…the river house 70. The house beside the river is a house of lazy, hazy days. You have gone there looking for something in the low grey sky and the thick flowing river, the still of the trees and the arched stone bridge. You are there with your lover, laden with food and wine andContinue reading “Archive: The Unwriteable”
Category Archives: prose poetry
…on not knowing
69. What to do when you’ve said everything but there is still everything to say? Your mind is both depleted of words and so full you barely know where to begin. As always the tools are waiting for use, pen and paper, keyboard and screen, but the starting point is elusive, a mere fleeting glimpse. Continue reading “…on not knowing”
…things you have lost
64.You have lost the tattooed lemon that lived in your freezer for many years. The lemon was illustrated by your daughter during her apprenticeship, the waxy yellow skin bearing a swallow in vivid blue and yellow and red. It was one of the most precious things you owned, and was lost during a busy fewContinue reading “…things you have lost”
…in praise of dreamers
62.Sometimes, when the rain comes, you take it as a sign to let the days arrange themselves. You and your lover wake up late, drink coffee in bed, listen to the pigeons skittering against the window. You eat breakfast after noon, tear olive bread and pour red wine, you read poetry and watch old films. Continue reading “…in praise of dreamers”
…the last great day of May
57. It is the last day of May and we gather in the garden beneath the high sun, some of us meeting for the first time, some already old friends. Once we’ve eaten the collected treasures of olives and cheeses and harmonies of chocolate, we untangle ourselves to the drowsy lane, down to where weContinue reading “…the last great day of May”
…things that make you smile
42. Children when they’re far away. The smell of a vinyl record as you slide it out of its sleeve, placing it on the turntable to watch the undulating grooves, the crackling moment when the needle touches down. Worms (the earth variety, not tape or thread). Beginning a new teaching semester, the promise of newContinue reading “…things that make you smile”
…the tree: in five parts (4)
40. Part 4 Sugar spirit ‘The staple of the tree diet is sugar, which is generated through photosynthesis. Chlorophyll in the leaves absorbs the energy from sunlight, which is focused on the water molecules sucked in by the tree’s roots – splitting them into their component hydrogen and oxygen atoms. The hydrogen is combined withContinue reading “…the tree: in five parts (4)”
…the tree: in five parts (3)
39. Part 3 Crown of emotions ‘The ‘crown’ of the tree is made up of the branches and leaves. In deciduous trees (those that lose their leaves), there can be hundreds of thousands of leaves. The Royal Forestry Society estimates that a mature oak tree will produce and shed around 250,000 leaves each year.’ BranchesContinue reading “…the tree: in five parts (3)”
…the tree: in five parts (2)
38. Part 2 Roots of the mind ‘…trees utilise roots to extract water and nutrients from the surrounding area, as well as to anchor themselves in the ground. While most water is absorbed by the roots nearest the surface, some trees extend a ‘taproot’ deep into the soil. Roots can also play a part inContinue reading “…the tree: in five parts (2)”
…the tree: in five parts (1)
37. 1. Bark of the body ‘One of the key characteristics of a tree is the woody bark surrounding the trunk and branches. However, only the outer layers of this are alive, with a vascular system of cells called the cambium being responsible for the production of new bark. The inner layer of bark, knownContinue reading “…the tree: in five parts (1)”
Sally Gander 