The walk with Penny to Fiddleford ...

Penny told me that the beautiful insects I'd just seen were damselflies - I'd been gazing at their glinting needle thin abdomens, mapping their voyaging in the humid air - 

We were walking along the edge of an overgrown meadow in Dorset - there were pillars of cloud in the burning blue sky -

Earlier, I'd been soothed by the serene memorials in an ancient church - stained glass windows depicted martyred saints - 

Lichened box tombs were half hidden by long grass - 

We had to pick our way very carefully when we came to Gypsy's Drove - cloying mud grasped our boots - 

We were never far from the river - we caught glimpses of dark still water, clusters of water lilies - 

We passed a number of mills, one dating back to Doomsday - 

Back at Newton's Mill, I drank Robinsons Barley Water -

Before me was the mill pond, shaded by willows - 

Narrow bridges crossed the mill race -we'd listened to some melancholy jazz - 

12.19

June 25 2014

The Old School House

East Stoke