Porthleven bad weather 'prayer' helps raise funds (From Falmouth Packet)

Porthleven bad weather 'prayer' helps raise funds

10:00am Sunday 21st October 2012 in News

In a bid to raise spirits over a wet summer, Porthleven shop owner Belinda Higgs decided to write a satirical poem based on the Lord’s Prayer.

Called The weather Prayer, it includes lines such as “Give us an umbrella for our daily soak” and “lead us not into depression but deliver us a pizza”. Now it appears the RNLI’s prayers for funds have been answered, after Bel started selling copies of her poem in return for donations to the charity that saves lives at sea.

Bel said: “In July, the weather was really bad and we were all really fed up, so I sat and composed this prayer.” Placing it in the window of her shop, Dockside Trading, she recalls hearing customers roaring with laughter.

Such was its popularity that people were happy to hand over money in return for keeping a copy for future chuckles. Today Bel has raised over £50 for the charity. Relatives, friends and customers are now pushing Bel to publish her collection of poems. She said she was “considering it,” but for now she is happy to continue selling them in exchange for donations.

To read more of Belinda’s poems online search www.facebook.com/BelsCrazyPoems.

The Weather Prayer

Our father who art in Porthleven, fed up be thy name.

The rain has come.

Thy will be as wet in Helston as it is in Porthleven.

Give us an umbrella, for our daily soak, and forgive us our daily moans, as we forgive those who moan to us.

And lead us not into depression but deliver us a pizza.

For Cornwall is the kingdom, the pasties and the cream,

For ever and ever, amen.