The Christmas Mantlepiece ...

Two weeks ago or so, Anne decorated the mantelpiece for Christmas - Penny had found the holly in the plantation behind the Stokeford Arms - we'd walked through the dark pines, climbing over fallen branches, brushing past withered, dripping, ferns - the air smelt of resin and damp earth - the tops of the pines were swaying in the wind -

Whilst Anne spoke to Tessa on her I phone, Penny and I gathered the holly - the holly tree overlooked the sand pits, where you could find the tracks of deer - gorse bushes marked the steep drop to the sand pits - we'd once explored this strange zone - time was different there, gathered in silent folds, rippling over the drifts of sand - deep pools reflected unknown faces -

Penny handed me the secateurs, and I cut off the small branches of holly - the leaves pricked my fingers - we could see the Purbeck Hills across the river valley - shaggy horses grazed in field bordering the plantation - the sun was low in the sky -

As we made our way back, under the cover of the pines, we became aware that the sun was setting - a golden light illuminated the bracken - we heard sombre bird song -

Later, Anne placed the holly upon the mantelpiece, along with pine cones and tender sprigs of pine - she put a candle in old glass medicine bottle we'd found by a rabbit hole in the garden - on the right hand side of the mantelpiece was a photograph of Lee Miller by Man Ray - 

I lit the fire with a fistful of matches - the apple logs burnt with a fierce fragrant heat - we listened to some music by Ballake Sissoko - outside, in the night, the old year turned to the new -