jim

pleased about the photos

i thought it was like a different
world up there

some of it is national trust
with douglas firs and violets

there is a bench for to lay
to see the tree tops and i

told her that I did not use it
being a growed up

she said she doubted that

a lot

walked back along the road
to see the new lambs

waved to the farmer on her quad

bike

she also reads the meters

round here

jim

crow bird,
pecks package.

hoping for a sandwich.

b.l.t.

black crow bird
pecks road ****.

pheasant.

haute cuisine.

damp washing
on radiator.

aroma reminds
of
pudding cloths

the hair looks like a cockatoo
with no fancy phrases

they used orange a lot
with some yellow

combed it fancy mainly
upwards

sprayed all over for style
and protection

he went walking with her
held her hand and laughed

i watched from the bus stop
now colour challenged

it was boiling water them days

plates and cutlery dipped

hands minded in industrial gloves

pink rubber

scalding dishcloths and sinks

down on knees blindly scrubbing floors

through insults and watery fears

we are a team , shouted regularly

while we took the comments seriously cowed with blisters from cold water on the other hand

a world of extremes

or maybe the contradictions

were dreamed

when the painting was finished

the green house door fell off

so laughing we propped it on the chair inside

a donation

he suggested white nasturtiums quieter than the hot colours

i have ordered some via cashback

to come by post like the chocolate egg yesterday

or was that a trick?

once he suggested one hundred blue bells

they are growing too

i thinks of these things while watching monty don this morning

with coffee early

some things just stop us in wonder

here

with tears

unexpected

it seems there may be some connection

some call it a trigger

some things leave us cold and wondering what all the excitement

is about

unlike the thing in cairo yesterday


obviously I have no photographs

I read the judgement just now and while ironing the cotton handkies consider my confession.

Some time back now I was in residence at Plas Newydd in Llangollen and read the lady’s diaries with an apostrophe.

They wrote their daily menus and so my entry included some of the found ideas. Yes, folk really ate that….and fish with liver sauces….

Thankyou for your pleasant comments. I have such sweaters. My two most comfy are….

The grey shapeless mohair over 50 years old bought second hand and other Nordic thing both warm and come gender fluid.

With capitals today.

she sat on

the kitchen chair out back

in the sunshine

dressed plain except the floral

pinafore

lips tight of concentration

she cut beans for dinner

runners from up the garden

i watched and remembered

Awake a while I have now my coffee  and bun.

Have plans for the day yet it depends on supplies and temperature. 

No news since we spoke.  The pod cast was about the titanic yet I drifted off…..

The light is on over in the village and I wonder who it may be.

Birds sing.

i looked for your work, your writing

with a comma , and would have copied and saved for you

yet it is gone for me too

should I move myself into that other space where folk may be more polite

genteel

or carry on regardless

james?

for those that follow here

the gravel has not come

it will be delivered another day

meanwhile it all came lovely

unlike the noise of traffic and emergency sirens

she said they were heading for the coast while we hide as always

no, not a covid isolation thing

a wanting to be away from it thing

over the years

she said the garden looks opened up while I wait for it to grow lush around me again

we have two news visitors recently

tabby

&

ginger

oh we talked gravel yesterday


how they sent a substitute

that I had not ordered the wrong colour


explained I quite like things come random

that all was well with the path


yet not the politics


it is suggested i don’t go down that road

nor a few others


unlike you who can’t be bothered

you see occasionally you slip into mind

yet that does not mean I like you

will I eat the walnuts with raisins

from my mother’s saucer

then move the hour hand with my finger


shall I decline your invitation to walk

suggest a chat in open air


these are questions that need no answers


most things are past

done with then put away neatly into boxes

until that random ****** day the door flies opens

and it all spills out again

there a little cloud with teardrops

a wash of shadowed grey

they came and cut the oak tree

not down entirely. they call it

trimmed

for he was worried it will fall

on his

house

it still may yet that is

a different story

here there are old yews all about

with tree protector orders and love

from those below

who have insurance

who remember deportment and unfortunately

elocution class

and may have preferred the predicted

a letter to you became my blog

post

a comment from you became a

ritual

a whisper from you came

a good idea

to stop those dreams and headaches

the moon came bright with yet another name

folk alter their clocks yet it changes nothing really

don’t think you have control

and don’t think it matters

as it really doesn’t

Yes chilly and windy here yesterday.

Another exciting day in that the neighbours were having a tree felled and it was interesting to watch between tasks and warming up.

Ivor called to look at the greenhouse and left me to mull over ideas.

Then I started to define one of the paths with the gravel that was delivered. Did not rush as I will like it in a good place so hope to continue today.

Rang my brother, he is fine.

Then Pat Doorbar rang , also fine.

Not much on TV so listened to a podcast about space debris and drifted off.

With capitals and punctuation today. A treat.

so you wake and hear the sound

then change your plans


arrow the tasks forward

then check the website and do not amend

accept the substitutes or refunds


move the car up

open the gate carefully so it does not break

again


these are little things


some of you out there are suffering

and how can I help?


the bear sighs and turns over

difficult knowing what to say

or whether to say anything

so bear whispers in my head

regarding the injustices, the

things not said

that he is now on a fifty pound note and being praised years on and no one mentions that he was treated like ****

ahem

that those coming here in fear will be treated like ****

ahem

what happened to the mantra on the sociables

to be kind

ahem

bear is ashamed to be of this country

prefers a different tribe

you sent me seeds


it was your handwriting pleased me

your careful letter to advise patience

that most things happen in time


do you remember when i wrote to you

all in patterns and hints of a rhyme?


planted them five to a ***

some round the sides with one in the middle


then I finished the painting

you ask for the menu yet we do not know what you mean

please speak plain

☆☆☆

you may have

giblet soup with sherry

scrag of mutton

****** of burnet with parsley

the consistency of good cream

& fried breadcrumbs

☆☆☆

then

a melange of blancemange, yet

we mostly make woollen cloth

a reflection, mirroring of last week

and we guess there will be much if it after

this time of soft living, little moving nor travelling

blimey


now we glitch with so much using

too much storage not to mention

my coaches


blimey

hear that salvage hunters were being filmed locally

and he commented

blimey

the tree came down wedged on the fence


they came and told me it was mine

that the wall was gone and that was mine

too


came all urgent and important


i went and helped as they said it was mine


later the tree man came to see

told me it was not my tree my wall at all

not my responsibility


maybe I will choose who I believe


the birds take over , like the tree at that angle

so I watch them

seems maybe if it is written down

for tomorrow

in the diary

it gets done today

finalised with finesse tomorrow

like

the stick fence and composting

and other varied tasks

pottering in and out

did you see that river stone there

adding accent

do you see the chicken wire behind the ivy covered some time ago

do you find that predictor adds words not required and meanings irrelevant

even the thorns came useful

asked to write about food

a challenge you see


i too prefer it not a competition

never competitive me

don’t care about races nor nothing

like that

there seem to be three courses

yet I don’t understand the first

and probably will skip to the main so as to have room for pudding

maybe a spotted **** or something with thick cream and sugar

there seem to be a lot of competitions regarding food

and more seriously many hang ups

so let us keep it all light and fluffy

without contest


next we shall speak of gender

said to come to bed quick

lay down and rest

the warm blanket cosy


make a nest

a bit ******* round

and hopefully it will all go away


i said to the bear, i said that

the washing was left out and I had not washed up yet


dear bear said it did not matter

that care will be taken

and we will not tell the little ones

for fear of worrying them


we watched the sun go down together

thankyou

for your offered help

and saying you care for my welfare

all very much appreciated

i thankyou and say it is only temporary

balanced or tied with string

though overnight decided to use the glue gun

it seems to work well on twigs

i

have neither the skills nor wherewithal

to make it permanent

thankyou

i used to go to oxford

get off the coach outside the museum

and go in

spend some time there

then go round town a while before

going back

could have stayed in there all day

yet is good to get out in the air

after so long on the bus

it stops there for some hours on the way home from london

where I saw tutankhamun and some miserables not at the same time though

now we can go nowhere really except 5 miles local

did that monday and the car broke down

now i can’t go nowhere again

i miss oxford and visiting museums

the drawing

went wrong from the beginning


i thought and on the wrong paper too

i thought


had ordered card from asda

got a substitution of a colouring book

more suitable for the house next door with children

i thought so donated it over


there


saw their puppy


then continued on the wrong paper

i thought

only things worked out

cojoined twins

from yesterday, the conversation and your enquiry


the remembrance is that it was mainly brown and beige when we moved in


distemper


cold and metal windows

condensation caused black

damp

plus steam from the kitchen


colour crept in gradually despite protestations


yet we shall not talk of it further

there are no photographs


we had no impetuous to record

yet it seems we remember

if it is a question on bedrooms

and their historical allocation

the answer is straightforward

and simple without emotion

though the damp was mentioned

plus a snippet on sharing

and a hint of abuse

a slight colouring of a larger story

despite him saying nothing of the past

in his opinion

in my opinion it was his main subject

meanwhile i stood by the gate in the local village

and admired the garden

then

we had coffee over the road in the cafe

a nice change from a pub

some of you have mentioned the bear

the absence

yet still here though quiet

now

no more proclaiming

just whispering within these walls

or sending thoughts

there is still confusion and little understanding of the world

there is no gender pronoun

the bear is a quiet affair

there was lightning in the night


the phone told me

an alert on my app

comes yellow


it has been one year today

and that is plenty days and

there will be some more

of that I am sure


we listen to the rain early

with mixed feelings


there may not be gardening done today

there may be drawings

in white

a mirrored door

all tidy in lockdown

and though it was bought expensive

placed inside it is lost to me now

so use one of the others in the morning

and throughout the day

felt something amiss as we banged into fatigue and slept one hundred years

crusty lipped we search for blistex

then

traditionally use the vaseline

come morning early rather than dark


fish that are insects on the pantry shelf


the necklace chosen each year

a gift

treasured


the memory of travel come fleeting while writing

at least we did that.


hair now…..

in having found a book to read

in the corner chair by the curtain

hiding


delivered free by the library in town


the excitement in finding the place ready

facing the fire

the weather steady outside

a while


the fabric rich and heavy

safe from the arctic storm

hello james

you have been gone a while

since you said you would leave


all things change and we had early training here

i spoke of it yesterday


yesterday they came wearing the same dresses

saw the coincidence quickly and were shocked and embarrassed

not noticing the insect in their panic


they may soon learn these things don’t

matter, never did

today is apricot

a new jar opened easily


my mum would buy a large tin and decant

there were five of us, one had left earlier


seems trivial to write of preserves during pandemic

yet it is a treat this morning with a croissant in bed

cosy


we have all sorts in the pantry with little gingham caps

held on with rubber bands

i have a pack somewhere in a rainbow of colours

yet often use those dropped by the postman

wide in brown


also have sandwich spread

more as savoury

alongside asda’s own marmite

such a treat yet not for breakfast


nearly a year now

have stopped waving

and carry on

in contentment

it is a topic here and a memory

the privet

that is why it is labelled now

belonging to a social media group

with memories of where i lived

growing up

saw a photo of privet road, the corner

with a comma here

halfway up the hill was the coal and seed merchants and I used to go in with mum

cole and son

i guess she ordered coal not seed as there were five of us and not much time for gardening though gran’s mr palmer did next door

along the wall in tubs were the seeds to dip into , to feel

with permission and samples of the differing fuels

coal, coke, briquettes and nutty slack

i liked our visits there very much and had forgotten what was around the corner

saved the photo and sent it to my brother who replied and sent a current google view by return

he said he preferred the photograph which was nice as he does not always reply

i still like coal and seeds

some things don’t change

have meaning to write of it

since she told me that it moves

at four miles an hour


rumbling along

takes sixteen hours from here to shrewsbury

leaving early all standing up

and concentration



he says they don’t grumble if stuck behind a while

just take photographs


we hear it going on it’s way

to some event those days


these days locked down like the rest of us


used to hear it as a child come down the hill so ran to the gate to watch

or at road works the tar still hot and steamy

the smell being flattened by the thing

the chest beating with excitement

such a surprise while working in isolation

on the theme of isolation

a note to say that there are notes

on work done previously

four of you had commented

said nice things and I had missed it

now read and apologised for my oversight

remarked that your remarks made me happy

and smiley

face

thankyou

understand the difficulties

understand the fear


it needs to have activity

it needs to have depth


yet there is no need for admiration

no need for folk to like it

and we worry when they do

maybe I should write beautiful

lilting stuff again with rhymes and things

like people seem to like


or tragic dark long stories

of dreadful deaths

and mourning

as before


today will say it would have been

an anniversary

for what that is worth


he asked me the year

and surprised that i remembered


of course i miss them

just pretending to be a hard *****

once again is monday

no work no more, on furlough

with punctuation


used to go on sundays

and other days as needed


we closed in the winter reopened in march

and then locked down that same month


so at home we work in the house and garden

the studio

as needed


i used to work as a holiday reserve

on various tasks as required

then left and moved to wales


we still keep in touch

as needed

sticks are available and are free

here

wanting a little gate plus the entertainment factor

we sawed them up and tied them all with string

it is a prototype

a rickety stickety gate

bit wonky

perhaps the next one will be more better having practiced

draw a jelly fish and what do you see?

with a question mark


write a little story and what do they read?


perhaps we need auto correction

and cleaner minds


i collect soap you know of varying kinds

and ages

it dries and cracks if not stored with care


biscuit tins are useful as the mice can’t get in

we fumble with finger nails to open them


a cleaner find

the tree came down

so dinner waited an hour or so

already cooked went cold

and rubbery

the least of the worry

pleased to see that the flowers

remain standing still in bud

the lights went off then came back on

the words were said and meant

fervently

the forecast is better here today

still bad mid wales I am told

mr blue coat man

walks early


mr water man works at dwr cymru


i have a long surname and usually

give my first name even having to spell that and hope that will suffice without the other ones

i hear it comes shorter in the village


some many many years ago

it started

and i remember them

the names


mrs wrap around apron

the falling boy


never said in public

a family language

could be more overall

who is counting no more


it is not good grammar

no capital letters or punctuation


two days of storms

more in lockup


he says we get used to things

and I thinks he is correct

day 350