Commentary

When we met Ken Wilson, the part-retired tenant farmer of the National Trust, I remembered that Longshaw has been the site of famous sheepdog trials for over a hundred years. Ken reminded us of the sheepdog commands – come bye, stand etc – used to direct dogs. I pounced upon these as just the words I was looking for, and quickly made a short poem. I have never been fond of so-called ‘found’ poems – but the forcefulness of the words, the sound and rhythm, the appropriateness for the place and their relevance to walkers were an irresistible combination. I looked up further commands, played with them for a while, and settled on:

Come bye
Look back
Take time
Walk on
as the text for my stone. - Jo Bell

Come bye

Look back

Take time

Walk on