Breath taken
In the chill and the bite
breath-taken tonight
I watched the huge moon rising
a glory in gold untethered afloat
each month’s magic returning
The glow and the glamour gilded the dark
glittering the coal-black night
In the cold and the shiver
ice in the air, astonished
I watched the wonder rising
11th December 2022 Hounoux
A bonny bird
All amongst the dross and drear, corruption and dismay
the daily news-round sullying our lives, corroding hope
here’s a bonny bird!
A bar-tailed Godwit, champion and record-breaker,
barely five months fledged
from Alaska flown, the flock unparented
this season’s young
world map within their egg and DNA
and our tracked winner, never touching down
non-stop, eleven days one hour
the length of the Americas, left at Hawaïi
then days above the blue, Pacific,
land and sea, sea and land, frozen north to south
Tasmania! One in a million
bonny bird!
October 29th 2022 Hounoux
Seven came
Seven came on coach and train
plus sometimes sprints
defying all our decades, dragging cases
nattering
Captain Jenny in the van, holding the train
Non! non! bold refrain
late and laughing to Toulouse
Three long days and lovely together, no programme
going with the flow
the morning valley, mists
and mosquitos, autumn sun and sharing
memories and tears, fears, laughter
fifty years after
on ladders teetering, for olives
and tamarisk pruning, Penny
Sunday lunch and soups, multiple
Fifty years after
Jessie, role play and foolish exercises
we’ve learned, we nine
the perfect number, fitting format for our lifetime
and understood with passing time and frailties
what’s priceless
precious beyond rubies, such love and friendship
best vintage, beautiful champagne
October 12th 2022, Hounoux, for the seven.
In photographs you’d say, our days were spent together
round one table or another
eating and drinking, beer, cerveza, orange juice and wine, pink or white
and favourite tapas feature too, patatas bravas of course
chiperones, garlic prawns, bounty from the sea
which rolled and crashing, broke in soothing rhythm
ceaseless
in all the colours of my new ring
shades of turquoise, teal, in opals caught.
Nine well-spent euros for a parasol
to make the high white, bright sun bearable
sea so salt we floated free, gossiping in a circle, no handbags
wedding ring not lost
blue fish flashing silver
Marek snorkelling pursued by balloon, bobbing.
To the lighthouse for our Japanese treat, mediated by Beverley
who knows about such things, delicious
strange cribbage board with pegs
and sun setting over our bay, in tangerine.
After which a storm, spectacular, with lightning forked and sheet
plus subsequent downpour drenching the walkers.
In photographs you’d say our days were spent together
Costa Brava interlude, chatter and laughter, stunned by beauty
and love, our friendship priceless beyond rubies
celebrating.
September 19th 2022, Llafranc and Hounoux, for beloved friends
On the night of the at first slow rising
numinous, low in the south east
full and orange
enchantment
floating just above the pin parasol
the few lit windows of Bellegarde
a saturated sky veiled the stars
so Perseid showers shot by unseen
though he waited head-tilted, staring past Orion
Hounoux 12th August 2022
Like summer rain
Early awake as the dawn is pinking
peach in streaks in the lovely light
hurrah for the gentler warmth I’m thinking
instead of the sweat of the high sun’s might
all earth’s creatures frazzled, shrinking
impossible day and tropical night
my soul’s sapped and sinking sinking
fretting the future, the planet’s plight.
But in the dear day’s glamorous dawning
artist tinting the window pane
I find the poet’s ‘New every morning’
Take heart she says, begin again
and salve for the fevered frights and warnings
her words of hope like summer rain
30th July 2022, Hounoux, on reading Susan Coolidge, ‘New every morning’
Sounding the alarm
There’s a warning loud in the air today
garden slowly crisping curled, ungreening
where the sun’s ferocious flattening the large-leaved
hydrangeas, Christmas rose gasping
even the sages struggling, the sparrows silenced
cacophony not after all ceaseless
when the thermometer’s dreadfully high
the heatwave graphics fire-engine red
barely a merciful breeze
all will sapped
cicada chorus buzzing louder louder
sounding the alarm
July 13th 2022,Hounoux.
A spell to bind me
From under the spread of the olive tree
its sturdy limbs’ fine canopy
the world reduced to greens and blues
skies and oceans cooler hues
I thought of Marvell’s luscious ode
of green on green in mystic mode
annihilating, as he wrote, all that’s made
to a green thought in a green shade
and understood the poet’s meaning
when all the world’s a dream of greening.
Between the earth and thrush egg sky
heedless poised to float or fly
midsummer bliss a solstice gift
a spell to bind me as I drift
July 3rd 2022, Hounoux, on reading Marvell and Charles Causely
Petrichor moment
All day my hand has yearned for pen on untouched page
to spill the words in circle-dancing
linked and spinning, whoop and twirl.
Odd, for the day’s a leaden ghost, still statue
in spite of midsummer solstice, uninspired
silent save the ceaseless sparrows
but suddenly a thunder grumble lightening flash
and at long last drip and splash
soft raindrop patter / blessed scent of petrichor
for all the breathless land baked hard
is soothed and soaked splash and gush
lush and lovely
the longed-for sweet relief, the rain
June 22nd 2022 Hounoux
On the hill’s height perched, tall house
where the sea salts the air
parasol pines on rocks and sand, cover the land
dense, and everywhere a birdsong cacophony
sparrow warbler nightingale, hoopoe hoops
sometimes swifts as they swoop squealing
such speed by name and nature, sickles
sea and sky blue on darker blue
Pugwash sea monster become an island, petrified.
Nine of us together, family’s oldest to youngest
splash and dive, ping pong, pool
pizza paella pasta
anniversary entirely golden
forever blessèd souvenir.
June 3rd 2022, Begur, Spain
Fashionably wild
Roses I thought and honeysuckle just in flower
perfuming the air still hot at dusk
high heat for May and all the garden gasping, early and late
the hose and sprinkling, cans.
Though the sky grumbles half-heartedly, no rain comes.
Warblers and a cuckoo weeks now calling for a mate
we saw him swaying on the tamarisk, calling calling,
and in the evening’s thick air a frog chorus
one in the pool, demonstrating breast stroke.
This year’s newcomer scarlet flax randomly sown, mixed packet thrown
no trimming, untamed - fashionably wild-
but chance and serendipity
perfection
May 22nd 2022 Hounoux, for Carol and John
Instead of a poem the spreading knife
and paint thick on the palette
for out of doors the air rings clear
and sun’s put a sheen on patchwork,
fields in chrome and lime.
So let the knife from right to left
top to bottom colours blending,
contrast clash, slip and ooze, coils
sensuous as a perfect morning
mountains clarified
blackcaps’ sweet song.
Instead of a poem canvas covered
captured, April day.
April 8th 2022 Hounoux
Heavy-headed hyacinths struggling to stand straight
are lolling, lowering their heads
like children overtired, longing for rest
but graceful, still holding their pose, ballerinas
perfect poetry, as Degas’ dancer
motionless for all eternity.
22nd February 2022 Hounoux
Someone at Apple has been selecting and sorting
swiping through my photographs
to create surprises, albums
sometimes set to music
Now there’s a nice job, and thank you
I’m thinking, person at Apple
sat I imagine for too many hours
wrecking your eyesight
swiping and sorting
surely a person - jeans, sweatshirt, casual attire-
no algorithm
curated today’s delight, worked through my night
and called those sun-risings and settings
mostly with mountains, pinking
Golden Hour
17th February 2022 Hounoux
