The prompt for day 8 was to rewrite a famous poem. I couldn’t decide between two of Carlos Williams’ poems “This is just to say” and “The Red Wheelbarrow” – so I did both.

21st C. Variations on a theme by Carlos-Williams

This Is Just To Say

I have eaten

the plums

that were in

the fridge

and which

you were probably

saving

for breakfast.

Let it go.

Anyway, they

tasted like

shit.

This Is Just To Say

I have eaten

the plums

that were in

the fridge

and which

you were probably

saving

for breakfast.

Sucked in.

middle-aged casanova

so much depends

on a red

sports

car

a toupé

an

u

p

w

a

r

d

l

y

mobile

personal

assistant

&

a

r

g

a

i

v

Yet another everyday memory of one of my years in Himeji, Japan.

surprises

It’s the reason you get up every day. The

most ordinary bus or train trip transformed

by one image, a different perspective.

rainbows trapped in ice crystals on the roof of an

old car. snow on a discarded car tyre a study in black and white.

a slice of sky caught in a drain,

the joy of the unexpected mundane.

smell of a mandarine permeating the bus.

a chance meeting with the student you call

walnut who gives you a little box of handmade

chocolates because she says in her understated

Japanese way

                                                           I made too many

The only prompt used today is self-pity.

cold.

streaming nose and

ticklish cough,

thermostat

completely off.

spluttering,

our friends rebuke us.

body keeps producing mucus.

throat is hurting.

feeling old.

God I hate

the common cold…

I’ve been spending a fair bit of time with my grand daughter. A couple of days ago there was a NaPoWriMo prompt for a “charm or spell “. This is Amelia’s spell. She’s the King Canute of moving air…

                                             wind

                                                (for Amelia)

blow, wind

dry the sweat of my brow

cool my head

lift the wisps of hair falling on my face

blow, wind

move green leaves so they dance against blue sky

blow, wind

bend the trees

blow, wind

blow today’s weather to yesterday and tomorrow’s to today

stop, wind

that’s enough.

stop.

good job, wind.