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Giants of the Jungle

They conjure feelings in me. Feelings of goodness and safeness and wholeness; also of fascination and wonder. Every time I see one, the effect is healing, like a much-needed cup of tea. Those broad, benevolent leaves with their strips and perforations. A deep, peaceful recognition and a tinge of loss. Nobody knows what they doContinue reading “Giants of the Jungle”

Featured

A Day in the Life

I’m trying to draw ducks’ feet. Earlier in the day, Mum took me to the park and now I’m figuring out how to transfer what I’ve seen to the page. The curves of webbed skin between the ducks’ toes are proving quite a challenge.  Lying here on my tummy, surrounded by paper and pens, withContinue reading “A Day in the Life”

A Rubbish Poem

Have the bin men bin?They’ve bin and goneUp before the morning shoneSwift as swallows, rarely seenIn their ravenous machine Hauling out the tubs of grimeRancid contents oozing slimeGulping down the bursting bags,A metal mouth that never gags This shadow caste that never moanThey know it falls to them aloneTo deal with what we all ignoreLestContinue reading “A Rubbish Poem”

H is for Heckling

I’ve just seen a poster for a comedy night, which included the warning ‘No heckling’. I don’t know if this was a joke, but it made me think… At the comedy nights I’ve attended or watched on a screen, it seems to me that hecklers are almost always trying to add something to the show.Continue reading “H is for Heckling”

Men of an Uncertain Age

The delivery driver put down my groceries on the front step. “There you go, young man”. I looked at him, he was a paunchy guy with a greying beard. It was hard to pin down his age, but he could have been as little as five years older than me. I’ve always looked young forContinue reading “Men of an Uncertain Age”

The Cloud of Unknowing

The wonder of a sleeping park, enveloped in the mist Where space and time and matter amorphously exist The air has slowed to a halt and rests without a stir The trees have ceased their shimmying and quietly concur Disembodied voices, the barking of a dog Softened by the dampened air, a muffler of fogContinue reading “The Cloud of Unknowing”

The Friend Ship

Sailing in a friend ship This craft has brought us far Through waters ever-changeable We steered it by the stars The sails have been mended It leaks from time to time The wind is unpredictable And with that, we are fine This friend ship is a galleon With many decks and rooms An ocean’s worthContinue reading “The Friend Ship”

Why Do Men Build Walls?

“The heart of the wall is where the unloveliest material resides, shoved in with less artifice to fill out the construction. But this is also a place of refuge, the voids between stones providing cover for invertebrates. As we worked, ants, beetles and spiders would often rush out from within when we disturbed their havens.”

Ambient Icon: Brian Eno’s ‘Music for Airports’

Many years ago, Brian Eno walked into a building in Germany and felt uplifted. The building was a marvel of contemporary architecture, elegant and spacious with glass walls allowing sunlight to completely flood the interior. The building happened to be an airport. As Eno took in the scene, there was just one thing spoiling itContinue reading “Ambient Icon: Brian Eno’s ‘Music for Airports’”

Book Out!

I’m delighted to announce that I’ve published my first book! Here it is, a collection of poetry and prose, with illustrations by Jennie Wishart. It’s taken me a while to get it sorted, but it was worth it. The collection has 108 pages and a range of themes, including modern life, wellbeing and the naturalContinue reading “Book Out!”