How Bright The Moon!

I was just thinking how bright the moon!
How clear and full of stars, the sky tonight.

When I saw the ambulance in the road,
a curtain being drawn.

And I remembered how instantly
the universe can change course, implode.

Leaving us stumbling in the dark.

Hello February! Happy Imbolc!

Well, I didn't quite make it through the last few days of the Small Stones January challenge, coming to an abrupt halt on the 26th! Which doesn't mean that my days have been suddenly empty of moments and unobserved. All those observations and moments just never made into the shape of words on a page so just kind of floated back into the flow of time.

Today we celebrated Imbolc, the first day of Spring. I see Imbolc as that time of late pregnancy when what is growing in the darkness is just under the surface waiting to be nurtured into life. So there's still cold weather and dormancy, but there's also the stirrings of awakening and birth to come. There are snowdrops and narcissi blooming already in my garden and on our walk at Milton Common today we saw buds on the trees and the pointed green shoots from where bulbs have been planted.

My 'small stone' moment appeared when I stood at the edge of the lake and a coot responded to me by climbing up out of the water...

Thick webbed feet striding towards me
boldly and purposefully.
I turn quickly to check the dog
is distracted in the grasses,
and we exchange greetings
before you turn back to the water
and I walk on, feeling something
special passed between us there.

Small Stone #26

Observing the fervent flow of people through the foyer,

seeing how they diverge for the man carefully

sculpting his hair in the main door's reflection,

and steer around the couple practicing their

rock, everybody, let's rock.

So, Elvis is alive and well in Portsmouth

while I sit lonesome tonight down on sweets

(except for the bear).

 

 

Small Stone #25

Getting off the computer,
just as soon as I find the right words
to say how this moment contains
only thoughts of a warm bed, sleep,
and gratitude. There, that'll do!

Small Stone #24

OhMyGod! OhMyGod! OhMyGod! Nick Park!
OhMyGod! OhMyGod! OhMyGod! Peter Lord!
Here! Now! My son SO EXCITED! Biggest smile ever...
"I don't think you know how important this is to me"
I think I probably do have a bit of an idea!

Small Stone # 23

Sprays of water fly across the path,
a blackbird splashing his whole body,
shiny wings shaking so vigorously
he leaves hardly any in the puddle.
Freezing bite to the air
but his bath-time energy
makes me stop and smile,
makes it feel like Spring.

Small Stone #22

The seed of an idea taking root
growing faster than my hands can write the words
of a plan forming which is already throwing up shoots
and leaves... not stopping to work out just how much
feeding and attentive cultivation it will want from me!
Oh dear, here I go again, sabotaging my chances
of taking it easy, being idle, doing nothing.