I watched the sun give way to the moon ...

The blue sky above the tower prompted memories of sunlit courtyards, lemon trees in blossom, a dish of olives in a drowsy cafe - 

Birds were singing in the bright garden - 

A small plane idled overhead - 

The newly mown lawn smelled of summer - 

I counted my heartbeats one by one - 

I knew the sun would soon be followed by the moon - 

The seasons would turn, the birds would fly across the sea - 

Yet the fruit would still hang from the tree - 

The songs would still be heard - 

My footsteps would still mark the grass - 

The Old School House 

East Stoke 

Dorset 

Sunday 9 April 2017