the aftermath

dust cart & bin men

rubbish bags awating collection, UK

Such gaily flashing lights!
Such bright fluorescent suits!
Wrapping paper brims from bags
and bundles stacked and glistening
in the rain.

 
(The rubbish men are back at work.)

christmas post II

A couple more fragments from the poem I posted parts of yesterday:

xmas decorations

Christmas Morning

Santa hasn’t let us down: look how
he’s stuffed the stockings
full of trinkets and tangerines,
games and gifts and puzzles –
enough to keep the kids
from worrying Mum who’s busy
in the kitchen; enough, we hope,
till everyone is ready
for their presents after lunch.

Continue reading “christmas post II”

christmas post

A few fragments from a long and rather rambling seasonal poem:

xmas decorations
Planning ahead

Mindful since the summer sales
of nieces & nephews, great aunts
& ageing uncles, I have squirrelled away
a score or more of little packages;
nondescript bundles and boring
plastic carriers are tucked
on the top shelf of my wardrobe, stuffed
under woollens and jumpers, hidden,
made invisible by dullness.

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nothing more than feelings

autumn tree
Procrastinating as usual before starting work, my attention was caught by the BBC headline Why feeling guilty may make you a better boss. Having read the article, I don’t feel any the wiser or better informed – so I feel guilty that I wasted my time.
Continue reading “nothing more than feelings”

pan y paz

Bread and peace. Those are the basics (is peace a basic?) that the strikers are demanding.

I’ve just watched the TV news and there are huge crowds demonstrating in Plaza Colón and around the fuente de Neptuno. But this photo was taken just north of Neptune about five hours ago, when the mass of manifestación was elsewhere. The tall building just visible in the far distance (click the image for a closer view) is up by Colón.

Paseo del Prado, Madrid
For a few moments then, until the traffic lights behind me changed and I had to leap onto the pavement, it looked like we actually did have peace.