tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17054345106645201102024-03-17T12:13:15.988+01:00Bits 'n Bob's/Show 'n TellA bunch of stuff for the unconcerned.poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.comBlogger3314125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-5407354053880201452024-03-17T12:12:00.002+01:002024-03-17T12:12:21.241+01:00No Day a-Dawning<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(80, 254, 255); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnaURRIbsU5F0nrGc2toV4_lfIfXmsxfKEi94wbqD7IJJ3hvsWQgHHiQv-wk8L-7Aj0io7tSGYTGxsR05FOrCqhPMD9IOaa48lyYNMtSAUYAumc8ImrmCoscEceh1AG92qptVmFIvoXBj0HkfrNrb8Z-fGIgaYL3JLTDBcIZkZ9owKmrZCE67_f6nmbrN/s4320/P1410850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="4320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnaURRIbsU5F0nrGc2toV4_lfIfXmsxfKEi94wbqD7IJJ3hvsWQgHHiQv-wk8L-7Aj0io7tSGYTGxsR05FOrCqhPMD9IOaa48lyYNMtSAUYAumc8ImrmCoscEceh1AG92qptVmFIvoXBj0HkfrNrb8Z-fGIgaYL3JLTDBcIZkZ9owKmrZCE67_f6nmbrN/w400-h266/P1410850.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It might be a library.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Might.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">There are books there, you CAN borrow them and I have one to return.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">One that I borrowed from someone who borrowed one from here, and which I feel incumbent to return.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I show it to the woman at the gate who is asking for I.D.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">She tells me to put it on the ‘internet table’.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I cross a courtyard, trees and plants grow in abundance and I am in a park.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">A stately home.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">A forgotten corner of a half-remembered city that has never existed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Except in a dream.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It might be a library.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Yet, you can buy shark poison here.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And rope.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And cobwebs it seems.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">They have a lot of cobwebs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">A friend greets me enthusiastically, he is leaving by plane in the morning and I owe him money.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">We walk together. I am looking for books; he is hoping for cash.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">There are a lot of wools, cottons, knitting needles and a room with walls that are so high the sunlight only reaches the upper parts.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">This is where the rope is displayed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">In one corner there are photographs covered in a thick layer of dust that make it impossible to see the image.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">One is of me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">So I get up.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It’s 4:30 am.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Again.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">No new day a-dawning.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Just the night.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><br /></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-78779109284797734832024-03-11T17:47:00.002+01:002024-03-11T17:47:53.490+01:00Spring<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(80, 254, 255); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzxVmMqo7bhY03UD_vlaEE1OdDD6xK0jbI510QEjAQ3gizMn5N4ZT_85Fa0xD_hI5Ucbc9hvdGJI1r2kYtcmu3wOlAR-Mdexe4oDAD_c8o1P_BrBNw4My9KplbtYpXQ8vEkny2I5Q0eWdR301EO49G-zYoTAgI5rx5i2ikA4BAwqWrDFUQLPaQNk0rppI/s4320/P1410873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="4320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzxVmMqo7bhY03UD_vlaEE1OdDD6xK0jbI510QEjAQ3gizMn5N4ZT_85Fa0xD_hI5Ucbc9hvdGJI1r2kYtcmu3wOlAR-Mdexe4oDAD_c8o1P_BrBNw4My9KplbtYpXQ8vEkny2I5Q0eWdR301EO49G-zYoTAgI5rx5i2ikA4BAwqWrDFUQLPaQNk0rppI/w400-h266/P1410873.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">This is my season, this is me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I am female.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I am vixen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I am the first breath.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I am Life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I am here.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I am.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The light bouncing on the water, the wave breaking on the sparkling sand. Sometimes with a whisper, always with a pounding roar.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The nightingale that sings in the night, the full moon that lights the way.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The river cascading down the rocky mountain, the falls that plunge joyously into the deep.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The deep deep mystery.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Always, ever, forward, restless.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Impatient.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Is.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I cannot wait, I cannot linger.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The first light the breaks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">When you are sleeping, snoring in the dark.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I am alive.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I am the dreams that keep you company.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Never there when you wake.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I’m already rising.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Greeting the day.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The glorious day.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The light.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">See it blaze, follow the path across the sky.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I am the sun, the source, the guide.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Trust me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I am yours.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The desire that fuels your every wish.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The energy that surges through you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The tingle of excitement when the rain falls, when the wind touches your cheek.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The kiss of a stranger.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">A hand touching another the first time.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Never letting go.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Even when it has.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The close embrace of an old friend.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Eyes catching eyes across an empty room, where flowers start to grow.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The buds on a branch, the the fish that rise in the stream.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The smell of the cut grass, the ground coffee, the ocean breeze.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The pine needles under foot in the forest.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Home when it is far.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">But also the unknown.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The blue of midday, the yellow of first dandelions, the orange of ripening fruit.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The juice that burst upon your lips as you greedily taste them..<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Will be.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Now and forever.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">World without end.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><br /></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-90828844545812948362024-03-06T14:10:00.002+01:002024-03-06T14:10:34.853+01:00Golden.<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(80, 254, 255); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiMrVEZLGVCV0LACCCojdtiPtwlsIL1C6fIMstXQBEA3NHkz2xFHtlYcOwqpPtxUk2gEh6kN8hhALHsKoI3QUI-qMpjuRPmNbazs7PTIXVqyDxqS0uMSRdpZ2Iv-m2MJnFcj4aZspyZCnzLiddv_DrQN_wrg3A6s_kfZf2YKsbcTtHn6fnwFulV7KstF7/s4169/puff%201.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2569" data-original-width="4169" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiMrVEZLGVCV0LACCCojdtiPtwlsIL1C6fIMstXQBEA3NHkz2xFHtlYcOwqpPtxUk2gEh6kN8hhALHsKoI3QUI-qMpjuRPmNbazs7PTIXVqyDxqS0uMSRdpZ2Iv-m2MJnFcj4aZspyZCnzLiddv_DrQN_wrg3A6s_kfZf2YKsbcTtHn6fnwFulV7KstF7/w400-h246/puff%201.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Silence<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It is always in the late night/early morning that we hear it the most. Silence from the past; all those friends and lovers that never speak, and from the future, those that are mute anyway.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">At these moments we are truly alone.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The dawn breaks slowly and softly over the sea, waiting secretly behind the pine trees. <o:p></o:p></span></p><br /></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-90230316548833751752024-02-19T12:02:00.005+01:002024-02-19T12:02:51.108+01:00A Pilgrim, a Bottle of Wine and an apricot.<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(80, 254, 255); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixydTZ7BXor5U6gLuG_wqKhdPXGl_f1eRUzwEsbQuhj7sUzacoC67XuEOCPbPcQHXaheSeDC5lsKCIsvw8GvyC9n5lNxaJhgXaN3sOv9HpUR8Tcz3eMRX2r7h3EqAlPEu8UxcG1TIjcxVR5x43Gjj39wobbz4Mc2A_T37M03925wrlZTBArBhzD7wQx7QP/s4320/P1410803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="4320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixydTZ7BXor5U6gLuG_wqKhdPXGl_f1eRUzwEsbQuhj7sUzacoC67XuEOCPbPcQHXaheSeDC5lsKCIsvw8GvyC9n5lNxaJhgXaN3sOv9HpUR8Tcz3eMRX2r7h3EqAlPEu8UxcG1TIjcxVR5x43Gjj39wobbz4Mc2A_T37M03925wrlZTBArBhzD7wQx7QP/w400-h266/P1410803.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘Are you like me, a traveller?’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">He was standing in the doorway of the dormitory block, he had just ridden a bike a third of the way across France under a relentless summer sun and his tongue was as wobbly as his legs. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">He had phoned the Café à </span>Vélos<span lang="EN-GB">a few kilometres back, at a point when he was about to throw himself into the canal he was following; he really needed a shower after two full days of toil, he was hungry and he had decided to spend 20 euros on a bed for a night with potentially 11 others in a similar sweaty mess. He was hoping to find the administrator who had taken the reservation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘I’m a Pilgrim’.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Her answer surprised him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><i>Aren’t we all</i>, he was thinking, one way or another?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">On a cooler day, he would have taken the thoughts further but there was a glass of cold beer waiting for him on the table outside, and he was still hopeful of finding someone who could show him the showers. He needed to sit under running water for at least an hour.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">He nodded, a nod that tried to convey both understanding and acceptance, smiled and left.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">He swallowed half the beer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘I just met a Pilgrim’, he told his fellow traveller.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘You met a penguin?’ His friend looked puzzled. ‘I don’t know why people bother’, he added and finished the second half of his own beer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘I….’, he was interrupted by the arrival of the admin who rattled off a series of three five digit codes that opened, respectively, the toilets, the showers and the dormitory.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">He remembered the one pertaining to the showers and hoped his friend had held onto the other ten digits.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">An hour later he emerged, mightily cleansed and with a blood temperature approaching normal. He had also washed all his clothes and changed into his reserve. He looked snappy, fresh and no longer awkward.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘Hello again’, He ventured, ‘when you say Pilgrim, do you mean that you are following the Route de Compostela?’</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">She was sitting on a pile of sawn-off wooden pallets that had been reassembled to look like a pile of sawn-off wooden pallets that you could sit on as if they constituted a bench.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘I’m a Bad Pilgrim’, she replied. Her accent was not French and he had quickly established that English was the preferred option. His Dutch in any case, stretched to one word.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The Bad Pilgrims; that could be a neat name for a band, He thought. Then he thought, <i>I wonder what a Bad Pilgrim is?</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘What is a bad pilgrim?’ He thought it was time to drop the capital letters as neither of them looked like a member of a rock and roll band - though to be fair age no longer seems to be one of the guiding criteria.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘I was following the route, but I didn’t like the vibe. So I took some diversions.'<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">He was certainly thinking that the Café à Velos was some way off the usual beaten track of those following the sign of The Scallop (Coquille de St Jaques), he just hadn’t voiced it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And by now, the conversation had moved on.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘When did you start?’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘When I was about 8 really.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Ok, he decided he wasn’t quite ready for this, so he smiled and went off to buy some wine and a plate of cheese.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">His friend, who didn’t listen when he said; ‘I’m off to buy some wine and a plate of cheese’, went and bought a bottle too, so by the time they sat down together on the pile of wooden off-cuts they had two opened bottles. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">They were still very thirsty, even though they had drank a fair part of the shower, and so pretty soon they were feeling eloquent+.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘What do you think a bad pilgrim is’, the one asked.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘I don’t know why people bother’, the friend replied.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘But some people do bother, and it’s a very long walk, longer than we have cycled’, his bum was complaining so he went to get a pile of cushions he had seen outside the restaurant. You didn’t need a code for the restaurant.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">He looked at the menu in passing; curried vegetables, crepes, and steak were on offer. His friend eats steak, he believes it’s good for him, but he prefers wine and cheese – which clearly is – so he decided not to mention anything.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">They stuck their feet up on another pile of wood and drank some more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘This cheese is good’, the friend said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘Have you ever wanted to go on a pilgrimage?’ The other asked.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘I don’t know why people bother’. Where had he heard that before?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘We are on a sort of pilgrimage with our bikes’, he suggested.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘We’re on a bike ride.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The friend was right, of course, and he was also right about the cheese.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘What is your favourite cheese then?’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘I don’t like Roquefort.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘Ok, so, what is your favourite.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘I don’t like any blue cheese.’ Conversations with his friend can be difficult sometimes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘Have you ever visited Roquefort, the town where they make the cheese?’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘Near Bordeaux’. He replied, it didn’t seem to be a question (so no question mark has been included).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘No, it’s near the viaduct’, they had previously talked about the viaduct, It just hasn't been written down here.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘Are you sure?’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">He was sure, and went on to explain what a brilliant visit it had been and how they had shown a short film about a shepherd boy, a cave and a cheese sandwich that apparently explains why Roquefort Cheese exists today.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And that got them talking about films.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘So, what’s your favourite film?’ He was willing to try, he had drunk almost a litre of wine by this point.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘I don’t know, there are so many good films.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘Ok, what’s in your top three then?’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘I liked Alien.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘Which one, there are millions.’ He might have been exaggerating a bit.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘You know, a lot of people don’t agree with me but I think Terminator is a really good film.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘Which one? There are at least three’.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘The third.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘Are you serious? The first is clearly the best.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘Yep, I agree.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘So why did you say the third?’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘I liked the third.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘I didn’t ask you which films you liked, I asked you for your top three. So, is Alien in your top three?’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘No.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘Terminator three?’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘No.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘Terminator One?’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘I know, I’ve thought of another film I really liked!”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘Ok.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">He helped himself to a bit more cheese.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And poured out some more wine.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘And?’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘What?’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘This new film?’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘What new film, I haven’t been to the cinema for years, I have been watching TV series. Band of Brothers, that was good.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘You can’t have a TV series as your favourite film!’ He was beginning to wish he was still cycling. ‘in fact you can’t have a series.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘The Green Mile’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘What?’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘Stephen King’.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘What about him?’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘I like his books’.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘Ok, so what’s your favourite book?’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">“And I like John Le Carré.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The Pilgrim came around the corner at this point.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Thank God.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">He offered her cheese, wine and a loaf – he was hoping for a miracle.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">She sat down on a third pile of wood and he asked; ‘Do you have a favourite film?’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘I don’t remember the name, but it’s a Japanese film.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘Do you know the director?’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘It’s not Kurosawa.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘Not Ran then, or his reworking of Macbeth?’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘John Le Carré used to work for British Intelligence’, his friend said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘It’s pretty clear that we don’t’, He couldn’t help himself. He probably shouldn’t talk once he had drunk a certain amount.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It was getting dark. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Some more hot people cycled up and disappeared into the showers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">A man on an e-scooter slipped past.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">’Bon </span>appétit<span lang="EN-GB">.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘What was the film about?’ He asked<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘Tatoos’, the Pilgrim replied.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘There are two Ts in tattoo’, his friend said trying to be annoying<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘I’m Dutch. There’s only one in Dutch’. The two friends were in no position to challenge this.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘How many tatttoos are there on a bad pilgrim?’ He asked, using three Ts, just for the sake of it and maintaining the lower case.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘I’m a tatoo virgin AND a Bad Pilgrim’, she returned to upper case. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">In the distance a flash of lightning alerted them to a coming storm.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Thunder rolled in the distance.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘The Lord is telling us to bring in our washing, I think.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">He got up and collected his togs and stuck them in the bike <i>panier</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘Does anyone want an apricot?’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">They looked at him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">‘What’s your favourite fruit?’, they asked together.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> previously published in the archives</span></i></span></p></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-36541404112701676432024-02-13T11:41:00.003+01:002024-02-13T11:41:56.808+01:00Valentine's Eve.<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(80, 254, 255); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHajeJpuNHdcSVPNX-3eXtsZnAy6DuH6cBNFphyFZ0pRFeZZ4mPFczIjvz0XTLwNhop5GH6hc8ENhCHzxt0AwQyqMTzjksxh2t7LuRpT2xieaDjlsJDL86OBZBDWzAVmNG7ZDgrFnUX1jUqq4g56cvKY4uHlbBXnb3pb1jPmITjyC6GQ-PL8o7CLSi1Ivh/s4320/P1410820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="4320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHajeJpuNHdcSVPNX-3eXtsZnAy6DuH6cBNFphyFZ0pRFeZZ4mPFczIjvz0XTLwNhop5GH6hc8ENhCHzxt0AwQyqMTzjksxh2t7LuRpT2xieaDjlsJDL86OBZBDWzAVmNG7ZDgrFnUX1jUqq4g56cvKY4uHlbBXnb3pb1jPmITjyC6GQ-PL8o7CLSi1Ivh/w400-h266/P1410820.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">They met in the airport, 14.40. at a door with two different meanings. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">For her it was opening as she was exiting, for him it was forbidden entering and she wasn’t leaving but arriving. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">A bunch of roses he was carrying matched the colour of the top she was wearing, they waved and then held each other. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Hugging. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">It had been too long, almost four days. Maybe five. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">For him it had seemed like five lifetimes or at least an endless age that had now suddenly ended.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">And living could once again start.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">For her it was maybe a continuum of something different, but she said; “I missed you.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">So it felt safe, his having missed her too.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">The house had been a black hole that had sucked him in and spat him out lifeless.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Not now.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">They drove through the coming autumn, under blue skies and then deep into the forest.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">They ate cake.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">She sat on the sofa unpicking stitching, he lay on the floor unpicking the tension in his back.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">They listened to the radio, old school.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">It brought tears to their eyes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Sadness and happiness.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Life.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">They watched the last episode of a series that had been shelved from before she had left.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">A circle whole again, they went to bed and slept together.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Dreamt together.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">They woke to the morning, a warm wind from the south.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Maybe a desert wind.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">He went for a walk through the forest.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">She stretched and exercised.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">He returned and wrote.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Then stretched.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Then they walked together over the hill.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Gathered fallen apples.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Walnuts.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Watched a praying mantis moving carefully around their steps.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">And butterflies that followed them home.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">One white.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">One red.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">One yellow.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-57248491556177893762024-02-04T18:53:00.000+01:002024-02-04T18:53:07.516+01:00Sunday Spread.<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(80, 254, 255); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS723xErgeI5tvWGkbk5Y566vG51MLeGmpXCbt53x6wj99pWKeqA6NixK9M71y8XSb4dqD8shy2IBS8Pt0rIxVkKD-axWgXmj4uwV5X2C3QgysG1oFL4PEf80cK5CRywnyY6dPLGPwz8N1DGbQNn8b2ajpxcWt62Y3ZPwnw3wgpqA0o7YJfuUE41xXtAMB/s5038/woof.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3495" data-original-width="5038" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS723xErgeI5tvWGkbk5Y566vG51MLeGmpXCbt53x6wj99pWKeqA6NixK9M71y8XSb4dqD8shy2IBS8Pt0rIxVkKD-axWgXmj4uwV5X2C3QgysG1oFL4PEf80cK5CRywnyY6dPLGPwz8N1DGbQNn8b2ajpxcWt62Y3ZPwnw3wgpqA0o7YJfuUE41xXtAMB/w400-h278/woof.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Let’s consider the contents of this table, all the while reserving the need to question the psychological meaning thereof.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Or not.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">You can’t see a laptop that was removed in between the thought of writing this down and the writing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Thereof.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">So, that leaves three – this and two others.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The table is being used by two people at present.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">This one.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And another.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Significant.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">There’s a torch, upended on it’s potentially shining part, left there at 4:58 a.m.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And an empty bread board, made by someone who would be 107 years old f still alive.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">In some ways an antique.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">There’s also a small wooden pestle and mortar containing recently pestle and mortared salt.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And a tea-cup containing granulated brown sugar.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It’s next to an empty glass, in turn next to the upended torch .<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And then, a tennis ball.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It is under consideration for being stamped, addressed and sent to Melbourne for the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2024/jan/20/david-shrigley-wants-your-balls-just-one-of-many-stupid-artworks-i-have-made-over-the-years?utm_term=65b3d7062cb6babfbd77ff09880bd95e&utm_campaign=ArtWeekly&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=artweekly_email" target="_blank">David Shrigley exhibition</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">A long shot perhaps.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">A lob into the dark even.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Certainly a backhanded idea.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">An empty, glasses case – triangular - bearing the inscription <i>We are dreamers.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The glasses are absent. </span>(The dreams not).</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Sitting on a nose, beneath two eyes searching.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">They find a sketch book, recently closed and a fabric-roll of pencils, rubber and sharpener.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Recently active.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">All three.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">There’s an opened, not yet played , board game.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Published in 1977, bought today .<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">3 euro.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Underneath, almost hidden, the wax paper wrapper from an orange in the market. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Origin – Valencia.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">There’s a clementine alongside, unconnected except by first the market and now the table.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">A bag of rice.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Two pieces of cheese wrapped in cheese paper – a Castilian sheep’s cheese and a smoked raclette made from unpasteurized milk.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Butter, a tin of sardines, some glacé cherries, some turmeric roots and an empty brown paper bag which, not long ago, contained a cinnamon flavoured rolled pastry.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Sunday is market day.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Since starting this, the empty glass is now full of sparkling water. It has to be seen as coming from nowhere as there is no attendant bottle.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Though there is a small carton of cream sitting at an angle on the edge of an external hard disc attached to one of the several laptops.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">There’s also a coiled, unconnected cable.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Unconnected to anything.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Especially the aforementioned one-of-the-laptops that is already connected.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">But it’s next to a note-book.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Old-school.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Paper and pencil.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">But there is no pencil in sight.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Just another, smaller note-book, held together with rubber bands.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">A couple of postcards, one black-and-white.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Another, solitary and non-functioning, rubber-band, a piece of paper with an important code word and some miscellaneous pieces of fabric.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">A t-spoon.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">An empty coffee cup, that earlier held tea.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">A home-made book mark, three kisses embroidered thereon and an hour-glass in a heavy, black, wooden frame.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">On the side, the words – <i>5 minute break.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Though this took longer to write.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><br /></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-55416439468002115122024-02-01T11:55:00.001+01:002024-02-01T11:55:11.923+01:00Listen, do you wanna know a secret?<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(80, 254, 255); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3C_lyehVI0nwmJmE-ma898nVELsDaEHFZd5OygihPNPVeEzRUOl3jOJh2MxC_5lUxmC-5uRCwcjfB_-SvxBF1LnjpUtIZX0nV5vGWadCT_EUG9OP6cAQ_q9sqb5ELPylg-Vd6WWbjDZNU4TLXGAWMFZ5YdoeV_k5c2aPWuyfp9H6_i1T2fLRmDmIqduqF/s4032/IMG_1525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3C_lyehVI0nwmJmE-ma898nVELsDaEHFZd5OygihPNPVeEzRUOl3jOJh2MxC_5lUxmC-5uRCwcjfB_-SvxBF1LnjpUtIZX0nV5vGWadCT_EUG9OP6cAQ_q9sqb5ELPylg-Vd6WWbjDZNU4TLXGAWMFZ5YdoeV_k5c2aPWuyfp9H6_i1T2fLRmDmIqduqF/w400-h300/IMG_1525.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Listen!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Can you hear the vibrato of a violin?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">There!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Wait, the piano is about to begin. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Mary can hear it and she opens her eyes, the morning Is just breaking behind the trees that hold the ridge along the skyline.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">She would like to dance but there will be no dancing; she cannot move.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Her arms and legs are tied, and the blood is slowly but steadily draining from her will to live.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">In a moment the deep growl of the cello will end the music that she alone can hear.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">*******<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">In the city, Jack is driving listening to the car radio.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">This is the favourite part of his day, he has just finished a night shift in the hospital and he is on the way home to sleep. In this thirty-minute window between leaving work parking in the street outside his house, he watches the sun rise over the grey cityscape; for a moment it is more beautiful than the grand-canyon.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 15pt; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.5pt;">“El Machete sirve para cortar caña, para abrir las veredas en los bosques umbríos, decapitar culebras, tronchar toda cizaña, y humillar la soberbia de los impíos ricos”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-64759340533137582222024-01-16T19:26:00.003+01:002024-01-17T19:22:10.185+01:00A Clock Holds Its Breath.<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(80, 254, 255); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydHT9RIWdx5zAD10FxVUI05Y7cwI9vZRQxSaVAl1LYSovObCo2C0FCnlO6mRX3qJdtPNJCeAMqOExvRiFjfh_uhZFldcxDJDqc27OZlDSr-9sxCRkL4zikMNggXt88LvKj7wrGucUrsexza7smtMRiDoW55UCeLFAxvnW1CfKXZvgUkwFK4E9fIu77JLy/s2048/PHOTO-2024-01-11-08-02-50.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydHT9RIWdx5zAD10FxVUI05Y7cwI9vZRQxSaVAl1LYSovObCo2C0FCnlO6mRX3qJdtPNJCeAMqOExvRiFjfh_uhZFldcxDJDqc27OZlDSr-9sxCRkL4zikMNggXt88LvKj7wrGucUrsexza7smtMRiDoW55UCeLFAxvnW1CfKXZvgUkwFK4E9fIu77JLy/w300-h400/PHOTO-2024-01-11-08-02-50.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by minnie</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">On the sixteenth day of the first month of the new year, at precisely 18:23 Central European Time, every clock everywhere, stopped. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">The first person to notice, the only person to notice for some time was Shelly Pearl. She was walking across a hillside on the edge of a forest not far from her home and, although she was unconscious of the fact that the world’s clocks had ceased to tick, on a subconscious level she was suddenly aware that something in the surrounding hills had changed. And changed for the better. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">She felt it among the leaves of the trees, within the air she was breathing and both under her feet and above her head. The ticking had stopped. The incessant clamour of minutes turning into hours and hours into days, had fallen silent. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">She stopped walking and took a moment - it might have been longer as it was no longer possible to be exact – and marvelled at the silent beauty gently settling in place. For a moment – again it may have been much shorter or then again longer - she wondered what it would be like if all the world’s clocks stopped at exactly the same time. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Never to start again.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">She may even have been the one responsible for it happening.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Being someone unused to wearing a watch and never carrying a timepiece-enabled digital device, she pretty much continued as before. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">She was retired from professional life and cares, living on her own at the end of a dusty track that lead to a small house standing at the edge of a field where wild flowers grew in abandon every Spring. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">And Spring has never been dependant on a clock. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">So, she smiled with the delight that only beautiful solitude can allow, and walked on down the track as the twilight unfolded around her. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">She started whistling, and then stopped again and listened. A deep silence listened back and then she heard an owl, some ways distant. She realised that the Spring was not far off, and that meant that the cuckoo would soon be calling and then the first swallows of summer would return. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">She went home, happy at the thought and as there was neither clock nor calendar to tell her otherwise she went to bed and sleep – and, of course, dreams – when she was tired. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">And not a minute, second or hour sooner. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-79600136202349177972023-12-31T09:31:00.004+01:002023-12-31T09:31:31.894+01:00IT's Ton.<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(40, 154, 251); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_heNHq3EOnN5c47hTNJd_zy_qgtaJ7lRH7w9OM3LQxDsSDMFDW08ThzCs6jKKQ1kehZwQMRwkfNsRj8XHwL6qv43pVY4dQboPSvUGzcxAA8AXlWSJ0W8drRREu1DR6OkS7P0uq2lQJpV23EI9HEWf_CQg7gfK8pKRQUQRbVcL-kbB7xm189WRQbGex9iG/s4320/P1410783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="4320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_heNHq3EOnN5c47hTNJd_zy_qgtaJ7lRH7w9OM3LQxDsSDMFDW08ThzCs6jKKQ1kehZwQMRwkfNsRj8XHwL6qv43pVY4dQboPSvUGzcxAA8AXlWSJ0W8drRREu1DR6OkS7P0uq2lQJpV23EI9HEWf_CQg7gfK8pKRQUQRbVcL-kbB7xm189WRQbGex9iG/w400-h266/P1410783.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">When did you discover Tom Waits?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Or…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">When did you start listening to him?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">It might not be the same thing.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">For me it was, hang on ….. Monday, Tuesday….. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">1986.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">I was in Hong Kong.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">At the bottom of a staircase in a small concrete floored reception area of a disused former martial arts training building.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">I was sleeping upstairs in an otherwise empty room.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Except for a mosquito.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">It was annoying.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Downstairs, I had a Walkman – remember them? - and I was listening to Tom Waits singing whilst I was practicing a seven ball bounce.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">He was good.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">I wasn’t.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Which is why I only ever bounced five on stage.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Every morning when I woke up and left the building I saw a man under the trees doing his Tai-Chi.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Every evening I looked for the mosquito.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">During the day …. Well, so many things happened I’m not sure I can be bothered to list them.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Because I’m listening to Tom now and I’d prefer just to remember.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Is that ok?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Tell you what, to make up for it I’ll wish you a happy New Year.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">And..<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">If you haven’t already...<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hp0uVNGca4g" target="_blank">You can listen to this.</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-722136593618057622023-12-30T14:27:00.000+01:002023-12-31T09:22:49.961+01:00Very Yearly Done.<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(40, 154, 251); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGvKshEXYSGIf7gcv4dL7eVU-2XgROGdKi7eW94Kl4I3kQcoHzNaUYxBPYJ_zQuollMk1kPOcV4mOmkA1IbN2vWXgcN5D8m8nNVRNdGS05naaqMdEWLoh9KhBsrgbFM4-bw7fJlnvXxp864PlwiBFfENNoVdE3OkbW-hymMOnx_zq8YtW2iIaEs4W7GpBe/s4320/P1410781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="4320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGvKshEXYSGIf7gcv4dL7eVU-2XgROGdKi7eW94Kl4I3kQcoHzNaUYxBPYJ_zQuollMk1kPOcV4mOmkA1IbN2vWXgcN5D8m8nNVRNdGS05naaqMdEWLoh9KhBsrgbFM4-bw7fJlnvXxp864PlwiBFfENNoVdE3OkbW-hymMOnx_zq8YtW2iIaEs4W7GpBe/w400-h266/P1410781.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">So….<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">(needle pulling thread?)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">This is…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Another…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">…to begin.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Etc etc .<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Take stock?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Snow.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Fallen tree.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">London.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Birthday.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">The Nile.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Monkeys.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">A Lion roars in the night.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Swim.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Not yet March.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Paris, springtime.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">A lot of walking.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Every day.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Then cycling.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">A canal.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Two seas.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Torrential rain, sheltered by the station.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">A tent.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">A forest.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">A pilgrim.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">A garden full of growth, when was that dug?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">London again.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Youth.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Everywhere.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">The river.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Spain.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Swim.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Writing.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Swimming.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Writing.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">A wedding.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">A lost passport.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Bread.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Writing.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">A birthday approaches.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><a href="http://bitsnbobsshowntell.blogspot.com/2023/11/but-my-eyes-still-see.html" target="_blank">A book is published.<o:p></o:p></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Someone leaves.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Someone returns.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">A new cat.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-62262947532629694772023-12-27T18:01:00.001+01:002023-12-27T18:01:09.187+01:00Jimmie Goes to Hollywood.<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(40, 154, 251); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLwfcaY2Cp-TLPKt6OiZMHfBpHDgv40K34lknSMd0A7VctCKNJ99Ns09KRDjG2nFi8M7W18uHw0TfqvEEKRWWYzbfpafrT-cWcYMWdv5w4jnYlq8Ti0WsiHva17ZkIUXay1dBoG-bPl0i0SgHRL8i5KKEIgyxDsk_sAV-2512fXlDKmoxfEFoxA1WmPau/s4320/P1410788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="4320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLwfcaY2Cp-TLPKt6OiZMHfBpHDgv40K34lknSMd0A7VctCKNJ99Ns09KRDjG2nFi8M7W18uHw0TfqvEEKRWWYzbfpafrT-cWcYMWdv5w4jnYlq8Ti0WsiHva17ZkIUXay1dBoG-bPl0i0SgHRL8i5KKEIgyxDsk_sAV-2512fXlDKmoxfEFoxA1WmPau/w400-h266/P1410788.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">A few days’ shy of his thirty-first birthday, Jimmie moved from the village to the big city.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">The journey took several days, two buses, a train and a boat along with a fair amount of money and several bribes. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">It was early October, the Autumn was already advanced and in the village he had left behind the trees were a blaze of colour, mainly reds and yellows. The city was grey and it was raining.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">For several months prior to his departure he had been unable to leave the house; the village population was eighty-five, everyone knew everything about him, invented even more and a normal life was no longer possible. On the very day of his departure someone had run up and tried to cut a lock of his hair. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Jimmie stood on the pavement looking up into the leaking clouds, his arms outstretched in supplication and declared; “This is a breath of fresh air!”.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Nobody paid him a moments interest.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">From that moment his life changed. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">He went out; he sat in restaurants, he visited museums and art galleries and nobody gave him even the time of day. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Unless he asked them.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">He fell in love.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">He got married and only her parents came to the registry office.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Sometimes a passer-by would smile and say; ‘How you doing?”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">But they never stopped, expecting a reply.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">So, he smiled back and waved.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Eight or nine years went past.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">He woke, he worked, he slept.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">In between he dreamt.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">He went on holiday.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">He came back.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Just like everyone else. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Then - a few days’ shy of Christmas - as he was walking home, someone stepped out of the shadows and shot him four times.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">It was snowing.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">As he lay dying he watched his blood settle upon the flakes of snow, it reminded him of the leaves back in his village.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-73770560119822946512023-12-18T11:47:00.002+01:002023-12-18T11:47:50.623+01:00An International (Non-standard) Standard<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(40, 154, 251); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVX-Eyk5xJbV7raft21Wp0dd61iidTgTITjxNbBebavOA6RTE4_PP6gHjaqtJ67OGZF7Dt1t7OHEEc7wDhKIS2ewCG8BwboTTITuw2yjL2ELwGjS4qFoFAqJmEjvaCMnSYhiVQpwU-7xG-ue0ObQ0omJX-MBRVmywy_lp16w3vKDxvsahY8xCBQurEQbp/s4320/P1410786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="4320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVX-Eyk5xJbV7raft21Wp0dd61iidTgTITjxNbBebavOA6RTE4_PP6gHjaqtJ67OGZF7Dt1t7OHEEc7wDhKIS2ewCG8BwboTTITuw2yjL2ELwGjS4qFoFAqJmEjvaCMnSYhiVQpwU-7xG-ue0ObQ0omJX-MBRVmywy_lp16w3vKDxvsahY8xCBQurEQbp/w400-h266/P1410786.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">You probably won’t know this and you will probably believe it not to be true……<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">But…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">There exists an International Standard against which the colour white is measured.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">White can’t truly be called white, unless it matches this standard.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Internationally.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Though…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">To be more accurate…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It’s a standard for Lily-White.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The international standard for Lily-White, against which all Whites should be measured.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And sometimes, Lilies.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And probably terms like pale-face – if anyone uses that any more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It is a protected International Standard so, for safety and security and to avoid duplication it is moved around.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Whereas, being that there are in fact two of them it would be more correct to say “they are moved around”.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I saw them today.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Under a table in a café.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">They are Mr Peter’s legs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Despite many months of shorts and relentless sun they have not changed their appearance at all.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Which is why they are the International Standard.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And used, sometimes, for standing<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><br /></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-8692130038811023482023-12-11T16:01:00.002+01:002023-12-11T16:01:08.473+01:00Wait for Spring.<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(40, 154, 251); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfwcUqE9449AKxOePuc3l0Oe_drCcfG8XPdeOBDmNVeG0eSjxI-MCPMjqTxl3_19wNdtrBFWLtB9krPoqYIUh0spP58lnJrJ1LKMZGOvUMKx-TG1C-sptg7VzYItbzZQHVp6noRn48FdlL_Qvi1xuZhgQPdgkvHeBJ-nEmnwQPOI2ePN4Psih6WvgJeDG/s4320/P1410647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4320" data-original-width="2880" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfwcUqE9449AKxOePuc3l0Oe_drCcfG8XPdeOBDmNVeG0eSjxI-MCPMjqTxl3_19wNdtrBFWLtB9krPoqYIUh0spP58lnJrJ1LKMZGOvUMKx-TG1C-sptg7VzYItbzZQHVp6noRn48FdlL_Qvi1xuZhgQPdgkvHeBJ-nEmnwQPOI2ePN4Psih6WvgJeDG/w266-h400/P1410647.JPG" width="266" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><i><a href="http://bitsnbobsshowntell.blogspot.com/2023/12/light-rain-tipping-down-softly.html" target="_blank">.....see!</a></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">At the top of the climb the forest falls away and creates a meadow that looks far into the west. There, everything was grey, a soft grey like the woman’s tears in the film that was still playing at the back of my mind. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">With the forest below in the fore, the grey mists looked like sea waiting to be crossed, a new world beyond. But for now I walked down towards the village. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Still no one.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">If it was not for my constant thinking the silence would have been all that I could hear.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">At the back of the village there is a football pitch, with six goal areas. Two at each end as in most cases, two on each of the two sides. It must be funny to play a game like that.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The goal posts were rusty, the two boxes where the coaches could sit and watch had recently been painted.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Yellow.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Buttercup yellow.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">But there are no buttercups today, just puddles on the penalty spot.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I follow the road twisting behind the church and cross the field that leads to the old post office, down the hill and arrive at the shop.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Mao is there.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Coleen too.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And Mario.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">They are unloading Pascale’s van that is delivering, he enters carrying a tray of bright shiny clementine; a few wrapped in waxed paper. They are bright orange, brighter than the leaves of the forest.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I offer to help.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I’m too late.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">So I buy bread.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And cheese.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Some chocolate for later.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And I drink a coffee.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Short.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Black.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I head back, and turn around the church. Doug and Louise are having a house built hear, next to the school. In between are the old wash basins, they haven’t been used since plumbing put water into each house.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The roof is made from asbestos slabs and the parents of the children at the school are worried that there is a health risk. The authorities have deemed that it is safer not to touch it. I stand under it for a moment and listen to the rain bouncing off and into the road that leads past the new house.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It is almost finished.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Louise hopes to move in before Christmas.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Doug is keeping an open mind.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The front garden is just mud.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Wet clinging mud. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">A dozen people working together trying to keep to schedule have turned it into a trampled war field.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I think Louise should wait for the spring, and for the sun to bake the ground hard.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-10501649403113028712023-12-07T10:50:00.000+01:002023-12-07T10:50:06.348+01:00Light Rain, Tipping Down, Softly.<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(40, 154, 251); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEfEv1kozrxrcckxG5swfWoSkcufGTVClb8LXqNjuvmBD_BeyWEd8l9ZDWEPWWgMWHu8S4c76njCsWOKPSyXXXoM1jVYc9s-Jd_vOWNOFlWbRxaS0N4W8EbZ9ALvgP7BJ22tnBZxZhv9S-AVdvWbwuU0eppb8uaHWt_QRzfLPO1V1JkS29wJaC7Cf-T_A/s4320/P1410723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="4320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEfEv1kozrxrcckxG5swfWoSkcufGTVClb8LXqNjuvmBD_BeyWEd8l9ZDWEPWWgMWHu8S4c76njCsWOKPSyXXXoM1jVYc9s-Jd_vOWNOFlWbRxaS0N4W8EbZ9ALvgP7BJ22tnBZxZhv9S-AVdvWbwuU0eppb8uaHWt_QRzfLPO1V1JkS29wJaC7Cf-T_A/w400-h266/P1410723.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I left the house at 8.43 am, the first day of December at the tail end of the sixty ninth year.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It was raining.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Lightly.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I headed east, hoping to see the donkeys that live in the field nearby, then in their absence turned west and climbed through the forest. It was difficult to say for certain that it was raining, perhaps the trees were simply dripping and I thought for a moment of a line of dialogue from a Billy Wilder film.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">“She started crying softly, like the rain on the window-pane”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">In the film the main character opened the window after the woman had left and it was hardly raining softly. It was tipping down.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The line struck me as incongruous. Clever, but incongruous. The script had been co-written by Raymond Chandler and I suspected that this line was his. I like Mr Chandler’s writing, it’s poetic sometimes, funny at others and he’s a good story teller. I would like to write like him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">But instead I carried on walking, now turning towards the south.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I followed the track up the hill, walking over a wet mosaic of fallen yellows, orange and gold; the forest smelt of nuts and earth. A deer ran across the path.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">When I reached the field where the horses sometimes graze, I turned east again and went down past the cows into the valley. Underfoot the leaves gave way to rock, grey almost white to the senses. In the distance spirals of mist hung in the folds of the hills and I turned into the meadow bellow the hamlet. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I saw no one. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Only the stacks of wood that they had ordered for the winter, lying waiting and discarded where the delivery had been made. It was too wet to bother stacking them yet. A cock crowed, a flock of birds disturbed by something and took wing, circled over the hamlet and settled on the roof of the bread makers house. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Two cars drove past me down the hill but I turned towards the edge of the hamlet where Alan is restoring a ruin. For now he lives alongside in a yurt, gaining access by a ladder to a high window. Perhaps it’s not a yurt, but just looks like one. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I decided to cross the road and enter the trees, hoping to find an old path to take me to the village. Instead I came out on the lane that climbs slowly to the lake.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> I climbed slowly; wild strawberries grow along the verge in the springtime. Or is it summertime? It was so wet that my memory of when and what the seasons offer was damp. But I was warm. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">My coat is waterproof, my boots too.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I can change trousers later........<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(to be continued, maybe, one day...)</span></span></p><br /></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-52861276057386474672023-11-25T13:00:00.000+01:002023-11-25T13:00:01.942+01:00Sitting There .<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(40, 154, 251); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFpzlfRPgE5RQTSnSUY2I-4fO3ITSzVZ0QENuaxYFNA9fziTHUlKSHUhEGKv5oNMQKzimyyFKEkT5bifkTucRCUtMhzFQ6ycWfgyXXUg1RrbIQM7HH33hMvx3DoRv7_ZYkkFk4T96cL8Z5yzREYTLR26r09PL5wttnsIdJU7FPDD_i35lVJolw9pAFWynW/s4320/P1410686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4320" data-original-width="2880" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFpzlfRPgE5RQTSnSUY2I-4fO3ITSzVZ0QENuaxYFNA9fziTHUlKSHUhEGKv5oNMQKzimyyFKEkT5bifkTucRCUtMhzFQ6ycWfgyXXUg1RrbIQM7HH33hMvx3DoRv7_ZYkkFk4T96cL8Z5yzREYTLR26r09PL5wttnsIdJU7FPDD_i35lVJolw9pAFWynW/w266-h400/P1410686.JPG" width="266" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Hi<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Hi<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">You were sitting there when I went out, what have you been doing all day?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">It’s been raining<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">That wasn’t the question, what have you been doing?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">I worked on my artwork.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Good. Did you make progress?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">A little. Some green has entered in around the eagle’s head and an explosion of pink around the young boy’s head.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">It looks like a brain wave, except for his expression.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Yes, maybe more a brain struggle, a brain implosion perhaps.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Perhaps, is that it?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Is that what?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">All that you’ve been doing.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">You wouldn’t ask Picasso that.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">You’re not Picasso.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Well, I’ve listened to the radio.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">And?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Interesting stuff, Beatles, jazz, more Beatles… I wrote an e-mail.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Ah, yes?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">To Ron. And spoke to him on the phone.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">And?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">He’s not coming tomorrow. Apart from that…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Quite a day!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Oh, I’ve cooked too. Made you your dinner.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Ah, thanks.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">And I’ve drunk half a bottle of wine.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Ah.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">So , I’m a bit drunk. I might fall over if I stand up.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Better stay there then.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">that's what i thought. So , i have.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-3591485419248357912023-11-17T15:38:00.002+01:002023-11-17T15:38:11.732+01:00A Web of a Web.<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(40, 154, 251); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDydNkTKfwGEDBFDMa2KctdLvmbCOCj0WPVOWjeQ4bt5BLVA0J7cfqe20KMfS5vCx2Hryzq5BtlAH-4686oauLqBlR-_zyZdFdqFk581jMOHer9K8zw60VuSv0L8SU8OM9uphSKvApIDeVBrX_JS3dUTgBLUd9jsw-0WJeN0ygRZBYzKmGG5g15ba_5DFe/s4320/P1410704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="4320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDydNkTKfwGEDBFDMa2KctdLvmbCOCj0WPVOWjeQ4bt5BLVA0J7cfqe20KMfS5vCx2Hryzq5BtlAH-4686oauLqBlR-_zyZdFdqFk581jMOHer9K8zw60VuSv0L8SU8OM9uphSKvApIDeVBrX_JS3dUTgBLUd9jsw-0WJeN0ygRZBYzKmGG5g15ba_5DFe/w400-h266/P1410704.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Alright! Somet…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">And it’s snowi…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Morning <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>Ea…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Chapter 16. Sl…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">I have fresh b….<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Fine, take a w…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Good morning C…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Hello there..<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Are you at the…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Je peux vous r…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Coucou Chris!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">See you tomorr…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Ah yes ok grea…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Ana?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">10/11 ish<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Could you plea…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">12:00 at Bazar…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">What time?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Ms H has read..<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Have we got co…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">One enough for..<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Thank you! Xx<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Please can you…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Can you get so…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Ms H is readin…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Boarding x<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">G morning xxx<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Aww xx<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">They say it’s …<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Oui à mardi !<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Aire de covoit…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Ok super alors…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Parfait je pen…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Cool merci !<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Oui ça m’arran…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Coucou Chris.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Everyone says…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Rainbow !!!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Maybe ! If not…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Hello we had s..<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Arrived at the…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Flight late 55..<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Mister tippyto…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Xxx…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Haha yes I’ll…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Aww well bad n…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Hello<span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>Arri…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">I guess I was…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">It was really…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Driving with M…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Aww sweet…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">She’s been sle…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Just arrived :<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Yep I think st…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Yes second bus…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Alright good !<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Ben’s mum just…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Merci <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>)))<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Hehe they will…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Great thanks…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Coucou! Have a …<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Ah yes I wasn’…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Ah hehe! Few…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Ah great <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>W…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">I got my bike…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Wrong phone n ….<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Never mind ! I…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Loved “Xxx”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Yes if you do…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Alright! Enjpy…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">14:40 easyJet…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Tomorrow still…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Better here me..<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Didn’t know!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">It went really…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Will do x<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Slowly… Saffy<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Sunshine today<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Warm and toast<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Pouring with r…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Good night<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Ok cool! Night<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Alright so you…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Hello <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>I ha…<o:p></o:p></p><br /></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-26857996841868032282023-11-15T16:32:00.003+01:002023-11-15T16:32:50.181+01:00Electric Crimson Courgettes.<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(40, 154, 251); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq73XXZR4iXUpuRlfsT10hrZSlESw2_VxCIlBF7TFxlSLhpjc37SxeByR7kasNqG0-by1qEEJ_tHRPXFnbJzMDGR8Y98D4XS8PZfqnCuKsSivjDn0K-CpA8C4rNXAFA7nCogfrF61c7cVc8ZSXiFPblkgF5QeBgcdLcwLAjiLF6mBHrXQa7ZYHr2MZhfcR/s640/P1000199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq73XXZR4iXUpuRlfsT10hrZSlESw2_VxCIlBF7TFxlSLhpjc37SxeByR7kasNqG0-by1qEEJ_tHRPXFnbJzMDGR8Y98D4XS8PZfqnCuKsSivjDn0K-CpA8C4rNXAFA7nCogfrF61c7cVc8ZSXiFPblkgF5QeBgcdLcwLAjiLF6mBHrXQa7ZYHr2MZhfcR/w400-h300/P1000199.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The meal was excellent – white wine, sardines, mozzarella with tomato and basil and grilled courgettes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The sunset was crimson.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The thunder storm electric.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The campsite, if you can call it that, was empty; their bed awaiting at the top of the tree in a wooden cabin.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The rain will play melodies on the roof, the lightning will illuminate their slumber.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The morning will be a fresh awakening, a new day.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">A new adventure.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">formerly published in the archives</span></i></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-84933983296335993732023-11-09T14:43:00.006+01:002023-11-09T14:43:36.302+01:00An Arthurian Legend.<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(40, 154, 251); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2R9PYocuwBdLgBfdVEjb-n5Dc9ei4fwCqS1nKKG5EGzfCXiWo-jTRTI8v0YXhPNBkkghnkuMVKwCbq524x_cCzSN7tyJzMoqL5ngr3AaCHSWbqfG37uAqSLwlYhqNkPR59lBkVDRB5RSlhWvLfrdqRnQT0soheoIEvJssqohbcu8eMOF8QpX-6N5NEwx/s4320/P1000326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2R9PYocuwBdLgBfdVEjb-n5Dc9ei4fwCqS1nKKG5EGzfCXiWo-jTRTI8v0YXhPNBkkghnkuMVKwCbq524x_cCzSN7tyJzMoqL5ngr3AaCHSWbqfG37uAqSLwlYhqNkPR59lBkVDRB5RSlhWvLfrdqRnQT0soheoIEvJssqohbcu8eMOF8QpX-6N5NEwx/w400-h300/P1000326.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">“Keep writing” , he says, “keep writing.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Well, it’s all very well him saying that when he’s off gallivanting around a muddy field in Somerset isn’t it?. Expecting me to do all the bloody work! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I ask you, what a cheek! I’ve been in that muddy filed myself, with him in fact, and I well know what goes on there; drugs, rock ’n roll, sex too probably though he might be a bit old for that now.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">He might be a bit old for the drugs as well, come to think of it. I suspect the closest he gets there is a few pain killers for the knees, or a bit of Vick vapour rub for his chest in the winter months.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Is Vick vapour rub considered to be a hallucinogenic I wonder; I’m pretty sure my grandmother was addicted to it, though if you challenged her she scoffed at the suggestion: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">“Addictive??!! Nonsense, I’ve been using it for years.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">She was in fact addicted to a lot of things; her red arm chair that sat to one side of the fire place, long after the neighbourhood where she lived became a smokeless zone and the fire had to be replaced by an electric bar heater; People magazine; The News of The World – before it folded – and, mysteriously, red lentils. She ate them with everything, even banana custard!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">When she died we found sacks of them hidden at the back of the lean-to that was also where she stored the coal that she continued to have delivered in the hope that a future Conservative government would repeal the Clean Air act that she always believed was the work of ‘those skinny socialists’.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">“Keep writing”, he says, “keep writing.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">What does he expect me to do? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">What else IS there to do?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">My television no longer works because I refuse to buy an HD version, I don’t have a Netflix account and the local library no longer exists; it’s been re-imagined into a vegan hair dresser’s. I’m not sure what a vegan hairdresser is, and I’m not even sure what a hairdresser’s is these days; the only person I let cut my hair is my wife and has been for the 38 years we have been together. It requires a lot of bravery, her technique is to cut a snip, step back to look at it and then burst out laughing; but I love hearing her laugh so I am prepared to endure the looks of the neighbours when I go out walking.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">“Keep writing”, he says, “keep writing.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">This is meant to be a collaborative effort! What am I going to write if he hasn’t written something in reply to what I wrote before in reply to what he wrote before that in reply to me saying ‘just start!’ after he’d said let’s write.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Where’s the justice in that?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Where’s the sense in that?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">What’s the point?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">What’s the point of anything come to that?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Well..<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I guess you have to do something.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Write/write/write.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Right/right/right.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">There you go – I wonder what he’ll make of that.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I wonder if his garden shed is still full of all the bits and bobs, flotsam and jetsam of a life time entertaining?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Last time I looked in there – he was asleep and I was outside the house waiting for him to wake up – I saw things that I had last seen thirty years previously.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And we had stopped using them then.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And I wonder what he really IS doing in that field in Somerset.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Listening to one of the singers from the side of the stage on a damp chilly evening when you can see the condensation forming as the lyrics leave their lips?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Or lying in a sweat lodge listening to the music from another dimension?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Or sitting in the skeletal wreck of a car in the pay field pretending to be a taxi driver to the future, for the children who are climbing on top.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Or watching two performance artists sitting at the end of a very long stretch of white fabric staring at the remains of a TV set?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">No, none of these.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It will be midnight, mid-summer’s day; a small circular stage in a dip in the meadow, surrounded by a thousand people waiting for something to begin. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">There will be a small tent off, on each side, styled to look like an Arthurian castle where the actors are still preparing for a performance of King Arthur.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">He will turn to me and say ‘so, this is what everyone has been doing, having kids.’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Then as the crowd hush a drunk will clumsily climb up on to the stage and start singing, very badly, destroying the spell that has been settling upon us<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The people will catch their breath – this is not what we wanted.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">A moment will seem like an hour.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Then,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Low and fast,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Running from one of the tents, a character dressed like a minstrel,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">He will run across the field, jump effortlessly on to the stage, continue across dropping a shoulder and shifting their weight just enough to send the drunk spinning back to where they had come from , and then disappearing into the opposite tent.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The crowd will roar, the fanfare will sound and Guinevere will step into the moonlight and charm every single one of us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-72210881623981083282023-11-04T19:24:00.004+01:002023-11-04T19:24:40.152+01:00But My Eyes Still See.<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(40, 154, 251); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_umal0eUjrJxOq7dnnJPHcMpLTgiotST0JfUtu6Xob__-vMWQbd3QFRhjJ5LWaOlNpRlaDBPiQ-Lq1lXz3L2kZEKGlou2C5hZNhHiXE_UeH-oq__mg8Dstjc85p-immYnm2eaX4aH51fsE62lGKOdt6ZqAYfFhWMEG9eXtpl5FdNbHK3hrCuLu2HhE6FQ/s4320/P1410596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="4320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_umal0eUjrJxOq7dnnJPHcMpLTgiotST0JfUtu6Xob__-vMWQbd3QFRhjJ5LWaOlNpRlaDBPiQ-Lq1lXz3L2kZEKGlou2C5hZNhHiXE_UeH-oq__mg8Dstjc85p-immYnm2eaX4aH51fsE62lGKOdt6ZqAYfFhWMEG9eXtpl5FdNbHK3hrCuLu2HhE6FQ/w400-h266/P1410596.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">When he was a kid, people used to say – “what do you want to be when you grew up?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">He found it SO annoying!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">When he was a teenager other teenagers used to say – “oh, grow up!”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It was SO annoying !<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">When he retired people started saying – “ What are you going to do now?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">GO AWAY !<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">p.s. – I’ve just finished a book if you want to pre-order it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">p.p.s. – Just don’t ask me what it’s about, ‘cos I won’t tell you!<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-38894500948198854922023-10-29T12:09:00.002+01:002023-10-29T12:09:40.741+01:00A Path, an Already View.<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(40, 154, 251); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6-KR2WgsHBUCYLrBc11s81MTHpMupHVSa0_MNJiifJmVIzkyBBTZb9duwiT8aWFlWXGgBKu1wVwKMYPmDaaqPudEvV63hYNPkKwM86GlpLXU2IrpNbCmYBtIP-3TlWwENGBgB7qeFwbqQU9tK1YqKSnmhHhdWII469TP-C09Pob-4Rv8mCjnR2wB5cge/s4320/P1410656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="4320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6-KR2WgsHBUCYLrBc11s81MTHpMupHVSa0_MNJiifJmVIzkyBBTZb9duwiT8aWFlWXGgBKu1wVwKMYPmDaaqPudEvV63hYNPkKwM86GlpLXU2IrpNbCmYBtIP-3TlWwENGBgB7qeFwbqQU9tK1YqKSnmhHhdWII469TP-C09Pob-4Rv8mCjnR2wB5cge/w400-h266/P1410656.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Déjà vu.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Already seen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">From the French, voir – the verb to see- and déjà meaning already.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I’ve already seen the sun set over The Mayan Temples in Palenque.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And over the Pacific Ocean from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I’ve seen the High Plains in Bolivia and the low pastures of Holland.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I’ve seen the bubble gum art on the Millennium Bridge in London.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Not many people do.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">See it that is, a lot of people drop their bubble gum there.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I’ve seen tortillas being hand made in a Mexican market and people making their own felt here in France.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I’ve seen the Eiffel Tower (from the bottom and from the top), Notre Dame (before it was burnt) and Dali’s sundial (around the corner from the charred remains).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I’ve seen the inside of the Mir Space Station, well, a life size model thereof.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I’ve seen friends die, babies born and a flower that blooms only once every 20 years, bloom.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I’ve already seen the bad side of the police and the good side of criminals.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I’ve seen the tree where Robin Hood is said to have lived.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And I’ve already seen the place where Karl Marx is buried.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And Bruce Lee.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And Edith Piath.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And the place where I’d like to be.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Laid to rest.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Laid to rest – now there’s a thought.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It’s difficult to know which way to turn if everything is behind you. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">But a hill is a good place to stand and see the options; search the high ground.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And maybe the high moral ground too, why not?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Paths.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Radiating out and beyond.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It has been said that paths are not for people who want to be first, but that they do offer a deeply symbolic idea of there being a way in life. And as the writer, Patti Miller, goes on to explain, this imagery of a path implies a Pilgrim; </span><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #121212;">someone who is making a spiritual journey to a particular destination for the improvement of their soul. It creates the idea of a “true path”.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Isn’t everyone a Pilgrim?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">One way or another.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">I am on a lonely road and I am travelling, travelling<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">Looking for something, what can it be?<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Joni Mitchell.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Pilgrim</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">, n & vi. One who journeys to sacred place as act of religious devotion; person regarded as journeying to a future life; traveller….<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Path</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">, n. Footway, esp. one merely beaten by foot, not specially constructed; track laid for foot or cycle racing; line along which person or thing moves.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #121212; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18);"><i>to be continued</i></span></span></div></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-282451125062954202023-10-18T19:17:00.000+02:002023-10-18T19:17:00.510+02:00The Village of The Red Dress.<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(40, 154, 251); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHF5zTYDeEm1D-g1QAkpSAM19gTLBOXaaXp69qCgnLiwKDLm5rA5D3v6mFMXeD6Je9bqhSGziwVRRTaoITtu4heLJa9rl6QmaWOCHg002OVliOi3NaJjUfIvsPwYpTf0LkhZzcAHvCC8Ve65qIHTlBgmfuK_q3a9mlOJzzJH7Vk94mrrkiKWlwfo3Ga515/s4320/P1410607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="4320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHF5zTYDeEm1D-g1QAkpSAM19gTLBOXaaXp69qCgnLiwKDLm5rA5D3v6mFMXeD6Je9bqhSGziwVRRTaoITtu4heLJa9rl6QmaWOCHg002OVliOi3NaJjUfIvsPwYpTf0LkhZzcAHvCC8Ve65qIHTlBgmfuK_q3a9mlOJzzJH7Vk94mrrkiKWlwfo3Ga515/w400-h266/P1410607.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://bitsnbobsshowntell.blogspot.com/2023/10/a-red-anger-in-mountains.html" target="_blank">This village </a>exists, doesn’t it?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It does.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">In the mountains?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Yes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">So these mountains exist?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Naturally.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And this train.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Of course.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Running from the coast to the city in several hours?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Not exactly.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">How?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It runs from the city to the mountains.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">No coast?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Neither in the city, nor the mountains….. though there is a coast somewhere else.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">What about the streams and rivers?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">What about them?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Do they exist, in this village?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Yes, they do and their babble fills the streets and alleyways.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The hostel?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It’s there, but maybe it’s a guest house.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The woman?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I don’t know what to say, she’s probably real but she wasn’t there then, or now.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">But she’s real?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Yes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">But she didn’t come this morning from the coast?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">She might have, but not by train.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">She’s forty?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Older than that now, but forty as well.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">She has green eyes, brighter than any emerald?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It would be nice, but there are no emeralds, and no mines. At least, not any that I am aware of.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Raven black hair?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Probably dyed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Red dress suit?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Red dress.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Like the suitcase?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It’s not red, it’s grey and it’s not there , it’s here.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">What about the anger?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Maybe red, more probably black. Certainly dark. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Still?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Probably, yes, at the bottom of a bottle of wine.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Red?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Yes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-7108750693729956242023-10-13T22:48:00.000+02:002023-10-13T22:48:46.751+02:00Lemons and a few bells.<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(40, 154, 251); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikK1CzmrNF3Ve4F4LmKvQYweHYkxMrV50rZBynGyrEdFPYrIGaFXhsec-9m9i1dg0gh0y4xRWsmh3oBtRdC43JNQePXMnBBvMa1pwg1f8-1s112vWeJne9aaF-8fj31GEnNDt_SYeh9oOiGW7hmodocY0L-D9hD3s99YT8YAEJ3-UiPIWZYiKuoc8wj30W/s4320/P1410602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="4320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikK1CzmrNF3Ve4F4LmKvQYweHYkxMrV50rZBynGyrEdFPYrIGaFXhsec-9m9i1dg0gh0y4xRWsmh3oBtRdC43JNQePXMnBBvMa1pwg1f8-1s112vWeJne9aaF-8fj31GEnNDt_SYeh9oOiGW7hmodocY0L-D9hD3s99YT8YAEJ3-UiPIWZYiKuoc8wj30W/w400-h266/P1410602.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Lemons.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Not something I write about every day.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Not something I think about every day either.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Lemons.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">There it is again!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Let me check the blog to see how often Lemons have appeared here in the past …<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Check/Check/Check….<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Well, well.. it seems <a href="https://bitsnbobsshowntell.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-backward-chronicle-6.html" target="_blank">there is one post</a> - ONE!!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I’d better read it to check….<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Check/Check/Check….<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Yep, there there.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Three of them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">But that’s it… how many years?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Hang on..<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Check/Check .. etc ..<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Fifteen years apparently.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I thought it was much, much longer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">3 Lemons, all at once, in fifteen years.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Which means it’s probably time to address them again. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">So… lemons… grow on trees….<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">…er..<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">…what else?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">One can be a lemon.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Suck a lemon.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Like the actor Jack Lemmon.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Two M’s.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">I checked on Wikipedia.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Oranges and lemons, sing the bells of St Clement's.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Ok, I admit, I’m running out of juice.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-56185414556016530662023-10-08T19:00:00.002+02:002023-10-08T19:00:32.225+02:00A Solitary Tomato Ripens.<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(40, 154, 251); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh4BcwnZmHuzhEpIJlS4eg3TriC0aanEEzIqY0BiUPhLhFqo2IKapCEbzJUeiFUtiCVObN2YXPysXp77sf6EuqcYL7GAzDgAcGStG0InHPXeqYbw9sKZNLOI2QgHfYDJtB2sPMWfZJNFuDjB0wFMz52YVt_mCyY4HrX9VaXQNGXVGKue0UbRUIsSnzUy5f/s4320/P1410610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="4320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh4BcwnZmHuzhEpIJlS4eg3TriC0aanEEzIqY0BiUPhLhFqo2IKapCEbzJUeiFUtiCVObN2YXPysXp77sf6EuqcYL7GAzDgAcGStG0InHPXeqYbw9sKZNLOI2QgHfYDJtB2sPMWfZJNFuDjB0wFMz52YVt_mCyY4HrX9VaXQNGXVGKue0UbRUIsSnzUy5f/w400-h266/P1410610.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Three days ago, he stepped out of the lake and looked up through the forest to the patch of blue sky overhead. First one, then two more swallows and then a dozen swooped and whirled overhead.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">He stood and watched, enraptured by their ballet, and then they were gone.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Was it goodbye?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Were they off?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">See you again next year.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">That night he felt the first chill of autumn but slept outside nonetheless.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The next morning the chill was stronger.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">If the swallows have left, he thought, then he should move back inside.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">He did.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The next day he stood in the lake but his legs felt numb.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">But today he went to the river, the evening sun and a heron settled on the trees on the far bank.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">He dropped his shoe as he undressed and it started to float downstream, so he had to go in.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">He did.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">He swam.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It was breathtakingly invigorating.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">A joy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">After he went to the village, the sun turning the ancient stones into a golden ruin and bought ice cream.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">And ate it looking at the castle.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Tonight the owls will call the autumn, but the day will still resist.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Rain is far, far away.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Little more than a hope of an old memory.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">A solitary tomato waits to ripen in the morning sun.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-34183120790945393112023-10-05T11:26:00.003+02:002023-10-05T11:35:56.250+02:00A Red Anger in the Mountains.<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(40, 154, 251); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgmwdRkh7IQi4zPg3BArFfHmm00Hi8fd1AOvrCxbppMIy9kpEQT_3v4gP1W4FVnKRN6g5KF6rj4TNXRihJmMVcGIRu2J1_Sin4hr9rUYgnRz-Tg62KnjJxwN2Bcrc0J44NUVgqT4O_WwR8EZUoafccdKrVDEPHWSqROk4bfJcHXB6So4USdpkjhcfEIT9/s4320/P1410643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="4320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgmwdRkh7IQi4zPg3BArFfHmm00Hi8fd1AOvrCxbppMIy9kpEQT_3v4gP1W4FVnKRN6g5KF6rj4TNXRihJmMVcGIRu2J1_Sin4hr9rUYgnRz-Tg62KnjJxwN2Bcrc0J44NUVgqT4O_WwR8EZUoafccdKrVDEPHWSqROk4bfJcHXB6So4USdpkjhcfEIT9/w400-h266/P1410643.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The train from the coast to the city several hours distant, stops once at a small village high in the mountains.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Passengers rarely board or alight at the village and the only reason that the train still schedules a stop is because the station master had influential friends in the government. When they realise that he retired a year ago the station will probably close.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The locomotive that pulls the train leaves the coast at 7:23 a.m. and follows the rising sun before turning across the plains, it arrives in the mountains just after lunch so if you haven’t eaten on the train you will be hungry until the evening when the only shop/bar/restaurant opens. The small hostel however will make you a coffee, as long as you have a room booked for the night.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Jenny has a room booked for the night, but not being in a rush for a bed or caffeine she stands and watches the train pull out of the station as it heads to the first of many tunnels. She remains standing long after it has gone and the sound of the wheels and vibrating rails has stopped. She waits a little longer until she hears the feint whistle signalling that the train has reached the final tunnel and then she closes her eyes. And lets the silence of the empty station surround her.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">The silence here is different from that of the coast where she woke early this morning, walking down to the ocean still bathed in moonlight; the soft pulse of the waves there is replaced by the soft babble of the streams that run alongside and under every path through the village, taking snow melt to the rivers far below. If she concentrates she can hear the waters voice singing to her through the silence of the station and the grey stone of the mountains that look down and watch her.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">She feels as if time has stopped and that she could stand here forever and that nothing would ever change, and she would like it to be so. She is in no hurry to break the spell that is settling upon her and she leans her head back so that the sun can caress her face.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It feels good to be alive.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">It feels good to be here in the mountains where the air is clear and pure: already she feels young again, younger than her forty odd years.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">When she opens her eyes the mountains are startled by the intense electricity of her green eyes, even the emeralds hidden deep in the mines that the villages have tried in vain to find would be jealous. But no body mines any more, too disappointed by the dreams that failed to materialize, so the emeralds remain untroubled by the completion from her sparkling eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">She wonders if she should be wearing a hat, the sun is stronger here at altitude and she gathers her raven black hair into a bunch and clips it with a broach she takes from her pocket. The broach is decorated with coral from the ocean she has now left behind; her past will remain there and all the future will hold is in the small red suitcase at her feet. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">Red like her dress suit, red like her shoes and red like the anger that she is still carrying inside. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span lang="EN-GB">This she was unable to leave in the sand this morning as the moon began to set, she can only hope that the spirituous air of the mountains will help her forget.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705434510664520110.post-21337242043116243562023-10-03T20:03:00.003+02:002023-10-03T20:03:48.202+02:00Biscuits, Spectacles and Body Parts<div style="border: 5px ridge rgb(40, 154, 251); padding: 100px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkSjza_TfPE14_2Y74mMez_8eMxGhwCxz3OliY1O-d45SxyEkpg4TJmjoUlmOpSYDjPBj-CxcBntXpNG6T2-rysDqwJ4Iae56LkRJ0oB2L1ADyEkWmekpodxXvFtCVmknirEx3ImcDOF5M3G2pgrxciG2QES4kyzfnKuBn3yrAnYc6yRL-yA3E-MV_NWo/s4320/P1400746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="4320" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkSjza_TfPE14_2Y74mMez_8eMxGhwCxz3OliY1O-d45SxyEkpg4TJmjoUlmOpSYDjPBj-CxcBntXpNG6T2-rysDqwJ4Iae56LkRJ0oB2L1ADyEkWmekpodxXvFtCVmknirEx3ImcDOF5M3G2pgrxciG2QES4kyzfnKuBn3yrAnYc6yRL-yA3E-MV_NWo/w400-h266/P1400746.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">I spent most of the morning and a fair chunk of the afternoon hanging out with Tyron.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Tyron’s not his real name of course, and he might not even be a ‘he/his/him’ but one thing that I can tell you without fear of reprisal is that he talks a lot.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">If he were Irish, which he isn’t, I would say he had the gift of the gab; but he hasn’t, because he isn’t but he may well as be because he has.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">My contribution to the conversation was pretty much limited to; - uh ha, really? How come? When was that?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Tyron, who isn’t but might be, dealt with everything else.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Hours of loquacious flow uninterrupted by me or anyone else.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Not that there was anyone else there, but then there might have been.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">If there had been, anyone else there, her - if it indeed turned out to be a ‘her/she/hers’ – contribution would probably have been much the same as mine.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">All this to say that Tyron spoke a lot.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Full of stories.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">An endless repartee brought to an end only by the fact that our wallets were empty having spent all our money on wine and food, coffee and cake.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">If we had indeed eaten anything.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">The weird thing is that this morning, I can’t remember a single detail of anything he told me.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">I THINK we touched on The Holy Grail and its probable location, but then again that might have been during a different conversation with a completely different person.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Who may or may not have been called Eve.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Her, if it was indeed her, and I, if I was indeed there, also shared coffee and cake.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Or maybe biscuits.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Tyron possibly also spoke about windows, digital toxicity, former presidents, body parts and indestructible eye-wear.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">But then again I have no memory of any of this.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Besides none of this may never have happened.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><i><b>Editor’s notes </b>– all names and places, fact and fiction have been changed to protect the anonymity of anyone who was or wasn’t present.</i><o:p></o:p></p><br /></div></div></div>
</div>poppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08976320013870023366noreply@blogger.com0