Pioneer woman in my head

In my head lives a pioneer woman

in a rough log cabin in the woods

baking from scratch

making, mending

digging, planting, reaping.

She thinks we have it easy

locked down in our homes

no wood to chop

no water to fetch.

We keep in touch with distant friends

money still works

shops have food

and we have our cars

sitting silent mostly.

once upon (6) France 2019

we drive east –

break for coffee

(instant, water from a flask

sacrilege in France…)

in a car park

near the river Saulx

on the waterside path

is a butterfly

with purple sheen

as it opens its wings

a man walks his dog

stops to chat

about the river’s treachery

when in spate

most years someone drowns,

today it looks so calm,

Inviting…

Permitted exercise

A small happening today made me smile

mother walks with toddler
looking for teddies and painted pebbles

in our window
a yellow cut-out teddy waves
and behind it I dance

around coffee time
we dance each morning
to the strains of China Crisis

The child looks from the gate
I wave and carry on
three times I wave

the music stops
I open the door and say hi
and the child and I dance
at a distance.

Travel in Europe 2019

Here are a few snapshots from last year’s wonderful holiday. Part 1. five short poems, almost haikus, but not quite – from England, Belgium, France. Many more to follow.

No 1.

once upon a lifetime ago,

yet only

last summer

*

we drove north

and sailed overnight

to Zeebrugge

*

drove on

through Belgium, France and Germany

and felt at home and free

*

No 2

Theux, dusty roadworks

heatwave, summer of 19

cycling into town

*

we eat Belgian chips

at a street table

the evening cools

*

no 3

forty kilometres

riding up a thousand feet

right up to the dam

*

we left the roadway

for a track, then sidetracked

through bramble and bracken

*

pause-café, picnic

homewards down a long hill slope

shower, food and rest

*

No 4

*

border-free to France

staying with a longtime friend

food weather company

*

walks, bike rides, drawing

cathedral, old streets, cafes

vine-embroidered  hills

*

eating pastries

in her tree sheltered garden

while the heat played on

*

No 5

*

World Cup matches

US team defeated

both England and France

*

two days later

in a dusty French village

we stopped for a drink

*

in a biker’s bar

Stars and Stripes, Route 66

we swallowed our pride

*

with a smile and lemonade

April fools…

What new pranks will the gods play

this coming all fools’ day?

.

 

Will they let us dream

that the stream 

of normal life flows on

gently ripples in the sun

the floods have receded

our gardens are seeded

winds quieten to a breeze

singing in the leafy trees

birds’ eggs in the nest

sweet refreshing rest

 

When we are lulled

and our senses are dulled

will they tighten the string

like an overwrought spring

and pull back their bow arm

to let loose some new harm?