Welsh Journals

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How I Nearly Met Dylan Thomas: or Another Story of an Artist as a Young Dog ANON NOW you MIGHT think on reading the title of this piece that I am writing with my tongue in my cheek. That being the case, let me say that this is not a funny story-though it might take you that way. It also happens to be a true story. The story began in the early summer months of 1949 when I was demobilised from the R A F after completing two years' National Service. I returned home. Home was a valley in South Wales. Home was a stone house, in a quiet street and a pleasant place between the solemn hills. It was a fine summer. Looking back, it seems the sun came early and stayed late every day. I don't know if there was a trade recession. There may have been. Anyway, I couldn't find a job. Fortunately, from a purely selfish viewpoint, a few of my friends were in the same position so time never dragged. There were always cafes to sit and talk in, or roads to walk and talk along. Apart from that, I was very busy at the time being a poet. If you are not or have never been a poet I must explain that it is rather like being a doctor you are at the mercy of your practice the job must be done while it can be done. Sickness and inspiration are not subservient to the clock. Now I had a few small reasons for supposing that my poetic inspira- tion call it what you will was worth waiting upon. I had a few poems published in various magazines. Sometimes, I was paid for my work. One of my friends sent a bunch of my poems to another poet. This other poet lived in a different category to me. He was a 'real' writer who earned his keep and his family's keep by writing. My regard for him was rather like the regard a lay preacher would have, I imagine, for the qualified, paid minister with letters after his name. Anyway, this poet wrote to me asking me to come to Swansea to have a chat. His letter came on a Thursday and I went to see him on the Friday of the following week. Neither of the days is really significant as