We, who live in rainbows

 We, who live in rainbows 

Those of us, she said, who live in rainbows

and I saw Pollyanna’s prisms strung 

across the room 

so rainbows danced upon the walls and swung 

then more of them, spectra, red to violet

In bubbles floating 

or caught in the bevel, light and lovely 

around the mirror’s edge. 

And I am glad for the colour wheel spinning 

the wonder of white, the light splitting and spilling 

all of the richness the cool and the hot

complement and clash, riot and rush

for Oz in Technicolor 

crimson, scarlet, peach or rose 

butter and gold, hayfields in summer, 

spring as it’s leafing, fern, lichen, moss 

for sky blue, sea green, aqua, turquoise 

indigo, violets, Victoria plum

for what she said 

and bliss it is 

for those of us who live in rainbows. 

14th October 2020 Hounoux 

Monochrome in the morning

 Monochrome in the morning 

On the water, sea through silhouetted pines

monochrome in the morning 

the sun’s a pathway silvering, from shore to horizon 

like flaming arrow’s flight, bright 

Catalonia this morning 

September’s softer sun 

September 29th 2020, Tamariu 

 

It’s a gift

 It’s a gift 

It’s a gift as I wake in the morning 

the sun in the east rising, across the six square panes, 

four full of sky, two where the landscape’s fields divided 

hedges, trees

slowly tinged and tinting, gaining depth and shadows, definition 

as the sun in the east rising, pinks and gilds 

streaks by palette knife applied, unstinting 

a gift in the morning dawning, soul-soother

unfurrowing the brow and heart

de-creased before the day’s begun. 

October 9th 2020, Hounoux 

It took a village

 It took a village 

We dressed the tent ( mercifully a marquee, withstood the gales and rain, cold in torrents) 

with greenery fresh-picked 

twined and twisted, looped on Ros’s rope 

tastefully in swags, plus careful placement, roses 

white and blue and Tory-conference ribbons

floppy bows 

and all night long the weather did its worst 

but no one’s spirits flagged. 

Undampened in our finery we gathered in the street 

separate and masked, happy but no hugs 

when arm in arm and radiant 

the couple came

the bride in 50s Hepburn frock, the groom

proud of his prize, 

Isn’t she  lovely! 

Lady Beverley, smiles and dimples

deep and bright today. 

And so the village, all the friends

from Léran and Beyond 

together on this day, so many skills 

profiterole perfection, lights lit

Zoom by magic, bringing the whole world here

tears shed and shared, Canada and England, France 

Linda and Nicky, their perfect words 

Jean, click click Canon, Mairie, bridge, château. 

So finally across the many miles

years and tears, separation isolation

WhatsApp zoom and heroncam 

it took a village, all of us,  love and friendship 

hands virtual and real together held 

more marvellous in the midst of gloom 

the joy and laughter

such a perfect day

their wedding day today.

October 4th 2020 Hounoux, for John and Beverley