Well I never

I was intrigued by today’s NaPoWriMo prompt and it’s link, but I was immediately struck by the reference to the term greenout in respect of it being the feeling of witnessing plant life after a long time surrounded by snow.

When I was in Primary School I remember being amazed to learn that an icy wilderness, the Tundra, could be described as a desert. I thought all deserts had to be hot, dry and sandy.

This bought me to todays offering where I was once a habitual visitor to football matches, only to find that when I moved to a lovely island that it would be years before I had the chance to return to watch a match. My own desert – a life without going to big venues.

When I did return, the most striking thing of the entire experience was the dazzling splendour of the pitch itself, incredibly green and radiant. Other people have also mentioned the same feeling in the same situation. So there you have it, my own desert, and my own greenout.

Overall, I’m not super happy with the poem, I’ve had to craft it quickly to meet todays deadline, but I will probably return to revise during the month.

Well I Never!

My self-induced isolation

Had hit harder than I knew

When 5 years hence I did return

From gold sand and waters blue

Once again through the turnstile

Past the bustling concourse hoards

I made my way up every step

As the light I moved towards

They say appreciating greenout

Needs long times spent in the snow

But a floodlight pitch after several years

Set my eyesight aglow

Ralph 02/4/2022

National Poetry Writer’s Month 2022

It’s very early in the day on April 1 and already it appears I have succumbed to the temptation of this years NaPoWriMo.

A rather formidable prompt to begin the challenge. To write a prose poem, something I have never heard of until today. Here is my effort. Please let me know what you think.

The Journey

He watched as her fingers effortlessly pushed the strings to each fret, dancing over the fingerboard while the rhythmic strumming created countless chords chiming with clarity. Throughout, she maintained eye contact with him as she sang over the melodic phrasing. ‘Now you try’, she invited. Staring intensely at the fingerboard, he forced inflexible fingers to shape a ‘D’. These thinner strings cut into soft-fleshy fingertips. As his right hand strummed the chord it clunked, chattered and choked. Alongside the pain, he felt frustrated and foiled. Over what seemed an eternity, he rearranged his unwilling fingertips into an unnatural position forming a ‘C’. His right-hand rhythm confirmed his anticipated disappointment. ‘If there was such a thing as sub-beginner level, this must be it’ – he despaired to himself. He looked back at her, sighed, his eyebrows raised as his mouth shrugged and looked down at the floor. ‘OK, that’s good’ she encouraged. ‘Now, let’s try it again’.

Ralph 01/1/2022

Farewell My Friend

Today is an incredibly sad day as we have had to say goodbye last night to Sydney our companion for 15 years after he succumbed to illness. An incredible character who’s behaviour cheered everyone in the family, especially myself having been at home with him during the daytime for the last couple of years. Time will heal, but for now I’m heartbroken. He was the subject of a poem I wrote last year and I’m linking to now to as a small tribute. Farewell my friend, rest in peace.

Lockdown Living – Housekeeping

Copious Chilli Croppers

While most of us were getting hammered by Storm Arwen, I was able to take some brief respite and glee harvesting the chilli crop in the greenhouse. You may recall I potted these plants on as late as August due to other commitments but I am delighted at the sheer volume produced by a relatively small number of plants.

This was about only one tenth of the Harvest of Habaneros this December weekend!

I have never had such a huge number before even though I have been doing this for many years, so I will be returning to South Devon Chilli Farm again early next year for my seeds.

I will also make an earlier start because although the plants had a high enough yield, there was equally the same number of flowers on many of the plants. Sadly I don’t have the facility to get the through a cold winter here.

Oh and of course I should report that, they are very tasty and very very hot!