The year that I turned twenty-nineI shot off from the starting lineNew employment, sparkly ringsWainwrights ticked, amazing thingsMy ducks were lined up in a rowAll set to fall like dominoesI didn’t see it coming. A little tiredness here and thereBut not enough to warrant careTurning 30 is so closeThe birthday that we fear the mostThis … More I didn’t see it coming
Rudolph the reindeer was feeling quite old,He’d been ill for days with a terrible cold.His joints were all achy, his throat was so sore.He just wasn’t able to work anymore.He did what he had to, and went to his bed,By blowing his nose he had made it quite red! He tried lemon and honey, and then … More The Cold That Saved Christmas
For Grandad, who always makes us laugh. I can’t believe it’s now week eight of Covid in lockdown, I try to smile and find some joy and not to glare and frown. A poem has been starting to take shape throughout the day, But now the words escape me, leaving me nothing to say. My … More The Morals of Sneezing (A Cautionary Tale)
I’ve found that haikus while away a lockdown day rather pleasantly: ~ Isn’t it funny how we are all so alone in this together? ~ Inspiration comes in flashes — they disappear if you don’t catch them. ~ Things can disappear: where do memories go when they are forgotten? ~ Is a memory still a … More Oranges and Silver
I woke up to a clear blue sky, a fine and sunny day, Inspired to tell you quite the tale, that all began in May. While out to buy the milk and bread, I saw some sunflower seed, I bought them on a whim that day — a bargain, 50p! I spent the afternoon outside, … More The Giants Are Smiling (a poem)
It’s been a few years since my tropical travels came to an end, and in that time this blog has been sadly neglected. While the current climate rules out more musings from foreign climes, the partial lockdown we’re in seems like an apt time to resurrect the blog in a different form (new name pending!). … More If I were a sailor (a poem)
Across cultures, across centuries, mangroves have been perceived as the ethereal roots of the sea. The small trees and shrubs date back to prehistoric times and are present in two realms at once, conglomerating and thriving in swampy lagoons on the boundary of land and sea. They are thought to have originated in Asia, before … More Roots of the sea
After precariously zig-zagging our way up and between the mountains, we arrive to find Sapa’s beauty concealed in a shroud of mist and darkness. When we awake, the town has too. Its aliveness proves a delight for the senses: the vibrant colours of the traditional dress, the whirl of hustle and bustle, the smell of … More Stunning Sapa
With close to 67 million people, Thailand is the world’s 20th most populous country and its frenetic capital, Bangkok, receives more visitors each year than London. Thailand is the only country in south-east Asia that wasn’t colonised by the Europeans, so it is fitting that in the Thai language Thailand is Prathet Thai, which translates literally … More Bangkok & Buddha
Welcome to Singapore. The Lion City, the Little Red Dot and the Air-Conditioned Nation. Singapore is an island nation, situated one degree – or 137 km North – of the Equator, and just off the southern tip of Malaysia in Southeast Asia. There are only three city-states in the world – Monaco, the Vatican City … More Air-Conditioned Nation #1
Laura writes... 