La Barosa

La Barosa

From half a world, the planet's other side
this ocean's come to break
in sheen and glisten, silver on the green
white furious froth and foam
repeatedly, the long haul back, pull across the sand
up and up the forces gathered,
sea in roiling peaks 
crescendo ,then a crash
wild water over water tumbling
till all that fury's spent and liquid swirls, curls
lie still upon the sand. 

October 17th 2014, La Barosa southern Spain.

Three types of cloud

Three types of cloud today, at least.
Distantly and still
lenticular long lozenges
some cumulus in classic cloud, child with cotton wool, too  much glue
blue sugar paper, clumps
and overhead but on the move
the lovely cirrus wisps.

In the valley where the fields are dun, pale khaki,
October's low sun kindly coloured
someone has set a fire, so smoke is rising, floating sideways,
the great tit taps, persisting  for peanuts
and on the breeze a cockerel far and faint
crows and crows.

October 29th 2014, Hounoux

Flamingos today

Flamingos today

Blue skies and empty sand, made umber by the rain
has cleaned and rinsed the day, now luminous, back-lit
Marsh to the edge of the sea, drained in lines 
bright lemon-lime the reed-beds spread
far as the eye can see
channels where the sky lies drowned
no cloud, white of the seabirds massed, gulls and ducks
egrets picking their path
mountains of shining salt

This is the place layed out in the sun
an artist's  dream of perfection
where some from the Arctic, Norway, come
fleeing the chill in the air, the dropping of night, loss of sunlight
so many birds all met
swallows and rollers mythical storks, for respite en route to the south

And here for the winter, flamingo
pale to brighter pink
all in a line, catch one taking flight
finishing flourish, light touch
an artist's dream of perfection

October 4th 2014, Gruissan/ Hounoux, for Clare who spotted them.