he got caught
in a downpour
on what seemed like
the sunniest of days
when he stopped
for a coffee
he didn't really need
and hadn't noticed
the sky's shifting grey
he would have been
home long before
the storm came
if he had kept walking
but the torrent
began so suddenly

one of those where
the raindrops
feel enormous
every impact
an undeserved
or unwelcome
pat on the back
with neither
umbrella or coat
he found cover in
a sheltered alley
between two buildings
and begrudgingly
chose to wait

two buoyant women
elderly but clearly
not showing their age
scampered playfully
into his refuge
their umbrellas
forgotten for now
while their mood
somehow remained
remarkably well disposed
even though
those webs of nylon
had protected only
heads and shoulders
while their lower halves
had become saturated
they seemed not to care
greeting him with a grin
they chatted and gestured
and laughed

he would have no idea
what their story was
where they were going
or coming from
but in those moments
sheltering amidst
their joie-de-vivre
his frustration was
dampened
             ironically
and with a smile
that would last
his entire walk home
he stepped out into
the ongoing deluge

yesterday
i took part in
a latvian wedding
even though
i had no idea
what i was doing;
we formed a circle
with burning torches
and sang and chanted
and screamed
performing rituals
that the fathers
of their fathers
once performed

i was told that
the male guests
had given the groom
the strength of a bear
while the bride
was given wisdom
and encouragement
for the years to come
the bride and groom
were then bound
with symbolic chord
blessings and song
joining them together
by hand and heart

without being able
to speak the language
i had to guess or
discreetly ask
for explanations
from other guests
to understand
the significance
of each part;
watching the bride
and groom however
it was clear immediately
their love needed
no translation

the fox spotted me;
as i rounded the corner
bags of groceries
jostling awkwardly
clutched in one fist
oblivious as i rummaged
the depths of my pocket
for the front door key
with the other

long before i spotted it;
that vulpine form
sleek and crafty
elusive yet stark
amongst these surroundings
more often heard
seldom seen
fleetingly at that

in the time that
it took me to recognise
this incursion
of the majesty of animal
upon the mundane of man
to stop and take notice
and give the underapreciated
the moment it deserved
to marvel as a child might
that cunning visitor had
already turned tail
determined and decided
it took its chosen course
without pause

a clay coloured mug
with the dregs
of now-cold coffee
swirling with bits
accumulated dust
and a fallen fly
left on the side
it needs to be washed
but will be ignored
time and again
each time i pass by
because of how
it is stained;
not by the rings
lining it's inner surface
from top to bottom
with striations of brown
but because of
the lipstick smudge
on its outer edge
a sign of her presence
of all the memories
that a smear of red
can conjure
and a reminder
that she will
be home soon

there's probably something
far deeper at work here
something quite important
and worth delving into
to be explored more
thoroughly
consequentially
consciously

instead i'll probably
just end up thinking about
that shoelace in my boot
the one that still
needs to be replaced
ragged and frayed as it is
and i'll wonder how long
i can ignore it before
it finally snaps
and i'm left with
no choice anymore

almost every day
as i walk the dogs
up the hill
two crows
wait for me
at the entrance
to the woods
they swoop low
cawing as they land
on the sign post
or sometimes simply
a matter of paces
ahead of me
hopeful
it would seem
that their display
of such bravery
is noticed and
perhaps rewarded

i couldn't help
but name them
and each time
they appear
talk to them
asking how
their day is going
while leaving
a handful
of dog kibble
as i walk on
to thank them
for their visit
in the hope
that their courage
my kindliness
time and persistence
might bring us
closer still

supposedly a mature
well-put-together
functioning adult
who has travelled
both up and
down escalators
     of all sizes
countless times
throughout his life
there will always be
a fleeting moment
a child-like panic
as he shuffles onto
the grinning maw
of those toothy steps
still experiencing
that lingering
sense of unease
he would get
while younger
climbing or descending
dragged along
by driven parents
or rushing onwards
to keep pace with
assured friends

in that split second
before sole
and metal conjoin
overwhelmed by
the constant shifting
of this unwelcoming
corrugated tread
with calculations of
when and where
to place his feet
in time with
the ever-moving
conveyor of steps
frozen momentarily
with the thought
that he might
miss his footing
trip and fall
even though
deep down he knows
he has managed this
innumerable
times before