Saturday 12 November 2011

Hamnavoe

'I SIT ON THE WALL' From Visual Counterpoint


I sit on the wall and see
The miracle of the day,
I sit on the wall and watch
Wild horses enter the bay,
I sit on the wall and maybe
The old fisherman will come my way,
With tales from the open sea,
And love for everything free.

'A LOVE FOR EVERYTHING FREE' From Visual Counterpoint

Chamaemulum nobile

From Visual Counterpoint


Daisy-
Like Earth apple,
Scent as a pick-me-up,
Growing in the hole in my mind,
Classic.


The photograph was taken on a road from Stromness, Orkney, where wild Camomile plants grow.

Friday 11 November 2011

On the Banks of Green Willow

'AFTER THE RAIN' From Visual Counterpoint


After
Rain, sun’s rays fall
To warm the heart again,
Those who love butter will then say,
Yes, please.

The title is borrowed from music composed by George Butterworth who tragically died in the Battle of the Somme, World War I.
11.11.11.
Let us never forget.

Wednesday 9 November 2011

'FURNACE' From Visual Counterpoint


Fire burn,
Furnace intense
Meltdown nails and barbed wire
Fashion brand new shoes for four feet
Walk on.
Lighter
New dance steps learned for the journey
Home never felt so good
Impediments
Disown.


One fine Day
From Visual Counterpoint
Forget; forget the blood, tears and sweat

From Visual Counterpoint

Don’t bury ugly memories,
The pain will return,
As surely as a dandelion,
Think of beauty and light the flame
Burn the root and add the ash
To compost spread
Over newly ploughed earth.

Sunday 6 November 2011

'NO REPLACEMENT AVAILABLE' From Visual Counterpoint


Unique,
Old gate gone west,
No replacement for sale,
Lifeline thrown and returned,
Support stands firm,
Knot tied.

'KNOT TIED' From Visual Counterpoint

Saturday 5 November 2011

'ECHOES' From Visual Counterpoint


Fallen,
Tumble over,
Echoes lie at my feet,
Common mistakes,
Abound.
'WATCH AND WAIT' From Visual Counterpoint


Write
In sand
Words for water,

Wait.

Watch
Waves wipe
The tears away.

Wednesday 2 November 2011

The Shadow of a Mountain

'TALL AND STRAIGHT' From Visual Counterpoint


In the shadow of a mountain,
Tall trees grow,
As if the ground itself lifts them up,
So they share the sunlight.

In the shadow of a mountain,
Eagles learn to fly,
As if the air itself lifts them up,
So they share the sky.

In the shadow of a mountain,
Lies the earth’s spirit,
As if sleeping at the foot of a giant,
So she shares her dreams.

Tuesday 1 November 2011

Time Out

'KISS'' From Visual Counterpoint


If I ruled the world,
I’d stop it...
...and get off.

Be Careful What You Wish For

'THE COLD LIGHT OF DAY' From Visual Counterpoint


Do not fear death,
But do not wish for it either,
For such a desire will blind and deafen you,
To the beauty in this world,
That is the celebration of life.


I have chosen an old photograph taken at Delamere Forest to accompany this song, as I think it shows the beauty of nature in the face of adversity - the greatest test.

Monday 31 October 2011

Just My Cup of Tea

In the bleak midwinter,
Wrap time around a little finger,
Suspended,
In air perfumed by summer,
Pick up the fragile flowered cup,
Take a sip,
Let memories flood my mind.

'TAKE A BREATH' From Visual Counterpoint


Walking between high hedges,
The heady scent of honeysuckle,
Hangs,
Over the narrow winding lane,
As if loath to leave a known way,
Take a breath,
Let fragrance flood my mind.

'SHROUDED SECRET' From Visual Counterpoint


Walking under dark skies,
A luminous radiant river,
Holds,
Within a wandering light,
The shrouded secret of our beginning,
Take a look,
Let curiosity flood my mind.

Saturday 29 October 2011

The Old Grey Goose Is Dead

'GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN' From Visual Counterpoint


I am an alien,
Lost,
In a society I don’t understand,
Nor,
If I am honest,
Wish to.

A Train of Thought with the Right Destination

'BACH'S VIOLIN CONCERTO' From Visual Counterpoint


I never know what little incident will trigger a memory from my childhood. Since we all tend to remember the good things this is nearly always a pleasant event.
This morning I was surprised to see a dog or some other animal had dug a hole in my favourite place to sit and rest on the canal bank. I took some dried grass and filled the depression and this provided an even more comfortable seat. The smell of the crushed grass reminded me of the beginning of my childhood summer holidays camping, when I packed a palliasse with straw for a mattress.
The memories then came thick and fast.
I remembered one summer when it rained virtually all the time for 6 weeks. The campsite was like a swamp; the wooden tent pegs were floating out of the ground.
My sister and I were left to entertain each other.
My idea of entertainment was donning Wellingtons and mackintosh and following the farmer around as he performed his daily chores. This held no allure for my sister.
She spent hours making a complete pack of 52 playing cards from the cardboard dividers inside the packets of Weetabix that were demolished every morning by the King’s School boys for breakfast. I in my turn thought this was a total waste of time.
Now my thoughts are entirely different.
My sister is very clever academically and I have always been proud of her success as an Oxford University scholar and teacher. She is left-handed and suffers the gaucheness that often accompanies this. She is not good at tasks that require dexterity.
That summer she sat for hours painstakingly copying the intricate designs. She could have spent the time reading or doing anything she found easy but even as a teenager she chose to struggle with a difficult task.
I now know that I have another reason to be very proud of my sister. She showed me that working hard at something that you are not naturally good gives a greater sense of achievement when you succeed. I have no idea whether I learned this lesson subconsciously when I was only about ten years old and if this encouraged me to work hard enough at the academic studies in which I was so poor in order to achieve my aim to be able to treat sick and injured animals.
The apparently unlucky sabotage of my favourite seat in fact set a train of thought travelling down the track that led to me understanding and appreciating my sister better than before. This cannot be anything but a lucky event.

Any Which - Way

'THE STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE'From Visual Counterpoint



The fallen open the canopy,
And show how trees grow,
Branches outline a tortuous path,
As if they followed every whim,
Or sudden fancy,
They map the struggle to survive,
Time crowns the successful.

'A PICTURE OF SUCCESS' From Visual Counterpoint

Saturday 22 October 2011

If Only

'IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME'From Visual Counterpoint


If surrounded by giants,
It helps
If you are,
In the right place,
At the right time,
If you wish to be,
Noticed.

Monday 17 October 2011

Destiny Unknown

'NO LIMIT TO THE IMAGINATION' From Visual Counterpoint


The imagination cannot be confined
To a well-worn path,
No matter how carefully prepared.
It leaps into the unknown,
Flies in the face of adversity,
And writes its’ own destiny.

Sunday 16 October 2011

Fragile Fingertips

'FRAGILE FINGERTIPS' From Visual Counterpoint


Fragile fingertips harness the power of a star
And build from thin air
Hands, to reach for the sky,
And caress rain-giving clouds,
As they pass by.

'REACH FOR THE SKY' From Visual Counterpoint


'STAND UNDER THE CANOPY AND WONDER' From Visual Counterpoint


Stand under the canopy and wonder,
Lie in the shade and dream
Dreams, to reach for the sky,
And touch magical moments,
Don’t pass them by.

'LIE IN THE SHADE AND DREAM' From Visual Counterpoint

Monday 10 October 2011

Angle of Reflection

'ANGLE OF REFLECTION' From Visual Counterpoint


The dead wooden post dances,
With my thoughts,
To the wind,
In an underwater world,
And a tree is resurrected,
That weaves again through the currents of time.


'INVITATION TO THE DANCE' From Visual Counterpoint

Saturday 8 October 2011

Director's Cut

Fear is the mind killer,
Pain numbs the heart,
These actors both try,
To play their part,

Never give to them,
A starring role,
Or you may lose sight,
Of the distant goal,

'PAINTED BY PHOTOSHOP' From Visual Counterpoint


When painting the backdrop,
It’s best not to lean,
On their transient skill,
To colour the scene,

For their special effect,
Give them dry ice,
The bonus being,
It fades in a trice.

'GROWN UP NATURALLY' From Visual Counterpoint


Grass takes some time,
To grow under your feet,
Take care where you tread,
It could be wheat.

'TAKE CARE' From Visual Counterpoint

Thursday 6 October 2011

If I Were a Bird

'AHEAD FOR PALE HEIGHTS'From Visual Counterpoint


If I were a bird I would be an albatross,
Trading the occasional supreme effort of take-off,
And all grace on landing,
For a life spent gliding over the ocean.


If I were an albatross,
I would have placed a curse on my murderers,
Leaving them becalmed,
But I am not a bird,
And I cannot fly,
Nor curse.

My murderers go free.

'TREEMENDOUS FEELING' From Visual Counterpoint

Saturday 1 October 2011

Not a Waste of Space

A gentleman all men can learn to be,
A gentle man is altogether a different cup of tea.

'GREATEST LOVE' From Visual Counterpoint

Thursday 29 September 2011

Taught Well

'DANCE WITH LIGHT' From Visual Counterpoint


My father had every word at his fingertips,
Yet he never wrote down his own thoughts,
His talent lay elsewhere,
He taught others how to harness their energy,
His unselfish gift lives on in the children.


The debt for any gifts I have
Is owed to the generation to follow,
Together with the little I have learned.

'THERE IS NOTHING UGLY HERE' From Visual Counterpoint

Sunday 25 September 2011

Wonderland Wonders

'CATCH YOU UP LATER' From Visual Counterpoint


"I’m late, I’m late," the White Rabbit cries,
"Unless it is that my pocket watch lies",
The neutrinos dance through another dimension,
Leaving the world held in suspension.

A flying carpet is made in haste,
The White Rabbit leaps on with no time to waste,
The Cheshire cat grins with the ghost of a frown,
And waits for the circus clowns to leave town.

When silence at last descends on the land,
The neutrinos return to drop like sand
Through the hourglass blown by the wind for the rain,
And patiently wait to be timed out again.

Saturday 24 September 2011

Keep On Running

'HEDGES' From Visual Counterpoint


African pigmy hedgehog,
I hear you on your wheel,
Keep running baby,
Even if you are not getting anywhere,
Keep running,
It’s dangerous to stand and stare.

Monday 19 September 2011

Minute Waltz

The cars drive
up and down
through my mind
I
imagine
them waltzing
to music
and stop them
wrecking it
completely.


'FORGET ME - NOT' From Visual Counterpoint

Sunday 18 September 2011

Wishful Thinking

I wish I had it,
Blinkered to reality,
Virtually blind,

I wish I had it,
Security in darkness,
A simple way out.

I wish I had it,
Ability to focus,
On the road ahead,

On second thoughts - no,
Be careful what you wish for,
As you may get it…

'TUNNEL VISION' From Visual Counterpoint

Wednesday 7 September 2011

In a Deep Forest

'IN A DEEP FOREST' From Visual Counterpoint


The richness of the human journey is here. Listen. Pass it on. So that there will not pass from our future the enchantment that begins with the honoured words:
‘Once upon a time long ago and far away, in a deep forest, there lived a child-much like you.’
Anonymous.


Deep in the forest,
The Earth holds a diadem,
For a child to find,

Here the quiet depths,
Cast allures that encircle,
The enquiring mind,

Hidden pool of light,
Let me gaze into water,
That reflects my soul.


I would like to thank all the people who have recently commented, e-mailed me and given me encouragement to carry on posting.
The first paragraph is taken from the sleeve of John Barry’s ‘Beyondness of Things’. It seemed appropriate because I am trying to pass on what I see beyond the photographs I take.

Monday 5 September 2011

Smoke Signal

'SMOKE SIGNAL' From Visual Counterpoint


It’s said there’s no smoke without fire,
No achievement without desire,
Young greenwood produces the most,
Rising from the heart like a ghost,
The whetted appetites of youth
Dance in death with the naked truth.



This will be the last post for some time.
I need to regain my balance.
There was a second verse but I couldn’t get the last two lines correct in my present confusion.

I wish everyone who reads my journal a safe journey.

Friday 2 September 2011

A Journey Through Hell

'SEEING THE WOOD FOR THE TREES' From Visual Counterpoint


Hell is the haven for lies and deceit,
I walk though the door every day,
The journey demands I admit defeat,
And leave my dreams where they lay
Gasping for grace in the dust of my trail
And for water to turn into clay
The belief that imagination will sail
To the future so ignorance might fail.

Thursday 1 September 2011

Barriers to Understanding

'BARRIERS TO UNDERSTANDING'From Visual Counterpoint


I have been fighting the debilitating effects of a headache for the past week; this is something I am used to doing, as it is due to the chronic migraine I suffer. I decided to take the dogs out early this morning to attempt to walk the Pennine trail while it was less busy and hopefully without ‘strobe’ bicycle lights coming toward me. I would like these banned.
I was doing quite well until accosted by a man who had just joined the trail with his small dog in tow. My new dog Lucy was determined to attempt to wrap herself in his lead in order to communicate her delight at meeting his dog and played deaf to my calls. I apologised for my lack of control over her and muttered that I had a bad headache hoping that would excuse it. Luckily for me he was not bothered but then unluckily for me he then launched into a history of his own experiences of bad headaches, which he solved with yoga. My reply that it didn’t work for me did not faze him and then ignoring my statement that my condition was due to trauma he said his wife was a therapist. I was left in no doubt as to what kind of therapist as the conversation unfolded. He asked if I was blood group O. Unfortunately for him he had guessed incorrectly but he recovered with the next most common blood group A and followed with the statement that all group A people should be vegetarian. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Laugh at such a ridiculous idea or cry for the person who was capable of believing such rubbish. I decided to believe that I had misheard him, which is always a possibility.
He then jogged about ten yards up the Pennine trail dragging a reluctant dog behind him before turning back to walk back past me saying. ‘He doesn’t want to run today, his mind is on food.’
I knew how the dog felt except that food was the last thing on my mind.

INTRODUCING LUCY

How can she be deaf with ears like that?

From Visual Counterpoint


'WHO SAID THIS WAS SIMPLE?'From Visual Counterpoint



Wednesday 31 August 2011

If I Forget

'IF I FORGET' From Visual Counterpoint


If I were to forget you
Let the rivers run dry,
If I were to forget your love
Let the stars fall from the sky,
And let me become deaf and dumb
If I forget you before I die.

' I AM IN CHARGE' From Visual Counterpoint


'I CAN DO LINE-DANCING TOO' From Visual Counterpoint


'DID I MAKE A DIFFERENCE?'From Visual Counterpoint
Mais oui, merci mon ami.

This song is dedicated to Chris. He stayed at his post as long as he could.
I have a new bundle of trouble from the Cheshire Dog’s Home. She has already fallen in the canal and I wish I still had my old boy to teach her some manners.

*************************************************************************************

Greg Kiser of 446 photography has decided to take a different path and his website will soon be cancelled. I advise anyone who likes great photographs to use the link on the right to his site while it is available. I wish him success and happiness on his journey.