Sky Watch Friday

An illustration from 'Violet Jelly' in which the characters travel home on a rainbow.

Have a rainbow filled Friday!

Wordless Wednesday

Sunday Snippet

I dedicate today's post to Steven, because it was his comment on my Friday post that prompted this one.



Since I had to learn them at school, Collective Nouns have interested me; some are obviously named, but others leave me wondering 'Where did this originate?' 'Why was this word chosen to describe the collective?'

Since Steven commented on my 'herd of cats' .... and they are indeed a herd as they gallop through the house at speed, their paws thrumming on the tiles, I have concentrated on the collectives for cats.

Here they are:

a clowder of cats
a clutter of cats
a nuisance of cats
a dout of cats
a glaring of cats
a pounce of cats

and to kittens:

a kindle of kittens
a litter of kittens

and to wild cats;

a destruction of cats

To end the post, as most if not all of us are storytellers;

a storytelling of crows

Congratulations go to Teresa for her 'clowder'! .... which is also what I learned at school.

Enjoy Sunday!

Note: Jennifer, top left, was our oldest cat ever (22) and Pudding, top right, just loved to be loved.

Five Cats for Friday

Something else close to my heart... my cats

'King' Rupert ... oldest and an Irish cat. He just has to be there whatever is happening and tunes in to each occasion with astute sensitivity.

Bushy ... who appeared and chose to live with us. He is now almost totally deaf, and has come to enjoy lazing around on furniture.

Pedro 'the prodigal' ... who moved in with neighbours for a few years, but has returned now that they are no longer here. He has a way of looking trite and sorry, but by nature is a chancer.

Sean 'cuddler' kitten ... who is handsome despite the cross-eyed look and who loves to 'follow that action'. At present he is enjoying building a garden wall and the builders love him.

Dyllis ... our princess, so small, and who goes about her business determinedly, because she is a princess and not to be questioned. She returns, curls up and flashes her green eyes to say, 'aren't I just adorable!'

Words for Wednesday

A bit of a change this week. And the words do not paint a pretty picture.

I feel that I should give a little explanation before posting this poem.
It was written in 1991 to express my feelings of the futility of war. I remembered it, yesterday, and still feel the same. When I feel the horror of the slaughter of innocent people anywhere, by those in charge of any nation, east or west, I want to cry out - STOP! My voice is small, although strong, and my tears are genuine, for those killed and those sent out to kill. But hope has to remain, that one day greed and power will be overcome by compassion.

Reprisal

Arms present
tread dust
head held high
in blood lust.

Proclaim in all fairness
the action you take
is being carried out
for righteousness sake.

Arms present
tread dust
head held high
in blood lust.

Worship with weapons
fanatical zeal
sieze innocent lives
demand and deal.

Arms present
tread dust
head held high
in blood lust.

AS 1991

There is more, but this suffices ......

Sunday Snippet

I have chosen the first two verses of this eleven verse poem from the anthology 'Sea Grapes' by Derek Walcott:

Sunday Lemons

Desolate lemons, hold
tight in your bowl of earth,
the light to your bitter flesh,

let a lemon glare
be all your armour
this naked Sunday, ..........

A Storm for Saturday

I need to post this one to show you that we do have weather like this, too - in case 'Sky Watch Friday' suggested otherwise! Also, I love the shots ... and it is not happening just now.

Sky Watch Friday

The anticipation of the colours of a dawn sunrise always draw me from my sleep; never cease to fascinate, as I marvel at the beauty created by light.
This one is from the parador at Javea.

Wordless Wednesday

Sunday Snippet

I am reading 'The Time Traveller's Wife' at present and it opens with this poem by Derek Walcott......

Love After Love

The time will come
when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror,
and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

Derek Walcott

No matter how good the book - it is well conceived and written - this poem is the gem. If this poem reaches your heart, your soul, think about reading more of Derek Walcott's poems. He was rightly honoured with the 'Nobel Prize For Literature'.

Listen and imagine

On Thursday, I heard the first cuckoo ... and listened to the call of spring - and yet I felt for the bird whose chick it had usurped and wondered how she coped.

On Wednesday, I saw the first swallow swoop low as I passed on my way up the hill ... and watched its grace, the sleekness of form ... others will follow.

Words. To bring closer fresh calls and motions of spring.

Flowers for Friday

Presenting the flowers which have miraculously shown thier faces this week in our garden .... da - da!








A floral ballroom provided by incredible nature.