's a lot of sherry...
I think it's cool that, finally, the Poet Laureate, is a woman. Sadly, this week another poet, another dyke, U.A. Fanthorpe, died just before Duffy got her news.
A huge week for lesbian poetry. Tonight I think I'll drink a glass of sherry to them both.
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Yes, it's terrific news and having just got home and with no alcohol in the house apart from the very last remains of a bottle of Swedish Akvavit in the fridge which has been languishing there for nearly 4 years - what better time than to finish it off and drink a toast to you and K and of course Carol Ann - I knew if I waited long enough the appropriate time to drink it would arise!!
ReplyDeleteLife is not all beer and skittles; no, it's poetry and sherry. This is good news.
ReplyDeletePoetry and sherry it is. *raises a glass*
ReplyDelete