notes collected between December 21st 2006 and April 15th 2007

21st december 2006
cheerfull dunnock pair, greenfinch, curlew calling. The tide is pulling out and the sun lifting. The cliffs are now a soft glow. Flocks of tide edge birds flicker in the new sunlight (let yourself fall into that feeling) ducks high and orangey, fly past.
Nonviolece: The History of a Dangerous Idea. Mark Kurlansky
www.for.org.uk/buildpeace.html
19th January 2007
song thrush establishing space, filling the ash tree and the circuit. Willow about to bud.
It is not what we do that makes us holy, but we ought to make holy what we do.
Lorna Marsden, discussing Meister Eckhart??
Tomorrow can be too late.
Don’t just do something, sit there.
Ambitious to be quiet.
How can I begin, how can I even begin to explain?
Mavis Cheek The Sleeping Beauties
Amazing hand mouldable thermoplastic
Get them warm, keep them warm, then satisfaction will be found.
Kitty got a crinkling coming home from the fair.
8th February: heading north 2 big dark foxes in a field with patches of snow, quietly walking.
13th March: interviewed by a Canadian TV company. Happy ending I said….just a week to go and it wouldn’t be…..
To be looked at by a stranger. I look out of the bus window at passing cars. A young man sleeps in one. I look, he wakes and lifts his head and looks at me.
Half a while.
If shaymans are shahmans and shahmans are shaymans, what are artists?
Scent of lilies the echo of the listed names – remember Derry. Movementgreen in the black white and burnt. Paper planes. Dust to dust ashes to ashes. Those that are named and passed. Those that will be.
24th march: Cheltenham spa: I’m sure I’ve just seen a man that I met in north wales, idwal Copttage, some years ago (mentioned in a poem of mine). In his 70’s with a motorbike in this country but living in Swtzerland, used to climb with Joe Brown just after the war. Joe Browns granny sewing them things altered from old army stuff and blacksmiths making them crampons. Birmingham New Street: I look in the window as the tunnel snaps up the view and see my haggered face. 3 lapwings, separately but close, near Derby. We hide so effectively from death that it seems sucha surprise as it shows its face. Journey through accents, anglo welsh, south pembs welsh, Cardiff, Newport, suddenly Birmingham and north.
26thMarch: hard to see 26 swans and myself under a sky so blue. How to breath into lungs so tight, on a train so full, exhausted (sent to M.C.). I have just had to walk through the place where I first saw Mark.
My soul is weary of my life. Hyacinth scent floods the air of the cool church.
April 15th 2007 Am fed up with how late they are allowed to burn the mountain, because of nesting birds, they always seem to do it on last 3 or 4 days, there has been much opportunity earlier and with all the dryness and forest fires in south wales I think they were truly irresponsible this year. The mountain above Newport was on fire for 3 days and it all settled down over the town. The flames go up above 15 feet sometimes - and not so pleasant for all our walking tourists. and the fire brigade usually have to come out early rise little sleep and those bloody birds partying so early in the morning. nice walk up garden before 7 with the dog, who was snorting mole hills again and racing around chasing smells grrrring and blustering. think the sun may break through the cloudy misty haze what ever it is. will I go to sleep in quaker meeting I wonder????