I seem to be in a poetry writing phase, now my book has been published (here's the link again if you want to buy it on Amazon A Hippopotamus at the Table). I've written three new poems in a week and two more longer ones are started and being planned.
Today I went to a celebration of a wedding, a Jewish wedding, two people who have been together for fifteen years and are older than me (even). I met this couple - Glen and Sharon at the Buddhist retreat I was on for a month in December, in South Africa - although they are not Buddhists and only stayed for ten days, we bonded and became firm friends. They stayed in touch and were kind to me when I returned to Jo'burg some months later after travelling to Botswana, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe and various other places down the SE coast of the Cape (if you click the Travel Writing tag at the top of this blog/page you can read all about it.) They took me out for a lovely meal on my last day in S Africa (at the end of February) and drove me to the station to catch my plane. We've stayed in touch ever since. They often visit UK to see Sharon's daughters and grandchildren. It was such a pleasure to share their celebration and to hear songs in Hebrew and watch traditional dances).
I brought a couple of poems to the event and was asked to read them out - they're on the essential nature of relationships and the joy they can bring . Here's they are
starts our solo adventure,
and we discover we're alive.
into the cold watery deep.
escapes from waves as big as houses....
corralled, no one to tell.
the music of our company.
we chase back the wild dark seas
to your voyage.
but in particular.
brings us safely to the quayside.
while we can.
written 2007
* * *
Today I went to a celebration of a wedding, a Jewish wedding, two people who have been together for fifteen years and are older than me (even). I met this couple - Glen and Sharon at the Buddhist retreat I was on for a month in December, in South Africa - although they are not Buddhists and only stayed for ten days, we bonded and became firm friends. They stayed in touch and were kind to me when I returned to Jo'burg some months later after travelling to Botswana, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe and various other places down the SE coast of the Cape (if you click the Travel Writing tag at the top of this blog/page you can read all about it.) They took me out for a lovely meal on my last day in S Africa (at the end of February) and drove me to the station to catch my plane. We've stayed in touch ever since. They often visit UK to see Sharon's daughters and grandchildren. It was such a pleasure to share their celebration and to hear songs in Hebrew and watch traditional dances).
I brought a couple of poems to the event and was asked to read them out - they're on the essential nature of relationships and the joy they can bring . Here's they are
Solo traveller
An intake of breathe starts our solo adventure,
and we discover we're alive.
If you’re there, waiting
on the shore,
the demons can't ever drag me down into the cold watery deep.
I can bring the boat home
and tell of mad and plunging seas,escapes from waves as big as houses....
But solo, without you waiting,
crowded thoughts will buck and kick, corralled, no one to tell.
Tell me of your day -
the smallest details arethe music of our company.
Sharing my day, the who said what
to her or him or me, we chase back the wild dark seas
and the rhythm of my voice
brings comfort and order to your voyage.
Mattering is everything,
not just in generalbut in particular.
To have a place to harbour,
to anchor our souls, brings us safely to the quayside.
Solo we enter, solo we leave
but journey together while we can.
written 2007
* * *
...and here's the second one
Moments
of joy
I store up the moments
of joy that you give me,
glorious sparkling jewels.
I thread each shining specimen
carefully onto a golden thread
and sometimes take them off
one by one to examine
minutely
polishing their perfection
then clasp them
around my neck
hanging loose
close to my heart
Written Jan 2003
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