Truth is love

Teal skies glaze Lake Windermere again.
My lover arrives,
looking calm and kind.
He inspires me–that man
walking by me in near silence to
Stone house where my cat waits patiently
by the glittering fire.
Now gentle teal skies fade
into soft lilac grey endings.
Cat,once more.
On the prowl.
Lover in my bed
Softly caresses
my skin with tenderness.
Skin against skin.
Touching.
Love touches;
Allows goodness
And truth into this world.

The naked and the read

After dinner Mary and Stan often went for a longish walk.They liked to go to a road where the richer people of Britain lived.,where there were some Georgian houses and one Tudor house.

At dusk they would stroll by looking into the lighted windows to see how the rooms were decorated.And if the front garden was large sometimes they crept in to see more

One beautiful house they liked from the outside was spoiled for Mary by the garish tartan wall paper.

What sort of people would live there, she asked Emile who was in her handbag.with his head peeping out

Well,they have a cat called Percy, he mewed softly.

Why Percy?It is a noble name from the British past of course,she answered…

Earls of Percy were involved in affairs of state.

Well.Percy is a Chinese cat,Emile said to her wittily.

He ought to be called Hu Ar U then,Mary joked ,or tried to as her sense of humour was somewhat lacking or maybe just odd.Still she looked lovely despite her moth eaten clothes bought in Sales in colors nobody else wanted like purple and lilac and bottle green.

She and Stan crept slowly up the garden path and peered nervously into the empty sitting room trying to identify the paintings on the walls.

All of a sudden, a woman who was completely naked came into the room and lay modishly on a sofa as if she were a trained dancer.She was a sight for sore male eyes.

Are they about to have a drawing class,Stan whispered.

She must be a model for a Life Class or an abstract woman ,with cat ,if Percy gets into the frame,Mary mused

Percy might scratch her then.Stan muttered.She could scream.

Suddenly a loud voice was booming at them.

What the bloody hell are you doing in my garden?

There stood a big man in plus fours and and an oversized red jumper with matching cheeks

We were admiring your wall paper,Mary said.I think it is very unusual.

He smiled in gratification.

I chose it,he cried.All by my self.

But why is there a nude lady on the sofa,Stan enquired.

I am so annoyed, the man told them.My fiancee likes to walk around nude but she forgets to draw the curtains first.

Does she want to make an exhibition of herself,Stan enquired hopefully.

We wondered if it was for a life class, you know,students learning to draw and become artists of note.

Well,that’s a good idea said Arthur thoughtfully.

The woman got up and came over.She opened the wondow.To their astonishment she was Annie,their neighbour and Stan’s mistress too.Stan might have known but he had kept his face immobile after years of practise.

Fancy seeing you here,Annie whispered creatively in her sweet little voice

I am trying to seduce Arthur but with no success so far except a marriage proposal.

You need to be more discreet and indirect, said Stan.

If you act like this he will think you are an artist’s model and likely to be featured in the Tate Modern Annual Show of Infamy .Now, would a man like this marry or even sleep with such a woman as you appear to be walking around like Eve before she ate the apple?

I don’t know said Annie but my clothes are all in the tumble dryer,anyhow.

Did you wet yourself? Mary asked her kindly.It’s nothing to be ashamed of.We all do it now and then especially since public conveniences were shut down across the UK.And now ,even winter coats are machine washable.

Well,I knocked over some lemon barley water in a big jug and so I decided to wash all my clothes. while I was here as Arthur as a tumble dryer

That’s a very strange tale Arthur told her.You look ravishing hanging out of the window with your nipples pointing up.Let me take a photo of

you.Say,Cheese

But will you put it on Twitter,Annie asked anxiously.

No,dear.I am not so cruel.Why don’t you get your clothes and make us all some tea .

I can’t make tea,she yelled and without pausing she dialledd 999.

What is it Fire or Ambulance the lady receptionist asked politely.

It’s a kettle.

Is it on fire?

No,it won’t boil.Can you send Dave the paramedic ,please, as he makes good tea.

We are quite busy so it may be two hours or more she was told.

I thought this was an emergency service,Annie said.

But who defines what an emergency is? the lady asked her philosophically.

I will die without this tea,Annie informed her in a ringing tone

Ok ,hang up and I will send the ambulance now.

Arthur seemed a little surprised

I have private medical insurance,he cried.But they don’t make tea not even for old people.

Well,in the UK tea has always been essential to the National Health

But it will soon be drying up and we shall get flasks from the dustmen on Sundays instead.

I just don’t believe it,Arthur said and he then passed out on the rug which stood in front of a bookcase full of leather bound volumes of poetry.

Will he live?
Will he die
I don’t know but I shall cry

Awry then

And places full of light

When the sun is high and bright and strong
We feel that it will always be the same
But when we live on earth we know we’re wrong
And for that darkness we have got a name

Now in England we have lights and screens
We do not fear the dark,the devils’ night
But often in the winter we will dream
Of summer heat and places full of light

The steps at Aldeburgh where we saw the sea
The cliffs at Lyme and Charmouth in the spring
But from such places I dread memory
The pain of loss is hard and no child brings

Now the sky is lilac in the dusk
In creation I find what I trust

Like a fallen moon

Old man,bending over,
arched like a fallen moon
in a dark lilac November sky.
joy and pain wrestle my heart across the emptiness
and toss it up like a damp rocket
to fall in a hidden corner where mice live.
Would that not be a good ending,to be dust
to these little creatures nesting
in my chewed green twine and my tartan basket?
They have eyes and shiver in my hand when I rescue them
from the cat…
as any heart might.
Now night falls on the newspaper basket
where the damp Times and the Guardian mix into glue
and tomorrow the sun will rise
and it will just be the garbage
with no poetic undertones nor deathly hushes..
Heather and a silver light
you stand on a hill top like a god
looking over his domain.
Strong and now weak
it’s the humane condition
Everlasting life is too dangerous for humans.
Silent,motionless,home of beetles
bit by bit we fall away
into the mother soil
with cracked jugs and dropped coins
for a future academic to dig into.
Transparent hand touches me.
Whose might it be

Crazy cats of Knittingham

Hallowe’en
Stan was feeling sad because the clocks had turned back so it was dark at 4pm.His wife Mary was out on her old Raleigh with battery lit lights front and rear….though not quite on her ass.Stan is very vulgar sometimes as it cheers him up.When Mary gets home he did say to her once,You need a light on your ass .Mary,like the Queen,was not amused.
Emile Stan’s cat suggested they go for a walk before sunset and so off they went.Stan wore an old green overcoat and a flat cap.Emile was running ahead as he was so excited.Some times he sat on the sturdy old man’s shoulder on a cat pad.[On sale everywhere for two pounds ten and sixpence.]Stan felt his spirits rise as he walked as the sky was so beautiful striped in blue and peach just like it had been in the Holy Land when he went on a Pilgrimage with other old Catholics from Knittingham Cathedral
How lovely it would be to walk in the wood and feel crunchy leaves under his boots.[From Hotters of Whelmersdale,Lancs] And Emile liked to bury himself in the leaves and leap put as Stan went by.But as they approached the wood a strange sight met their eyes,,, all four!
The trees were full but not with birds.They were full of cats.Big cats,fat cats,thin cats,pedigree cats,mixed race cats,cats of all colors and sizes.You can imagine the effect of having a hundred or more cats’ eyes staring yellowly at you in synchronized glares.Why,it was almost enough to send Stan running home for some brandy

Emile went nearer.He spoke to a big black cat

What’s going on?,he mewed.You are in my territory,

The black cat looked at him with his big green eyes.

We are witches‘ cats.We have come from all over Great Britain,excluding Northern Ireland as cats are not allowed on the boats now. no ratsl eft]..Tomorrow is All Hallows Eve and we are accompanying our multi-ethnic multicolored witches on a grand flight over Knittingham…tonight we are having,The Big Sing… at midnight precisely.
Did you remember to change the time on your smartphone,asked Emile.All the cats began to giggle and laugh.
We don’t need phones or clocks.We go by the stars and the moon…though doubtless the witches have watches.
Do witches have watches?,Emile asked Stan,after telling him why the cats were there.
Old witches have watches,Stan murmured,mesmerised by the vision of the cats swaying in the gale force winds.Thank God cats have fur,he thought lovingly.
Can we have a walk here,?he asked testily.
Well,Sir,do you recall a song from your childhood,If you go down to the woods today,you
’re sure of a big surprise.At your age,is your heart soft enough to stretch when you see five thousand cats…
I am sure I shall be ok as long as the Good Lord does not come here to feed them with five loaves and two fishes
All the cats laughed again.Stan was puzzled how they managed to stay in the trees with wind and giggles and a few scrapping and fighting as tom cats so when lady cats are near.
We are already full of fish supplied by all the local pet shops,markets and goldfish bowls!
How disgraceful, thought Stan,to eat pet goldfish.but owing to the number of crazy cats he decided to keep quiet…As he got nearer he saw a few cats smoking pipes..Well,I never knew cats smoked,he said to Emile
.Maybe it’s magic mushrooms or coyote,the cat said cheekily
Do you mean peyote?,Stan said querulously.Coyote are animals..
Ah,well.you get my drift,Emile replied cheekily
What was most strange was why this big meeting was taking place in Knttingham
Then he remembered it was the cent of the UK…that must be it.Most intriguing to see all these cats.A few even had tartan ribbons on as they were from Scotland.But how did they travel so far.No doubt it was all arranged by the Chief Wizard.
Somehow Stan and Emile felt self conscious as the cats were almost glaring at them,reminding Stan of an occasion when he and his wife had wandered by accident onto a remote beach for gay nude men.The looks they gave the old folk were far from gay;So he and Emile turned round and headed for home… at least they were forewarned of the midnight concert they and Mary would hear.Stan made some tea with twice as many tea bags as usual.
as he was concerned he might get PTSD or worse,maybe kittzophrenia.This poor man was blessed with a vivid imagination.
When Mary came in from the University he called out,
We have had the most amazing day,Mary….But Mary was wearing a pointed black hat and cloak…. and a big smile.
I know what you mean,Stan….I am just off to take a peek myself.She picked up her broomstick and rode away into the darkening sky.~to think one could be both a witch and a mathematician,,though numbers have a certain magic of their own as we all know

Grammar spelling etc

And other animals..
drawing is difficult but I try

I have been wondering no 8 recently about doubling the last letter of the word as for example

Focus…should it be

Focused or focussed?

There is a rule about this as follows

Is the last syllable of the word is stressed and ends in a consonant then you do double the last letter.

But for focus but the last syllable is not stressed so the past tense will be

Focused

If I have made a mistake please tell me

NYTimes: Artists and Activists Both Have a Role. But Not the Same One.

Artists and Activists Both Have a Role. But Not the Same One. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/05/magazine/activism-propaganda-artists-writers.html?smid=nytcore-android-share

The branches in the breeze sway , cats miaow

Already sparrows dart between the shrubs
No asking where to go or what to do
Before the blossom and emerging bulbs

No outdoor flowers decorate my tubs
The waxy flowered cyclamens are few
Already sparrows dart between the shrubs

As I watch the sparrows my heart ‘s stilled
The politics, the corrections are subdued
Yet trees will blossom over crocus bulbs

The leaders seek to force a war by will
No reflection, certain what to do
Would I were a sparrow on the sill

Will the warships move their mighty hulls?
From bow to stern they ‘re filled with bombs for U
Yet trees will blossom over tiny bulbs

The branches in the breeze sway , cats miaow
Was evolution wise for chimpanzees?
Already sparrows dart between the shrubs
Our species cannibals , can we not love?

Different kinds of loss

I thought I had lost my cheque book and I don’t use it very much so it’s not so important but there’s one person i deal with to whom I must give s check sometimes I remember thinking that it was making my handbag too full

Then I believed that I had taken it out but I couldn’t remember where I put it so I’ve been searching as they say high and low for several days and then I sat down on my chair staring at my handbag which is red and I noticed that there’s a pocket on the back with a zip in which I kept my bus ticket or train tickets .So sweating with professional versatility I gazed at this bag then I picked it up and of course the check book was in that compartment where the tickets normally go.

So I suppose the lesson is make sure you really have lost what you think you’ve lost before you start searching for it because believe me 1 searching in my living room is no fun whatsoever as it’s full of computers houseplants books pens paintbrushes different sorts of reading glasses tissues combs brushes paint brushes watercolor paint

I think I left it too late to learn to be tidy up but I can see the attraction of being a nun just two habits one in the washer one on I have don’t know what they were underneath there habits in fact probably they’ve given up wearing them all together but if so they won’t have a lot of clothes maybe two skirts and three blouses and s cardigan

When Jesus told us to give away all our possessions and maybe it wasn’t help other people it was to help us that we would have more time and less worry if we had fewer possessions it’s just a problem when you’ve already got them and you’ve got arthritis ato try to sort it all out but rest in peace because I know how to do it now

I have found an organisation that comes around at a pre-owned time and will take away clothes books almost anything that’s clean and in good condition so having given them 10 by within the last two weeks we’ll probably be getting some more next week and so this will help the shops that sell these things to get more money to help their cause whether it’s Oxfam or mental illness or cancer.

full

Still water

We can make our minds so like still water that beings gather about us that they may see, it may be, their own images, and so live for a moment with a clearer, perhaps even with a fiercer life because of our quiet.

William Butler Yeats, The Celtic Twilight: Faerie and Folklore

Mistakes people make sometimes

I have what I think is a cartoon by Picasso in my living room. I’ll probably it was used to advertise a show when he had done the bullfighter paintings.

2 weeks ago I had a visitor and she said to me, gosh I didn’t know you did painting as well.

I didn’t say anything contradict here because I thought it might mess her feel bad because she doesn’t know much about painting.

Maybe it’s unfinished look made her think that I had just done it in a spare moment

So beware in case you become famous for something you didn’t do.

How to complain to the NHS – NHS

https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-the-nhs/how-to-complain-to-the-nhs/#:~:text=Contact%20your%20local%20integrated%20care,often%20displayed%20on%20its%20website.

Can gimbling with me help?

So uninspired, the vivid moles did fire a thimble on the waves

So crumbly were the unbaked loaves

The home cats all strayed

Come with me my little pal, I’ll take you out and pay the knaves

My Google payment was devised

On the comb I found your waves

So definitely the PayPal loved, uncensored symbols overcame.

The term denied, it was unsafe

In the end we all were crazed.

Symbols thimbles stop and blink till men are kinder and still brave

My phone will not with contact pay

I think it’s better to pray my way.

Stephen Leacock Lewis Carroll put me in and wouldn’t borrow

My heart was filled with God’s own power

We’ll play the lame for half an hour

Redress the balance: Being steady on your feet – Reader’s Digest

https://www.readersdigest.co.uk/health/wellbeing/redress-the-balance-being-steady-on-your-feet

There are three components to balance. The first is the visual system, which shows us whether we’re tilting. Then the vestibular system in the inner ear sends information to our brain about the motion of our head in relation to our surroundings. Thirdly, proprioception is our body’s ability to sense its location, movement and actions.

“People with ear problems that cause dizziness […] are more likely to have balance issues”

People with ear problems that cause dizziness, or with joint problems or muscle weakness are more likely to have balance issues. If you suffer from dizziness, see your GP to find out the reason.

Get your strength up

Exercise goes a long way to helping you stay steady on your feet

But there’s a lot you can do yourself to improve physical strength. If you exercise, you’re ahead of the game. One study found that a group that did 32 weeks of resistance training improved their ability to stand on one foot by 25 per cent and another group that did 32 weeks of aerobic exercise increased theirs by 31 per cent.

” If you exercise, you’re ahead of the game”

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Otherwise, improve your balance by walking, cycling or climbing stairs – this will strengthen muscles in the lower body – or by practising yoga, pilates or tai chi. Or simply practise balancing on one leg – hold onto a chair to begin with, if necessary.

Read more: H ow to protect your hips

Keep up with the top stories from Reader’s Digest by subscribing to our weekly newsletter

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“People with ear problems that cause dizziness […] are more likely to have balance issues”

People with ear problems that cause dizziness, or with joint problems or muscle weakness are more likely to have balance issues. If you suffer from dizziness, see your GP to find out the reason.

Get your strength up

Exercise goes a long way to helping you stay steady on your feet

” If you exercise, you’re ahead of the game”

null

Read more: H ow to protect your hips

Keep up with the top stories from Reader’s Digest by subscribing to our weekly newsletter

CBD oil: Benefits, uses & best UK brands in 2021

HEALTH CONDITIONS

5 Types of bodily pain – Marietta, GA

WELLBEING

Can gossip be good for you?

WELLBEING