Really enjoyed the creative writing workshop Fen Folklore with Artemis Writers on Saturday. We were given folk tales to read and to compose our own work. I was captivated by The Stone Cross in March [in Cambridgeshire]. Legend says that the townsfolk wanted to build another church nearer the market place. However, every night the Devil came and tore down what had been built the day before. The cross was erected to try to drive the Devil away – it succeeded, but the church was still never built.

Here is my short poem inspired by the story.

The devil tears down your house at each dawn
but you brick it up every morning
So you have a roof during the midday
when you nap in bright daydreams

You earn long stays in summer
and you have to take shelter
in your own flesh when winter comes
March is the best month of the year
You hold your hopes high
A fig tree comes out of your heart

Bang Rushmer

The fig tree in Chinese is called Wu Hua Guo, which means a tree that grows its fruits without flowering. A sort of imperfection resonates with the nature of a harsh life. It is also a divine tree that signifies prosperity in Buddhist culture. I like fig trees simply because the leaves start coming out in March.