yes I remember there was one in the
garden here when we came
by near the elderflower

and just as you describe
popped up here and there
a bit

then one day when we were on a day
trip over to dublin

a wind came so strong
that the ferry got cancelled
so we turned back
with no breakfast
and nowhere open

so early

then the rain started

on arrival back home, hungry
found that tree had blown down

into the lane

the neighbour all flustered
about the mess and bother

so mine went out in all the weather
wet and cleared it

and

it never came back again

here

later we ate a good breakfast

have a new strimmer

green and profound

my broken one is orange and ******* in a trash bag

i hope it gets collected on ******* day

on thursday

it has an extra handle

plus a flower guard

how apt for me

so then yesterday we had a garden fire
sat round on the grass

waved the clothes prop at the apples

knocked a few and ****** our teeth at the

sour ness yet

laughed and minced them with carrots and bread

in the machinator

I calls it that

put our heads in boxes for the experience

swapped ideas and plants

it was a lovely day despite the increase in traffic

despite the ease

others have mentioned it james

it comes damp, darker this morning james
the further window open

the ribbons move

.day 50..

the flowers are corona as you know
now
they escape it seems
and spread about

i went back with resolve to be
untidy
then looked at the extra sleeve
and got excited

so back to the drawing board
hardboard

to work again on this corona
angel

joan
she is always joan
the other one

james

as I crouched in the long grass
the buzzard came down as big
as a chicken

we looked at each other a while

as it flew off I dropped all the seeds

gathered

in the wrong place

later I sat looking
and while the dragon
fly came from the water

the grasshopper came for company

that evening on the bird feeder
the mouse sat looking in

eyes like shiny black pin heads

stayed a while

i had company yesterday

i think

I shall have company again today

thank you for asking and the answer

would be quicker if I had cut my nails

to bounce the keyboard here

 

funny you should ask as i was thinking

over this yesterday while walking

 

how

 

it felt unfair that after all those years

of housekeeping

keeping his house clean

tidy, fitting in with all his

timetables and breathing

 

not breathing

 

that

 

she had to  go to the home quietly

where she remained quietly

 

her daughter also went later

and remain quiet

 

i lived in a home in milton road

milton house, place of nighmare

for us kids

 

wettened beds

stinking laundry

 

deleted

 

so I stayed quiet

 

so thank you so much for asking

and being so thoughtful yet  I tell

 

you clearly

that I do not want a care situation ever

for all the good it will do, so i won’t stay

 

quiet now

forgive me

 

I hope your dad had green in his view

 

other colours too

i had summer and winter shoes.

summer brought traditional sandals
white nubuck leather mainly
though sometimes red
never brown

the next year Mum cut the front out

our toes peeped through for playing
for paddling

I dont remember plimsoles really
only that yellow pair for when I went away
and it was then I had lace ups
the only time ever

lately in chester I asked for lace ups
the assistant asked what I meant
so I said

she replied no that she only had shoes
with laces see

in the winter I wore strap shoes
always red
sometimes
double strap
a treat

mum said in the war she would walk
with the boys up in the pram to look
for somewhere with shoes for sale

sometimes she bought them little leather
boots to wear with the knitted suits

that had to be washed carefully

i still have the photographs
I do not have those brothers
no more

i have the other one
born before me
after the war.

wonder where I went that day
after being sacked 

i would have gone back home
if I had of had such a thing

i may have looked in the posh shoe 
shop window for comfort

that store figured a lot in my early days
losing myself in the display, styles 
and colours

I bought a pair once
they let me pay the four pounds 
weekly
as I did not earn much more than 
that weekly

only on tuesday did we discuss our
lack of money then
now with lockdown
we spend little
though we have

more

coming in back home with those
shoes she laughed then scolded me

who do you think will look at you
notice you

at work the upholstery assistants
laughed

I still like shoes james
and boots

and my home

#russell&bromley