Miriam Margolyes

I'm watching you on my TV;

I'm giving you a 'fair go'.

Trundling around your adopted home land

Accompanied by Apollo;

Behind the wheel,

Taking me with you on your tour.

You talk to folk:

Strange folk,

Strangers;

Kids, politicians,

Bikers, businessmen,

Naturists.

I love your openness;

It makes me smile

At its naughtiness.

You are so alive!

Wide-eyed and open,

Your 80 years of salty sauce

Roaming and probing

On a motorised scooter.

No filter here,

Just erudite experience

Wrapped up in an actress package

Known from Blackadder to Potter;

A woman comfortable

In her own skin

Even if she doesn't like it much.

Flatulent, foul-mouthed,

Fabulous!

Fuck me, Miriam -

You're a blooming marvel.

***

It has not been my intention to write two poems in quite quick succession about female icons of the British stage and yet, here I am, sharing my feelings about Miriam Margolyes, who has entered the public consciousness in recent years due to her travel show with Alan Cumming and her appearances on The Graham Norton Show in the UK.

If you get the chance to see a clip of her, watch it and revel in her openness, her sauciness, her lack of care for the way she may be viewed by others. It is rather refreshing and whilst some may view it as sensationalist, I can't help but like her rude storytelling and her swearing. It shocks me and once my prudishness retreats, I laugh and look at this woman in front of me and all that she is still able to do and think I'd like to be that confident and forthright in my 80s and I fancy practising right now.

I wrote a poem about Judi Dench which you can read here:

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