chairs edge round
tracking the high Sun’s arc
across the piazza
blue pierced by medieval tower
the cafê name
Italian
~
CLP 29/05/2021
Dream #2
Tag Archives: UK
On Water XLIV
I love the way rain
draws colour to dull pavements
illumination
~
CLP 22/05/2021
The Worm and the Louse
Worm said that Louse had behaved in a way that Worm considered to be ‘mad and totally unethical’ and warned that Worm was prepared to give evidence under oath to an inquiry.
“It is sad to see the Louse and his office fall so far below the standards of competence and integrity that this ship of fools deserves.” Worm wrote.
Such a damning intervention by the Worm who was Louse’s key ally and source of ideological inspiration will deeply alarm the Louse and his lice. Worm is due to give his evidence to the Gammons next month.
~
n.b. Adapted from the top story in The Guardian newspaper of Saturday, 24th April, 2021; “Mad and totally unethical” Cummings hits out at Boris Johnson.”
NaPoWriMo 2021 Day Twenty Four prompt; word change animals featured in news article, or words to that effect.
It was supposed to be a fun prompt, but there is absolutely nothing amusing about having The Great Clown running anything more complicated than a train set – if that.
~
CLP 24/04/2021
On The Surface
.
Down by the quayside
where fishermen know to sit
young seal making hay
~
n.b. I had heard of this young pup’s arrival a week ago and today I saw it surface a few times. Despite the snow in the wind, a woman had taken her coat off to sit on it on the grass embankment and watch the seal diving. It is remarkable how long these creatures can sustain a dive while fishing. It would then pop up its head and have a look around while recharging its lungs. Goodness knows what it finds underwater here, possibly the hire bikes from the city’s first less than secure public cycle scheme of a few years back.
There have been precious few boats on The Broads for over a year and so the river has become a safe navigation for this seal and who knows how many others. It must have found somewhere to rest up too, seals like lolling around on a beach or mudflat for long periods between diving for fish.
Things will change soon, as holidays within the UK become the thing for a while, so these waters will become quite busy, then where will this seal go? Similarly, I wonder how the otters further upstream, even closer to the city centre, will fare.
L3 (Day 56): Inside
There was no need to exceed the boundaries of my home today. Mend and make do with what food I found.
There is a whole world out there, I know, but most of it is closed and I had plenty of work here.
To bed at 01:00 GMT. I hear birds singing on the hillside, city lights confusing their rhythms.
~
CLP 03/03/2021
L3 (Day 47.5): Norwich
I was shocked and somewhat disappointed to learn that my neighbour, in the apartment below, has only had his heating on for a total of two days this whole and quite cold winter! How selfish can you get? No wonder it’s been chilly up here. I was relying on the tight-fisted so-and-so to keep me warm and save me some money.
~
CLP 22/02/2021
On Take Off
Along the runway
there is a go no go point
and we’re well past it
~
n.b. Koblenz, the meeting of rivers, like Norwich a centre of trade for hundreds of years, had to be rebuilt after the Second World War. Bombers from airfields in Norfolk would have been instrumental in those assaults, returning the blitz to Nazi Germany.
The twinning of Norwich and Koblenz was part of a pan-European programme of town twinning to restore bonds across the war-ravaged continent. The EU, committed to securing peace among its member states, developed from the ruins of Europe’s cities.
Now Brexit is “done” we will see the UK crawling back bit by bit. Today the actors’ union, Equity is calling for freedom of movement for its members. Fishermen want compensation for the loss of sales to EU member states. British firms are moving to the Netherlands, Belgium and France so they can continue to trade freely with our neighbours without Brexit imposed restrictions. And so on it goes.
Ho hum.
~
CLP 15/02/2021
L3: (Day 40) Night Forty
For forty days and
forty nights we stumbled on
hoping for better
~
CLP 15/02/2021
L3 (Day 39): On Foot
The city is bounded by rivers. Banked up inside their curves, the sprawl of the urban is curtailed and it takes no time to escape into open farmland.
Further on is protected woodland and a lake (“broad”) that was formed from industrial era excavations. Both pleasant locations for exercise.
Every square inch of land is managed, clearly designated as recreational, industrial, residential, commercial, farming, military, conservation, transport, or the ominously labelled developmental land use.
Those who own land are well represented in Parliament, the House of Lords and Buckingham Palace. All changes pass through these vested powers slowly and grudgingly.
What do we need a say in land use for now commons land is an anachronism? Move along people, nothing to see here.
Walking for three hours compensated for a day at my desk yesterday.
~
CLP 14/02/2021
L3 (Day 38): In The Air
No such thing as the
wrong weather. I have been told
Just wrong clothes? Really?
~
n.b. Several people I know have stopped watching, listening and reading the news. I think, we might as well add the weather forecast to the D-Notice list.
But Hey! I’m sure we’ll cope!
~
CLP 14/02/2021
