First Base

Thousands of ants
Dozens of sparrows
The sun being up
Before we were up

White buildings
Blue blue sea
The day ahead
Already ahead of us

A small garden
With petals of flowers
The way out
Was also the way in back-along

I sit in the shadow
Out of the sun
I watch the haze
On the horizon

Not needing to beautify
Or make any more extravagant
This is the stillness, it is almost
Exactly what I was looking for

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Christopher's Collected Works Website

Acreage

There is an abundance of apples, also a similar abundance of conference pears, on next door’s trees

We will have one more garden project; a summer house, with a sauna and hot-tub sounds to be quite a worthwhile task

Soon my mind runs away with me, should it be a log-built cabin, or a full-size stone bungalow

Which would mean splitting the garden in two, and selling off the house

How then to gain access do I hear you say; yes that is a conundrum which requires a good deal of investigation

But such is life is it not, c’est la vie

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Christopher's Collected Works Website

Days And Confused

I could not find
A home in Gothenburg
The silent retreat at Sharpham
Clashed with football

I put the wrong date
On the writing group email
But the photograph
Of the frog by the pond was ok

Such a wonderful Tuesday morning
Sunshine in August
With Neil Young himself singing
Of the promise of a man

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Christopher's Collected Works Website

Irritation

He saws wood
He burns wood
The residual aroma
From the timber
Permeates my room

He saws wood
He burns wood
The resonating sound
From the timber
Interred into my day space

He saws wood
He burns wood
My neighbours disquiet
Caused by the timber being laboured
Catches my empathy

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Christopher's Collected Works Website

Pinch Points

I have found the shade
On the hottest day this year
I have found the solitude
Where the pond waterfall splashes
Where John Martyn’s music
Plays on the Bose speakers

I can see the many apples
On the many trees
I can see the few white roses
Fluttering in the breeze
I have found the circumstantial
To settle into a calm of simply being

Knowing; well, full well
That at some time during the day
I will find disturbance
Either from deep within
Or skilfully delivered
From further without

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Christopher's Collected Works Website