village life – Page 13 – don't confuse the narrator

recycled rubbish

I think it is Blaise Pascal who is credited with having first said, “I’d have written a shorter letter if only I’d had the time.” That’s pretty much the way I feel about blog posts, which always take far longer than is reasonable for their length and (lack of) content.

The previous post was probably one of the quickest I’ve ever written, partly, perhaps, because most of it was simply linking together old ideas. I was also in a hurry to post because I had to catch a bus.

Maybe if I’d had longer to think I’d have censored it. As it is, I fear I mildly shocked certain readers by ‘using language’.**
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days of fog and fungi

Jungle-blossom fungi
cluster around tree stumps;
the air smells of woodsmoke

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perspective

So much depends

on whether it was
a red wheelbarrow
or an orange cementmixer

on whether it was
glazed with rain water
or shaded
from the setting sun

on whether there were
several white chickens
or just the one, escaped
from the neighbour’s yard

on whether it was
early twentieth century
industrial America
or rural Spain in 2012

on whether it was
William Carlos Williams
who saw the scene
or me.

For the chicken in question,
much more depends
on whether my cats find her
before the neighbour does.

black & white

You know how some people don’t seem to have any doubts about things? They seem to see the world in black and white.

Or do they?

Although those grapes are destined to be eaten unfermented, I have an idea that seeing the world in shades of wine might improve it.
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tiger, tiger

I thought circuses with exotic animals had been banned.

It seems I must be mistaken, though, as this poor beast was sitting in the heat of the afternoon in a tiny cage just outside the village bull ring today.

There were several other white tigers, two ‘normal’ tan tigers and a lion, in other cages. Most of them were fast asleep, which is hardly surprising given the fact the sun was shining directly onto the metal trailers.

I suppose it will be a bit cooler this evening, when they perform, but I won’t be going to watch.
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