New paintings and regular art updates.
It was raining this morning at three in the morning, but through the mild mirk of a December night the sound of a blackbird was heard singing.
The rain continued and the raindrops splattered my window, the drips from the gutter splashed down onto me as I opened the front door to get the milk bottles in. Water was running down the road and overflowing the drains.
I didn’t hear the bird but I could hear the cars whooshing through the rain… Being on a main road can be noisy.
Early morning, looking up from the settee where I’m currently sleeping, I can look over at the ceiling and see the shadow cast across it by one of the living room lights. It’s in black and white because the colours were washy yellows, and I thought this looked more dramatic.
The fact you can see the woodchip patterned paper on the ceiling which is not very flat shows the poor decorating skills of the builder who put it up there almost 30 years ago! I’m never going to take it down, it’s hiding a multitude of sins including bad plastering and cracks I think.
This was around 6am or maybe later, I just liked the stark, long shadow.
Hubby’s Motor scooter was stolen early this morning. We went to bed late after watching a film. Then about five am someone started hammering on our front door. Hubby shouted he was calling the police, and the man outside said he was the police!
He said they had just seen it being ridden round Stoke and that it had been stolen. Hubby checked the gate and the padlock and hasp had been broken and the motorbike / scooter was gone.
They went off and we decided to drive round to see if we could find anything. What we did find was a large covered mobility scooter in the alleyway by our garden. It had been damaged where someone had broken through its faring to hot wire? The motor. I guess they must have done the same with ours and ridden off. On it. We reported it to the insurers, we will see what happens.
There’s a bright star,
high in the sky.
It’s 3am again,
and I’m driven to wake,
to write
Like an owl I stay awake,
listening to cars,
passing.
So few in these days,
often in the past,
there would be footsteps,
or shouting.
Now there is silence,
deep in this city,
only the odd murmur of traffic.
The click and whir of central heating,
the maniacal hum of the fridge,
the oil heater thermostat kicking in.
Freezing night,
3am,
too early for the dawn chorus.
The rest of the city sleeps, perhaps….
Unsettled dreams
Of corn fields,
clay fields,
beaches and trees,
freedom,
escape from imprisonment,
at 3am I shall sleep.
2012….Another Sunday morning, husband went off about 15 minutes ago, and me and the cat are here waiting for the sun to rise. The sky had gone from coal black to a dark shade of Paynes Grey, in fact in the few minutes since I sat down it has lightened considerably….. The cat is happily lying on the desk next to the computer, turning over to have her tummy tickled, she doesnt like being ignored and keeps trying to sit on my drawing tablet that also acts as my mouse! that knocks the text off so I have to reposition the cursor every couple of minutes…The blackbirds were singing in the garden at 6.30, husband went out to listen and one carried on while the other Pink, pinked its alarm call… the song continues high and beautiful, shapley whistles that vary over different combinations of notes…. I am staying up in case his bus does not arrive. One last look at the sky, only slightly lighter, blue grey, no glimmer of sun yet and overcast with lowish cirrus? clouds…thank goodness for the prospect of a warm bed and a book if he does not come back. (It has happened in the past when the bus driver forgot to get up!)
Can’t sleep and I have an ear worm going round in my head ‘all I need is you, all I need is you, and all I ever knew only you’ all because I’m singing at a choir festival on Saturday and I had to learn the backing tune to our rendition of ‘only you’ by Yazoo.
I’m also panicking because I’m in another choir, also singing, but I can’t even remember the song, let alone the words, for that one. All I can remember is that it’s a song by Robert (Rabie) Burns, because it is Burns night on Saturday, when the wee Haggis is praised….
So, trying to sleep in an armchair, but I can’t get off. They recommend you don’t use screens at night, but I’m bored, listening to a little bit of Radio. Got to be out early. No doubt I will be tired out….
I will go back to bed moaning about how tired I am, to listen to snores from someone who doesn’t have that problem….
If it was summer
The dawn would be arriving,
If it was autumn
The sun would be up in a while
But winter fails the light
Sun stays abed
Darkness rules
And my mind
In need of peace
Stays awake
And I stay with it
Up late
Before it’s early. Tired
Dozing in a warm glow
of remembered sunsets.
Mallaband-Brown