Paul as my Ancient Mariner

Pirates circling a former Russian ice breaker -

Dour Siberians -

A young man walking home a thousand miles from the Eastern Front -

Tahiti -

A five week voyage in the south Atlantic -

Strange stars -

Pitcairn Island -

Harold Wilson's bodyguard -

Paul as my Ancient Mariner -

Myself a wedding guest -

Java 

Swanage

May 2026

So much sadness

There are new lines of sadness on his face -

This gentle postman -

He tells me about his wife -

Now no more than a whisper of bone -

I briefly hold his hand -

So much sadness -

Swanage 

May 2026 

In the long night

In the long night I'll remember walking the green path -

Glimpsing the river -

Following my winding way through cow parsley -

Blue bells amongst banks of ferns -

Finding the birch grove -

Being close to those I've lost -

East Stoke

May 2026

The wind from the sea -

The steep hillside was yellow with buttercups -

Walking the high path, I heard skylarks -

I saw yachts with bright sails in the bay -

Gulls were flying over salty fields -

Earlier, we'd seen a bride enter the Saxon church -

The air was scented with mayblossom -

On the hilltop, I was above the world -

The wind from the sea carrying the names of those I loved -

Ballard Down 

May 2026 

When I walked for a while in paradise

Inside the subway, I breathed air smelling of weed -

There were wild faces spray painted on the concrete walls -

A mural of magic mushrooms -

A reminder of when I saw jewelled birds -

When I walked for a while in paradise -

Boscombe

May 2026 

Losing ourselves in the gentle story

Reading Mogg The Forgetful Cat with Jake in The Boston Tea Party -

Losing ourselves in the gentle story -

A waitress sashshaying past us with a cappuccino -

The Boston Tea Party 

Salisbury 

May 2026 

Waiting for the moon

Barefoot -

Under the apple tree -

The grass newly wet with rain -

Waiting for the moon -

For invisible people -

To hear them say my name - 

East Stoke

May 2026