Walk on Beach

13th March 2020

Walk on the Beach

Blue turns to grey,
soft, sand, sifts
underfoot,
three miles suddenly six.
On distant horizon,
twin towers of
 long forgotten
Roman life.
Shells embedded
eons ago,
fossils too,
in rugged rock.
A dogfish, washed up
stranded, gasps for air,
take him back,
take him back,
back to where,
he can breathe, where
we can breathe
subtle mists of before
.

Treasures 

Bottle

12th March 2020

A challenge:    to write a piece - prose or poetry in exactly 65 words . Prompt - Bottle

Bottle

Soft light throws shadows

on two flushed  faces,

blue eyes meet,

hold their story,

hum of other diners

dim, 

there is,

only this moment.

He, takes champagne,

the Bollinger,

from the ice bucket,

pours two goblets,

hands one to her.

Gently,

touch, tinkle together,

her smile warm,

complexion aglow.

He draws near,

"will you marry me?"

She nods her head,

"Of course," she says

,

Spiderman

11th March 2020

Spiderman

Below is a picture of my grandson, Theo ( sorry, Spiderman)  who is four today. I thank God for him and all my grandchildren and great grandchildren. I love them all dearly.  I found an entry in my journal for the day Theo was born. I will copy it here exactly as it is, with no editing, so, apologies now for errors etc. and sorry if you find it a bit boring.  My journal is just a daily rambling. 

March 11th 2016

7.30 am

Well, what news , there you are , another new addition. Baby Walker, born 4.25 am this morning. What lovely news. We will go over later for a few hours. New life, hew hope. That makes twenty one grandchildren now and what is to be is yet to be revealed.

I just wonder what the family will look like in ten or twenty years time. There'll be more grandchildren, but also more great grandchildren. 

What a blessing it is , our large family. And each new addition so precious. 

Tiny hands that will grow and perform the many tasks of life. That cheeky smile that says, oh it's good to be here with you guys!. Those chubby legs that will eventually get into mischievous corners. 

Who does he look like? Seeing the family genes in each of his expressions. 

And don't cry baby,we're all here for you. What will you be like? How tall? What will you like to do?What will you be good at? What kind of a person will you become? We love you to bits, even though we haven't met you yet. Your softness calls to us to hold you close, showing you how the world can be comfortable and kind. You might learn otherwise later. But, for now, for you, the world is wonderful. 

And I am your Grams. 

Hopefully we'll get lots of time together to get to know each other.

Hopefully, I'll be blessed with many more years of life , so I'll be able to enjoy your own family in the future.

I wonder what your sister and brother will make of you. Will Liam, big brother, protect you, look after you? And Livi has been looking forward to your coming for a long time now. She'll be over the moon with you, I'm sure. 

And your Dad, his heart will melt, he'll fall in love with you, with your obvious likeness to him, part of him. And of course, your mum, she'll be so happy.

See what joy you bring to the world. All your aunts and uncles, cousins and other relations are there for you, loving you already. You are one lucky little boy. 

And still no name yet. "Baby Walker", we laughed at that this morning, at the pun, me and grandad. 

As I get older, I get more sentimental about our family. It becomes more important . And my hope is that during the time left to me, I see more of all my children ( those with or without children) and all the grandchildren. I will have to make plans so that we get to do this.  

Open Your Eyes.

10th March 2020



Secrets, hidden and buried, eventually find a way to the surface to damage anything in their  path.  "little white lies", they  do not exist. A lie is a lie. Sometimes it seems harder to tell the truth than to "save face" or "be kind" to someone. But it's never the way. Peace comes from living in truth. But first we have to know what the truth is and secondly to always be true to ourselves, our own deep being.

This is from a while ago.


Open Your Eyes

Do you  want to avert your eyes,
not look back.
Or hide under that  rose bush
forget the rack.

See, there is no darkness which
 can erase
those images which caused  your
mind to craze.

You, activate those neurons now,
open your eyes
turn, be brave, face the mirrors

 

of their lies.

Somewhere I go for peace and to be with God, in quiet.

Silence

9th March 2020

Just a few words today.

We should be in The Holy Land, but Bethlehem is on 30 day lock down because of the corona virus.

We went out on Thursday and were in the air when the lock down was put into effect. Our pilgrimage agents took the decision , for our safety , to fly us home the next day. We spent a night in Tel Aviv , had a couple of hours whizzing around Jerusalem where we were blessed to be able to go to the Church of The Holy Sepulchre, before rushing back to the airport. 

We intend to go back.

Silence

She will not be known

 by that name anymore,

Philomena.

They gave her that name.

She was five.

Her parents dead.

She was taken to 

the convent in Eniscothy.

They never  broke her will, 

though,

she sweated 

in the the laundry,

every day,

though,

they gave her

weak broth for food,

though,

 she was allowed,

 no conversation, 

or any time for 

childlike activities

Deep inside s

he clung to hope

of new beginnings,

a better life.

The secret silence,

loud as thunder.

the silence,

that separated,

the silence,

a tight chain,

cramped

around her soul.

Now, 

today,

Marie, will shatter 

that silence.

This thought,

before she speaks,

before her family 

knows, 

reacts, 

this thought itself, 

releases the tension,

the fetters fall, 

her lungs fill,

air, freedom, promise.

After supper, 

husband, children,

banter,

who's turn  the 

washing up?

She calls them,

sits them down,

spills it out,

tears fall, 

bathe the hurt .

For long moments,

no one speaks, 

then they hug her,

say, everything's ok,

we're here.

She says,

my name is Marie.

They nod