What next?

I've really enjoyed the experience of writing a small stone every day during January. Many thanks to Fiona and Kaspa over at Writing Our Way Home for their inspiration and encouragement.

I've never taken part in a daily writing challenge before (although I've just completed a year-long photo-a-day project, which is similar). I found, to my surprise, that I was almost never at a loss for a subject to write about, but I often (okay, make that 'almost always') struggled with the best way of putting my observations into words. I'm pleased with some of the results I managed to cobble together, and embarrassed by others. But I'm not going to tell you which. ;-P

A good day

She tilts her chin upwards slightly, and looks at me through half-closed eyes. It's always a good day when you've been smiled at by a cat.

Opposites

driving on a summer afternoon
hot leather under my hands
cold air on my feet

Sea change

A salt tang wind blowing through poplars brings the echo of waves breaking on the shore.

Rescue

A tiny spider is struggling to climb the North Face of the bathroom sink. I airlift her to safety.

Serendipity

a sunny evening, a sudden downpour
arcing up from a neighbour's field
the end of a rainbow

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in the draft from an open window
a loose ball of cat hair
tumbleweeds across the floor

Unfinished

a cream coloured horse

with brown spots on its hindquarters:

evidence of a graffiti artist

surprised by police?

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kissed by summer evening light
even this cow pat
is beautiful

Sunset on the verandah

magpie screeching from a nearby cabbage tree

bellbird ringing from across the valley

cat purring on my lap

Minimal

walking past the fruit bowl
the scent of plums

Skygazing

Lying back on sun-warmed concrete, I watch the ever-changing sky and smile. Next step: to watch my ever-changing life and do the same.

Unexpected vista

torn paper hills
in layers of deepening blue
one pink cloud

Daily dose

as big as a horse pill

as bitter as cod liver oil
this loneliness
is hard to swallow

Now and then

A fly lies submerged in a pool of amber wax, re-enacting the death of a distant ancestor engulfed by tree sap.

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a summer's night
a country lane
in the glare of my headlights
a gentle snowfall of moths

Wash day anti-blues

these towels I'm folding fresh from the line
feel like love and smell like sunshine

Distraction

Hum, fridge!

Slosh, dishwasher!

Blow, wind!

Buzz, fly!

You will never be louder

Than the chatter in my mind.

Welcome visitor

she left behind
a slice of lemon cake
and the echo of laughter

Funny, that

I can feel a migraine coming on. My chest is tight, my lower jaw aches, and the air scrapes the inside of my nose as I breathe. I wonder why they call it a headache?

Alchemy

this precious evening
the setting sun has started
to turn the grass to gold

Calligraphic

in a cotton wool sky
a hawk rides a thermal:
black brush stroke on white paper

Found

The cat is lying sphinx-style on the bed,
front paws kneading rhythmically,
massaging my favourite jumper
to death.

Why do they do that?

A blackbird swoops low in front of my car, playing chicken.

Time for bed

I’m so tired that the words on my computer screen are strating to reraragne thesmleves.

Existential malfunction

I step on the bathroom scales. The electronic display reads 0.0 kg. Note to self: Must work on becoming more grounded.

A reminder

Making the bed, I think how big it looks now, with one pillow in the centre instead of two side by side.

The old shed

Skin peels away from bone.
Eye sockets stare darkly.
Above them a hole
where someone tried to let the demons out.

Low contrast

A grey heron flies across a greyer sky, neck curled into an s, long legs trailing, each slow wing beat the flourish of a magician’s cloak.

Driving home

riding towards me

long grey hair beneath a faded bandanna

an aging biker

on a mobility scooter

An evening duet

out of time with the
dishwasher's two-tone samba
a lark is singing

Morning shower

As the hot water hits the back of my neck, the downy hairs along my spine rise and fall in a Mexican wave of pleasure.