Also known as the Stratford-on-Avon Sibilate Memo
Inspiration hit me on Henley Street in Stratford. As someone who loves messing with things, my brain went into overdrive.
I’ve always been obsessed with contrast—putting the hideous and modern right next to the beautiful and historic. Since I deeply love my birthplace, this is not an act of disrespect. Instead, it is a loving nod to Bill and my home.
I decided to mash up my original poem with his iconic line: “This above all: to thine own self be true.” I wrote the poem on 8 July 2026, but I had already coined the phrase on 1 January 2026.
This rough little number is the result. Ta very much for lending me your fully functioning ears!
P.S. Old Bill lived from his deepest, most authentic self. He was the ultimate pioneer of stripping away society's nonsense to show true individuality. This is exactly what the poetry is about.