how things change

it happens. Inescapable

people for spaces
laughter for silence
life for death
security for fast living
morals for thrills
the cross around my neck for an arrowhead. fitting. Uncompromising. straight to the point. Aggressive. Decisive.

and, more likely that not

























completely missing the target...

fickle

I sometimes wonder if I didn't make an effort to keep in touch with certain people, would I hear from them at all? I know it's the summer holidays, but geez... We all know that come September they'll be back to their smiley, almost-genuine selves and generally crawling up other people's arses.

At least I'll be escaping soon. To Aberdeen first, probably Inverness then to the isle of Lewis, to see one of the few genuine people who can be bothered to keep in touch. I can't wait to be at sea again. The sky is bigger up thre. The air clear, the wind sharp and the horizon endlessly, impossibly big.

But then I've always had more faith in places than people.

ROCK PIG

A friend got me this as a fridge-magnet for my birthday. In colour. Apart from the suggestion she associates me with pigs (although I suppose he *is* a very metal pig), I love it.

Rock on \m/

Sea-fever

I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

- John Masefield

slow things down (?)

I want to be at the age again where a kiss on the cheek makes you dizzy and a smile makes your day

- not in a society so de-sensetised by porn that the Playboy bunny is a fashion logo marketed at the under 12s

------------

let's slow things down...

old photos

when you find, by accident,
old photos;
turn over a sheet of paper,
move a book,
recognition of the glossy paper,
anticipation, then memories;
smiles captured by silver grain
juxtaposed,
empty now, ashes now
guilt and loss now,
not pictures to display.
I once watched a show
where a man asked a volunteer
to sort photographs into
'good' and 'bad vibe' piles.
Then he turned the two piles over
and on the back of each piece of paper
in the 'bad' one
was the word "dead" in capital letters.
Funny how spiritulists
and those who hunt out spirits
say you can't take pictures of ghosts.
And all these thoughts
in but a second.
Because
a lot happens
when you find, by accident,
old photos

British Humour

One-liners are the best. Don't work as well written down though...

I was walking my dog in the cemetery the other day. A woman passed and said "mornin'", and I said "no, just walking the dog"

~~~~~~~~~~~

I saw an ice-cream van the other day; went up; "a ninety-nine please" - "hundreds and thousands?" - "nah, just the one..."

~~~~~~~~~~~

no comments again... does anyone even read this bleedin' thing?

a seasonal haunting

long, lingering notes raise me from a foggy mind,
rain embracing all in summer’s tears;

in the city you can not escape her,
in the town she’s near
in the meadow, stronger
and strongest by the mere

she follows me in summer
she was there in spring
she’s there when leaves drop heavy
and when the cold winds sing

she’s older than the ancients;
as young as each new shoot
her anger’s in the lightening,
her kindness in the fruit

self-discipline

Discipline... mmmm ;)

Anyway, that's not the point... I've been awful with reading recently. Make that for about the last year. I used to read like crazy; three or four books on the go at a time, staying up 'til daylight to read if I were really into a book. In the past 6 months I think I've finished about six books, which is really pretty bad.

So here's a list of books I've read / have to read this summer. As you can see, it's very one-sided at the moment, but I shall edit it so the little ---- line advances as I finish books on the list. It's to help myself as much as let people know.

In no particular order:

(* = factual, if you're interested)
______________________________________

Far Inland
----------------------
The North Britons*
The Fall of the Roman Empire in Britain*
Sea Room
The Private Thoughts and Confessions of a Justified Sinner
Blood and Memory
Cold Granite
Hammers of Ulric
'Myth' - books 1, 2 and 3

Long term project ==> Landscape and Memory* (a small artillery-shell of a book, if ever there was one!)

______________________________________

Well, that looks ambitious enough for now. Let's see how it goes...

I could be your lover...

I could be your lover
You could be all mine
We'd go on forever
'Til the end of time
You could be my best friend
Stay up all night long
You could be my railroad
We'd go on and on

Let's get along, theres nothin' here to do
Let's go find a rainbow
I could be wrong but what am I to do?
' Guess God thinks Im Abel

You could be my enemy
I guess there's still time
I'd get round to loving you
Is that such a crime?

Let's get along, theres nothin' here to do
Let's go find a rainbow
I could be wrong but what am I to do?
Guess God thinks Im Abel

No one could break us
No one could take us
If they tried
No one could break us
No one could take us
If they tried
No one could take us
No one could break us
If they tried

Come along let's make it tonight...