With Jake

Jake paints a picture of an extraordinary cat -

Hurls himself joyously around in Jenny's Soft Play -

Hides a pound coin in his sock -

Steals my heart each time I see him -

Salisbury 

June 2026 

Splashing blue

Splashing blue on the page -

Painting with Jake -

My light in the darkness -

Salisbury 

June 2026

Being Lafcadio

Reading The Vatican Cellars -

Being Lafcadio for an hour -

Having no heart -

Being beautiful -

Writing in my Russian note book -

Gave him twelve strokes -

Knowing the thrill of murder -

Knowing when it was time to launch the ship -

June 2026 

The weight of dreams

Counting the hour -

Longing for sleep -

For the weight of dreams -

June 2026 

The first cherries

The first cherries on the tree -

Ripening half hidden -

Shy gifts -

A memory of my birthday -

The two sisters in the garden -

The sunlight after rain -

June 2026 

White as bone

I'm reading The Drought -

I wake to see a bitter shore -

A sky white as bone -

June 2026 

More footsteps

Wind in the birch trees -

Fox gloves amongst bracken -

Water lilies in a dark pool -

Glimpsing a deer's delicate head, its gentle eyes -

Coming at last to the silent beach -

More footsteps behind me on the winding path -

Arne 

June 2026