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Out West: Day 1
From East Anglia to the permaculture garden is a matter of over four hours by train. The train out of Paddington was running about five minutes late when it pulled into Castle Cary, coinciding with a vicious shower. I had discovered that buses don’t operate in the area on Sundays (against my naïve hopes) and… Read more
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Tren Italia Aprile
Bologna CentraleBologna S. VitalePeach tree pink blossom between rails and derelict wallSan Larrazo di SavenaVietato attraversari i binariBlossoms white, blossoms pink, blossoms brighter pinkDaisies in thousandsMirandola…without stoppingOzzano dell’ EmiliaCastel S.Pietro TermeHanjin sky blue steel container in orchardStraw-hatted man bent working with hoe hacking at weeds between fruit trees opening to spring sunCooperativa Ceramica D’ImolaImolaDo Not… Read more
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on time
What’s his secret?a ninety-six year old allotment keeperthe subject of this door-step conversationwhile groceries are deliveredMy customer straightened upIt’s simple, he saidKeep moving, eat less.with that he handed back the doughnutsCredit me for those, pleaseI don’t need them~ CLP 12/02/2026 Read more
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on rain
Oh, when it stopsWill it ever?But when it stopsBut, it’s been pouring for weeksWhen it eventually stopsAs if!Just listen when it stopsThe air is cleansedThat dismal sound of drizzle doneAnd birdsong rings clearBlackbird, dunnock, robinThe chittering of blue titsThe argumentative sparrowsA gull criesThen the RAF thunders overJust listen when it’s passedListen~ CLP 11/02/2026 Read more
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on Terra Australis Incognita
against goldleaf dawnoutline of eucalyptusfar from cleansing fireoh eucalyptus treehard, tall, standing proudsubtle mnemoniccriminals in boatsunwanted, unloved, orphansEngland’s castawaysLutruwita bleachedAboriginal nationsmurdered, chained, leashed, fencedyour tree transporteddecorates English gardenstear-soaked canopy ~n.b. The profile of the eucalyptus tree crown (seen here in England), is distinctive, its roots unforgettable. CLP 09/02/2026 Read more
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on poetry
there are some moments in lifeof such happinessthat poetry cannot convey the joy feltwords would tarnish the experiencespeech and hearing are unable to capture the essenceof our eyes meetingof seeingLove’s fire flare~n.b. As, I think, this tame effort demonstrates. CLP 03/02/2026 Read more
I write as I wonder as I wander.
Journey of Words 