Investigating The Strawbridges Part Six: James -The Sins of the Son

Student James Strawbridge takes after his father in many ways. He studies Marine History at the University of East Anglia, and is described by his fellows as “a great bloke” and “greener than algae”.

He writes poetry. Most of his oeuvre is highly personal, appearing to arise from the Lacanian mirror phase of his development, in post-structural psychoanalytic terms, of course. He explores the interstices between the ego and the ego-ideal with sensitivity and panache, clearly influenced in this sense by Coleridge’s opium induced self explorations. James Strawbridge’s free verse, unbound from the shackles of the traditional stanza, swoops and flies in a manner resonant of the Ted Hughes’ early work; while the elasticity of the metre is comparable to the great metaphysical poets of the seventeenth century.

Since his family has moved back to Cornwall James’ poetry has taken on a more environmental flavor. Bold pieces that challenge and alert within the same well wrought couplets. For a man in his early twenties it is mature and very well considered verse. The following Poem from the UEA Union Poetry magazine captures his muse beautifully:

But like his father, there is a hidden darkness.

James has an addiction, kept secret from his parents. An addiction with one of the worst environmental payloads of any. James steals on average five traffic cones a week from the streets of Norwich. These he takes back to his “digs” where he and his mates laugh at their ever growing hoard. Perhaps we could look at this tomfoolery and give a knowing shrug; “students, eh? Crazy.” But a man must be judged on how his actions shadow his words, and I am afraid in this case, we cannot brush over this so easily.

To make one Traffic cone produces three tones of CO2. To deploy a traffic cone on an urban UK road junction releases another half a ton of Carbon. To replace a stolen cone on a UK road means anther half ton of CO2. All in all, that’s 4 tons of carbon for every pilfered traffic calming device.

It doesn’t take a brain doctor to work out that since, on last count, he had stolen 124 cones, James “Greener Than Algae” Strawbridge has a carbon footprint bigger than a family of yetis. Yes James; “We must take care of our home”.