…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: the natural world
…beginning with rain
60. RainWinter rain puts you in a funk. You wrap up against it, hat, scarf, raincoat, hating the cold and the low grey sky. But summer rain is an entirely different creature. The birds retreat to the shelter of trees but you go out with bare arms and legs, feel the warm drops on yourContinue reading “…beginning with rain”
…on shaping the earth
58. You stand on the seashore feeling the mutability of time. Under normal circumstances you would gaze at the steady horizon, trying to absorb the enormity of the ever shifting ocean. Its depth, its strength, its unknowable currents and flavours. Under normal circumstances you would be awed by the way it has sanded and pebbledContinue reading “…on shaping the earth”
…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”
…mind games
55. Sometimes, you say something to your lover and a moment later he’ll ask you for a number between 1 and 100. This is because the thing you said was the thing he was thinking, and so now he needs to test this moment of cosmic connection. Very occasionally you get the number right, butContinue reading “…mind games”
…flying over mountains
54. Sometimes you read a book that you sink into so completely you don’t want it to finish, and when onward time means that you reach that final page, you want to hang it around your neck on a simple strap so you can wear it always against your heart. So it is with JackContinue reading “…flying over mountains”
…on road trips
53. Some of the best road trips are long-planned and desired, whereas others are best done impulsively, such as driving to the beach on a hot day, or going out looking for one thing and finding another. But always the best trips are when the unexpected happens. An unexpected place, an unexpected person, an unexpectedContinue reading “…on road trips”
…fishing for books
46.Today the river that runs through your town is high after days of rain, a fine mist rising from the weir. Her water is brown and thick, the currents and eddies rippling the surface as she seeks out a favourable path, finding pleasure in her intimate relationship with the land. You and your sister haveContinue reading “…fishing for books”
…things you find vexing
43. Fallen leaves that are mushy underfoot instead of crunchy. Reaching the bottom of a bowl of popcorn to find a glut of unpopped kernels. So much unfulfilled potential. Coathangers and the tanglesome way they live. The cat missing the litter tray, a small smile on her lips as she walks away. The inner conflictContinue reading “…things you find vexing”
…the tree: in five parts (5)
41. Part 5 Growth of the whole ‘Most trees have spurts of growth to coincide with favourable climatic conditions. Typically, growth will stop when the weather becomes too cold or dry and the tree will enter an inactive period. During this time, buds are formed to protect the tree’s internal tissues, and once favourable conditionsContinue reading “…the tree: in five parts (5)”
Sally Gander 