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On the Air
Central-heated house Warm, dry atmosphere holds still Outside birdsongs call . n.b. We make efforts to remove ourselves from the outside world at great expense. The Old Testament idea that humanity is closer to a god than an animal, above all creatures, separate and superior to other living beings, has been proven an illusion. Like →
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On 5th November
A rainbow appeared Above the whispering tree Then came the shower . CLP 05/11/2019 →
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On Empire
Eventually Having taken what they want British pay the price . n.b. The extent to which the wealth of the UK was based on the trade in African slaves is now being more seriously considered and debated. When Great Britain outlawed the slave trade, reinforced by the might of the Royal Navy, Parliament ensured that →
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On Silence
Quiet school week night Traffic parked, empty pavements Not even owls’ calls . n.b. Tonight in Portsmouth the air is filled with nothing but sounds of sleep, while the countryside of Somerset will be alive to the hoots and shrieks of various night birds. This silence is unsettling; un-natural. . CLP 23/10/2019 →
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October (IV)
Washed out by last night Weather interrupted sleep Time for a shower . n.b. “Rain will clear over the next couple of days.” the weather forecaster said. It clears every hour or so here. Moments of beauty swept away by an incoming shower, before the next glistening picture of autumn is revealed, still wet on →
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October (I)
Irregular beats Speckle tight canvas cover Rain’s rhythm persists . n.b. Now there is plenty of rain. October in Somerset has been remarkably wet. The damp air has slowed the arrival of autumn colours, although grass is turning yellow where the roots have become saturated. This afternoon I saw a washed out, pale pink earth →
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On the Millstream
Flicker reflected Electric blue blur flashes Seen or imagined? . n.b. The iridescent colours of the kingfisher are so vivid that the mind struggles to register whether it has actually been seen. So bright the blue, so fast the flight of this agile bird against the greens of the river and bank sides, its fleeting →
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On August XXI
Now gone with all else Held in cloudy memories Bottled and pickled . n.b. The serious work has begun to collect the fruit, vegetables and crops from the summer. What must be gathered from the orchard floor and stored for winter; what can be collected from the vine and pressed; what can be cut from →
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On August XVII
Grass turned to hay bales Turf open again to sky Crows stalk the stubble . n.b. The corvids leave the pasture in flower to other creatures, but as soon as the ground is clear they descend, spread themselves out, (respecting each others’ personal space), and start grubbing about searching for leather jackets and other insect →
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On August XVI
It is a little late in the year to make hay Intense heat reduces to rain too frequently Morning dew takes encouragement to lift Cloud cover sitting like a cosy duvet on night-warmed bed has to be dragged off by the Sun So the hours available to flick and line up the mowings are few →
Journey of Words 