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Equinox – Autumn
Thickened by the tired air Sticky with ripened fruit Slow, pitch black, distorted, stretched Beyond recognition These shadows of ours Run out Black rivers Bleeding the last of summer’s heat From our veins Onto the misted ground Into the thin air of autumn Warmth no longer from within We become reptilian Bask on the cool →
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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 the Marsh
Neatly bundled reeds Cut to length, left out to dry Thatch; grown in Norfolk n.b. About 90% of thatching material used in the UK is imported. The renewable roofing material, best suited to the temperate climate of these islands, is that which is grown here in the same environment as the buildings it will sit →
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On Second Thoughts
Too often tempted To speak without thinking Two breaths save me . n.b. A lid to a pottery cremation urn found near North Elmham, “Spong Man” sits reflecting on a life long since lived. This piece of funerary art is dated from the early Saxon era, (3rd / 5th Century CE). The image I have →
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Two Doves
Pure white at first light Flicker in the grey, rise up From emptied pasture . n.b. Where two Devon Red cows had been seen each morning, (until this Wednesday), usually scratching at the wire protecting the young tree, a pair of doves were sitting. I saw them alight their perch and fly up into the →
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Blank Verse
I am tired Words fail me My brain fizzing A blank screen Seeking a signal To no avail . CLP 11/09/2019 →
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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 →
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On August XV
Morning’s welcome cool Canvas sky hangs limp and pale Ragwort bright as Sun . CLP 26/08/2019 →
Journey of Words 