Thursday 26 April 2012

On my way to buy a morning paper #38

Since walking downhill to the river is even more likely to be slippery
I can report that the paper shop windows, and all the fridges,
had been attacked by a man with axe.

Tuesday 24 April 2012

Highs and lows



High sky, a kind of Constable-lite
and the river calm to think by
but oh! the copious fly-blown ginger dogshit
perched atop the boot-print mud.

Monday 23 April 2012

Sunday 22 April 2012

To and from the Tynemouth bookfair

Over the Tees and the Wear
under the Tyne
five books bought
(one duplicate:  I should have checked my list)
a pizza lunch, a look at the sea
then same rivers in reverse.

Saturday 21 April 2012

Circular non-walk

The problem with eating chocolate digestives
thinking it'll be OK cos I'll walk them off when I go down to the river
is when it rains and hails and rains again
and I do nothing but sit at home
eating chocolate digestives

Friday 20 April 2012

It IS April after all



The sky belies it now

but the sun was shining
and it was warm
two hours ago

Thursday 19 April 2012

Rain again! so here's one I took earlier


Another day I'll not be walking to the river!
 It's not the rain I mind so much as the mud
and the likelihood of me slipping on the downward slope
and landing ignominously in it!

(and I was amused by a letter in yesterday's Telegraph
asking whether this was the 'wettest drought on record?)

Wednesday 18 April 2012

Two minor deceptions

No walk to the river today - too wet
and the red jagged skyline of the distant houses
has been well and truly cropped

Tuesday 17 April 2012

Small fantasy



Delinquent
and supplanted
fence-posts
enter into a conspiracy
against the fine
upstanding
one.

Monday 16 April 2012

Noisy today

Golf-course groundsmen
mowing and blowing and rolling
machines unloaded from a tractor-trailed cart

Sunday 15 April 2012

Saturday 14 April 2012

On my way to buy a morning paper #37

Not a day for walking to the river, and a bit bigger than a small stone, but this true tale was what I posted on Six Sentences this morning:

I’ve seen him, not quite daily, but often enough over getting on for nine years now, coming round the corner with first three then two Welsh springer spaniels.
Maybe five years ago we started to say ‘Good morning’ – no smiles and his gruffly abrupt from beneath a ragged grey moustache.
Five weeks ago when warmth retreated back to icy, he commented on the change in weather and I on his brown woolly hat, not seen through all the snow.
Since then maybe a couple more laconic comments on the day.
In today’s unpleasant northern wind and icy sleet I said it was a day to stay at home and he said he’d be required to go to Morrisons for shopping, then added  ‘and I’ve five paintings yet to finish.’
And my view of him was instantly rejigged.

Thursday 12 April 2012

Late for the hairdresser

Contemplated the arched reflection of the viaduct
and tried again to remember how many bricks it took to build it
(the answer’s seven million, and a half)

Wednesday 11 April 2012

Tuesday 10 April 2012

Strong wind roars

Surface of the river ripples black
like an animated evening beach
sadder thoughts spin across too frequently.

Monday 9 April 2012

Wild garlic flowers look like early Spring
skylark sounds high summer
and the south west wind sprinkles cold April rain

Sunday 8 April 2012

Walking in the hope of aiding thought



A lying-down tree, a fisherman’s pier
and a three way pointing signpost
none of which help to resolve
my current plot dilemma.

Saturday 7 April 2012

No walk but plenty rivers.

Crossed the Tees, the Wiske, the Swale
west along the Ure to Sedbergh.
Returned north along the Rawley
crossing Eden, south of Brough,
eastward over Argill, Greta,
back to Tees.

Friday 6 April 2012

Aural impressions

Grey, grey today and reminded it's half-term
by a trio of  treble-pitched voices from behind the hedge
talking of bogies, birdies and beating scores

Thursday 5 April 2012

Lack of forethought

Stupidly, I hadn't anticipated that the hills would still have snow on them
we had so little here
The path's dried out and the only sign of the wind and the weather that was
are the dozens of cones and the hawthorn leaves now stuck in the mud

Wednesday 4 April 2012

Tees at Yarm


Too wet, too cold, too muddy
to take the scenic route
so down the hill to cross
from what used to be County Durham
into North Yorks

Tuesday 3 April 2012

Black wet branch



Baby blue speedwell don’t come out in the rain

new hawthorn leaves glow luminously


made the more so by the blackness of branches


and the white rump of a sheltering robin.

Monday 2 April 2012

Sunday 1 April 2012

Down to the river


Bruce in my head, bone-hard underfoot
noting changes
high hawthorn to my left where twiglets were
exaggerates welcome openness to my right.