Well, no it isn’t a breeze, it’s a goddam’ hurricane out there. So although there are lots of spring flowers about, it’s not ideal conditions for taking photos.
This camelia bloom was just one of the casualties of the storms. Still, at least that meant it stayed reasonably still.
This was not what I expected to find when I went for a walk today: 
There is no doubt some moral to be drawn from all this. Perhaps it’s a reminder that we shouldn’t assume everyone else is seeing things the way we do – that we are all in different places emotionally and physically, and our perspectives will differ accordingly; perhaps it’s a reminder that “Old Time is still a-flying”; or perhaps it’s simply a reminder that even in the middle of winter there are bright spots we can focus on.
——————
Edited December 28th to include additional paragraph:
The time stamp on the original blog post would suggest that I was at my computer writing rather than watching the Queen address the nation in her Christmas Day speech. Apparently, though, her message reached out, carried on the loyal air, to influence what I wrote. For others who weren’t watching her and who have avoided reading reports of the speech, I understand that she closed with the reassurance that, “even in the unlikeliest of places hope can still be found,” – a sentiment with which I must agree.
All Hallows Anniversary
A heavy storm has made the flat roof leak
and in the small hours, memories drip
from the bedroom ceiling.Unlike the rain they cannot be absorbed
by piles of folded towels, or mopped into a bucket, so
I paddle through them, barefoot, towards dawn.Flower stalls sprout on street corners and blossom
with chrysanthemums and wreaths
for loved ones’ graves.I skirt the queues and wonder, should I buy
for the ghost of a relationship
long dead?
The poem is from the collection Around the Corner from Hope Street.
Read sequentially, the poems reveal a narrative thread, covering a period of 15 months in the life of the female narrator; they deal with themes of alienation and isolation, recovery and renewal, and, of course, love. The book is illustrated in black and white by graphic artist Lance Tooks and available in various digital formats from the Tantamount bookstore.
(A draft of the poem was posted on the blog a few years ago.)
Blue-rinsed and perm-headed
hydrangea matrons
eavesdrop our conversation.
At least, that was my first thought.
Continue reading “heads, hair, hats”
It’s a grey day outside my window, so to brighten it up, here’s a photo taken a few days ago in South Wales on a small patch of land that had been seeded specifically to encourage pollinators:
On reflection, since cornflower is a natural herb used to brighten grey hair, I’ve just realised this is far more appropriate than I had intended.
(And the post title was chosen as a subliminal reminder of the old “blue whitener” detergent ads.)
don't confuse the narrator 