Friday 30 September 2016

His jacket was the colour of the sun ...



Soon, not now, but soon, my dad may need a walking frame - 

This morning, I went to the Red Cross in Civic Centre Road - 

I carried the frame out to the red wounded beast - 

There were mobility scooters parked outside the Health Centre - 

Sudden bursts of rain swept over the town - 

I'd had a late breakfast special in Poppins -

I remembered how my dad had been a keen walker - 

Every weekend, he and his friend, Tom, had gone for walks in the country-

They'd finish the walk with a few pints in a free house - 

He'd walked with a rapid stride - 

imagined him, swiftly climbing a hill under a summer sky - 

Below him were golden fields - 

His jacket was the colour of the sun - 


11.45
Friday 30 September 2016

Havant 
Hampshire 




Thursday 29 September 2016

Southsea Poets in the Jackhouse Gallery ...



I'm standing with a bumper in the Jackhouse Gallery - 

The Southsea poets have their words ready, like bright birds in their pockets - 

On the white Walls of the gallery are paintings and drawings of dockyard people - 

The artist has a humane yet piercing eye - lumpen tender figures stand before grey ships and tall cranes like iron trees - 

The poets read their words - 

I think of my grandad in the blacksmith shop, my dad arguing with the Port Admiral - 

My own history is touched upon here - 

I look up to see if I can see them, my grandfather and his sons - 

There they are, gentle, quietly spoken, standing before a wall of chains -


19.39
Thursday 29 September 2016

The Jackhouse Gallery
Old Portsmouth
Hampshire   



Wednesday 28 September 2016

Winter fires ...




This morning Ben came with the logs for winter fires - 

For an hour or so, I stacked the logs - 

Some still had pelts of moss - others were as smooth as bone - 

I pictured twilight woods, woodsmen carrying bright axes - 

I could smell the fragrance of oak and elm - 

A robin watched me from the lichened branches of the apple tree - 

I gathered pine cones from the churchyard - 

Already I saw smoke rising from our chimney - 

I felt the warmth of past summers in the fireplace - 


09.30
Wednesday 28 September 2016

The Old School House
East Stoke 
Dorset 


Tuesday 27 September 2016

Sainsbury daydreams ...



Anne parks the Golf with the icy skill of Ray Gosling in Drive - 

I can hear the soundtrack of the film in my head - 

I'm no longer in the gentle town - 

I'm in Echo Park, under murderous skies - 

An Albanian gangster is buying milk in Sainsburys - 

Jimbo in the hard dairy has a pistol in his pocket - 


11.41
Tuesday 27 September 2016

Wareham 
Dorset



Monday 26 September 2016

Waiting rooms...



Anne's waiting to see Doctor Williams - 

The blue chairs face the screen on the wall -

A message says chaperones can be arranged if needed - 

The National Geographics I used to read are no longer there - 

Waiting for a blood test, I'd gaze at a photograph of a rain forest - 

I'd find consolation in those beautiful pages -

I can hear a man coughing - 

He's told the receptionist he's got trouble breathing - 

I think of Philip Larkin's poem, The Building

Terrible and true, I think, recalling those shining corridors - 


17.00
Monday 26 September 2016

Wareham 
Dorset 


Sunday 25 September 2016

The Aerodrome ...



My dad's reading The Aerodrome

He's been reading it, off and on, for months -  

The yellow book jacket caught my eye this morning - 

My dad was asleep in his chair - 

One day, I thought, I'll read this book - 

Each page will remind me of these times - 

Opening it, I'll hear his voice - 

I'll feel his fragile kiss once more upon my forehead - 


17.00
Sunday 25 September 2016

Staunton Road
Havant



Saturday 24 September 2016

The petition ...



I watched her thin fingers clutch the blue biro - 

She slowly wrote her name, resting the clipboard upon the folding table - 

She then looked up, this tiny birdlike pensioner - 

It's money isn't it? she said - that's why they're doing it - 

We were campaigning in the small seaside town - 

I'd weighed down our banner with stones from the beach - 

They could find the money if they wanted to I said -


11.00
Saturday 24 September 2016

Swanage
Dorset 

Friday 23 September 2016

Counting the seasons ...



I can feel the coming of autumn - 

It's as though a brown fragrant hand is touching my shoulder - 

I can smell the rich tipsy smells of windfallen apples - 

Wood smoke perfumes my tweed jacket - 

Leaves are falling from the Alder trees - 

Long shadows are cast upon the lawn - 

The warm air is precious now - 

The river will flood the water meadows - 

The moon will shine upon the white garden - 

The day will come when I'll count the seasons - 


15.50
Friday 23 September 2016

The Old School House
East Stoke
Dorset



Thursday 22 September 2016

The parachutists ...



The river flowed through the cathedral city - 

Buskers played guitars in timeworn streets - 

Three parachutists fell towards the rooftops - 

We saw them, falling through the gentle air - 

In Bill's, I'd eaten dhal for lunch - 

Tessa had smiled her dazzling smile - 

We now watched the parachutists - 

Silent, mysterious, they fell from the sky - 


14.56
Thursday 22 September 2016

Salisbury 
Wiltshire 

Wednesday 21 September 2016

I'd hold the world in my hand like a pearl ...



I looked up to see a ship with three masts on the horizon - 

It suddenly appeared, whilst I was looking at shells upon the sand - 

It was as though another world had touched this one for a moment - 

I thought I heard music across the water - 

One day, I knew, I'd board that ship - 

I'd feel its pale deck beneath my feet - 

I'd watch the warm land become smaller and smaller - 

I'd hold the world like a pearl in my hand -  


15.18
Wednesday 21 September 2016

Knoll Beach
Studland 
Dorset

Tuesday 20 September 2016

The home ...



The residents can sit in the diner, or on the airplane seats
the carer said - 

We show black and white films on the 1950s telly

She pointed to the clock on the mantelpiece - 

My mum had a clock like that, and that picture - everyone had that picture in their house - 

They can put music on the juke box, or sit in the garden - we had a fun day last week - 

We saw empty bedrooms with vinyl floors - 

Downstairs, the residents sat on shiny chairs - 

We give them plenty of affection the carer said - 


14.40
Tuesday 20 September 2016

Leigh Park
Hampshire 


Monday 19 September 2016

Watching From Dusk Till Dawn ...



We whiled away the evening watching From Dusk Till Dawn

Night fell upon the Mexican desert - 

George Clooney smiled his roguish dangerous smile - 

Tarantino played his crazy twitching brother - 

When do we see the vampires I asked - 

Any moment now Richard said - 


22.30
Sunday 18 September 2016

The Old School House
East Stoke
Dorset









Sunday 18 September 2016

The empty fields waited for the deer ...






It was high tide when we walked  to Shipstal Point -

Pale blue water filled the creek - 

The beach was a narrow world of sand - 

Gentle waves lapped against the exposed roots of trees - 

A reedy lagoon reflected the sky - 

We felt the warmth of the September sun -  

Yachts were moored offshore - 

Low green islands were mysterious kingdoms - 

The air was very still - 

I thought of my boyhood by a wooded shore - 

A bird sang an ancient song - 

The empty fields waited for the deer - 


11.45
Sunday 18 September 2016

Shipstal Point
Arne 
Dorset 




Saturday 17 September 2016

The moon will float on the river like a golden boat ...




Sand dusted the tyres of the orange camper van - 

The wind from sea rocked shiny Qashqais - 

The beach carpark was almost empty -  

Windsurfers rode late summer waves - 

We walked along Ballards Down, above the green world - 

Whilst we drank Americanos at Joe's, Richard's horse won on the bridle

Swiss Storm was given the office

A woman swam out into the bay -

Richard remembered singing Lola in a Manila videoke booth - 

In four weeks time, a white jet will carry him half way around the globe - 

He'll drink mountain coffee in Vientiane - 

Night will fall upon the tree lined boulevards - 

The moon will float on the river like a golden boat - 


13.06
Saturday 17 2016 

Joe's 
South Beach
Studland 
Dorset 




Friday 16 September 2016

Well that depends ...




Richard sipped his black tea -

We'd walked past the caravans above the beach - 

We'd heard the waves breaking upon the empty shore - 

Blackberries were ripening amongst the brambles - 

Sloes were a dark purplish blue - 

A red dragonfly had followed us - 

I'd gazed at the bright toys for sale in the beach cafe - 

Invisible families were queuing for ice creams - 

Curling post cards depicted past summers - 

We bought some Moores biscuits -

When do we close? -

The woman behind the counter laughed - 

Well that depends


12.00
Friday 16 September 2016

Ringstead Bay
Dorset





Thursday 15 September 2016

A fistful of nails ...




Deep inside the cave of ironmongery, I searched for nails - 

Leathery plumbers examined strange fittings - 

A lurcher slept behind the counter - 

Outside, the gentle town was bathed in sunlight - 

Here, I walked past shadowy recesses filled with oily treasures - 

I felt the blade of a scythe - 

I saw a shelf of mole traps - 

A lean gardener uncoiled a hose - 

I left with my fistful of nails -

The lurcher stirred in its bright dreams - 


11.54
Thursday 15 September 2016

Wareham
Dorset





 

Wednesday 14 September 2016

We'd sit on smooth stones, remembering northern skies ...




Penelope and I picked our way over the beach - 

I felt the shape of every pebble beneath my feet - 

My worn boat shoes were stained with salt - 

A small boat with a single mast was moored offshore -  

Above White Nothe were rain heavy clouds - 

The sea was a dark mirror - 

A wooden rowing boat had been drawn up to the top of the beach - 

Steps led to a wild garden - 

The wind stirred the pine trees facing the sea - 

Penelope and I had hoped to swim here - 

Some other day we'd do this - 

We'd sit on the smooth stones, remembering northern skies - 


11.35
Tuesday 13 September 2016

Ringstead Bay
Dorset




Tuesday 13 September 2016

The chapel windows shone with the light of heaven ...





The sky darkened as we walked towards the chapel - 

The narrow road sloped steeply downwards - 

Leaves fell from gentle trees - 

Sheep waited for the rain - 

A kestrel was a fearful shape hanging in the air - 

Mysterious houses overlooked the sea - 

A barn was full of ghosts under the gathering clouds - 

Inside the chapel, we heard the thunder above our heads -

Rain fell - 

Lightning cast a yellow light upon the threshold - 

The chapel windows shone with the light of heaven - 


Tuesday 13 September 2016

Chapel of St Catherine's by the Sea
Holworth
Dorset 






Monday 12 September 2016

The new Big Issue vendor ...



I looked in vain for the Bosnian Big Issue lady - 

Normally she stands in South Street, opposite The Happy Hour off license - 

She'll call out Happy Merry Christmas

There was a new vendor standing on her pitch - 

He cast a thin shadow upon the pavement - 

I'd seen him the day before, a can of Scrumpy Jack in his hand, a lurcher at his feet - 

His plaited goatee was like a length of oily string - 

What would he call out, I wondered - 

How many nights had he sat under the indifferent stars?


16.00
Monday 12 September 2016

Wareham
Purbeck
Dorset

Sunday 11 September 2016

The moon will be a cold white apple ...



The carvers have moved to winter quarters - 

The dreadlocked bravos have stilled their chainsaws - 

They're camped somewhere, perhaps in ancient woodlands, snaring rabbits as twilight falls - 

Soon the apple tree will shed its leaves - 

Wood smoke will scent the house - 

The day will be shorter - the moon will be a cold white apple in the sky - 


19.35
Sunday 11 September 2016

The Old School House 
East Stoke
Dorset