August 2013 (c) Miles Whinfrey
Wittgenstein in Glossop
Stanza 1
In Vienna, he is the son; Rodin sculpted for father, Kandinsky painted for a sister, fêted, an observer, his sight had things a special way, works named in Latin,
Then France first has the Wrights, a polymath and better thinker he moves to village near cotton town in Britannica,
What must have happened for a better understanding of the use of the sky?, fervent discussion, fly to spirit away the miles- an experiment- flight with no energy,
Stanza 2
Over again, he goes to Chunal Moor, a familiar sight to the folk, no one dwells on what he is doing, the filter of concentration and tenacity maybe?,
Then amongst the band- we have the knowledge of the Chinese to start and you’ll never guess! We buy our equipment off the peg- see?,
Tensioned and twisted fabric; a stack of surfaces configured, cords and lines arrayed; a Cody, our instrument,
These are the basics: Know where the wind blows first, and always test for the wind there. Never fly in a storm or gale,
Stanza 3
Two work to get the kite into the air, unwieldy on the ground and several feet across, one at the top of the moor flying other running with the Cody up towards,
Let the line out to catch the air and get height, then pull it in to gain control, but its different every day and you learn,
There is no tail for stability, surfaces are trimmed by the line, the Cody dances in the air, travelling several chains every flight for completeness of manoeuvre or in failing lift,
By comparison there is height; the lines end reached far above it tests the naked eye and the distractions of the moving sky make it more difficult,
Stanza 4
Manoeuvre, wind speed, direction, estimated height, and a thousand details kept,
Reading about what others have done, organisations on these shores and abroad,
What can we glean from today, or last week or whenever?
A discovery is just around the corner,
Stanza 5
Thousands of years just for the birds, freedom of dominion, there was space offered for the taker,
But now some Westering Pioneers had kindled a fire in Mancs and an Austrian/ Brit eccentric- and where would it go?
The greater good as part of the body of knowledge,
Studies would be complete and then to be a Don at Cambridge.