Birmingham, Black Country – plenty of canals, and even more streams: all flowing into the Tame, all heading for the North Sea. East of Brum, Solihull’s Blythe joins too – and the Cole (after Sarehole Mill, Kingfisher Park). Tame flows north through Tamworth to join River Trent. So … Read more
Wayfarer, your footprints form the way – there’s nothing else. Wayfarer, there is no way. You make the way by walking. As you walk the path is formed and when you cast a glance behind you see a path that nobody will ever tread again. Wayfarer, there is no way, only the wake on the … Read more
Live at least some of your life. Start anywhere (even the future). Jump around the faded map of time. Find an object left over from a closed chapter… Colours? Shape? Texture? Smell? Scribble down whatever comes to mind. Knock that tumble of words into shape. Start writing an episode. Call yourself Freda or Fred. Tweak … Read more
The last breath escapes. Flesh goes up in smoke; bones are ground down. Scattered ash under yew tree is covered with fallen leaves. Bones deeper down, still whole, are entangled with roots. A headstone points to the sky. This grave acre where spire’s shadow falls is teeming with life. Worms work; birds perch to peck … Read more
– Did you see that guy walking barefoot in the park today? – Oh, that’s Foolscap. Paper-thin and poker-faced. – Stopped to pick up a feather, then stood staring at a rowan tree. – What, the one with nitrous oxide canisters strewn round it? – Yep. – Sure knows how to pick a scenic spot! … Read more
all of a sudden brain ripples ° words tumble onto the page and into the air ° music of language, set free by the tongue and the lung, dances in other ears °°° time chisels the marks on the page into elegant shape ° other brains ripple – other tongues sound out the music °°° … Read more
Long, long ago, there was a lollipop man in a bright yellow coat with quicksilver stripes, and a magic wand to stop the traffic. Whenever he saw a walker, he would create safe passage across the busy road, like Moses parting the Red Sea. Then he’d jump on his bike with his gardening tools, and … Read more