Seeds…Plus….Observation…’Balanced’….
by Bernie Bell - 08:48 on 23 September 2024
Seeds…..
A wonderful tale from Mr. Mac….
Reminding me of the tale of an oak tree in the grounds of Adare Manor - a mansion in County Limerick, Ireland - the grounds of which used to sometimes be open to the public. It’s now an hotel and access is only for those staying there but at one time when visiting family in Limerick, I got the chance to roam the grounds during an Open Day.
There’s an old oak tree with a carved stone telling the tale of an acorn being brought there in someone’s pocket, planted, and growing….
“BROUGHT HERE FROM KILLARNEY IN 1795 IN THE POCKET OF THE SHOOTING JACKET OF RICHARD QUIN DEAR OWNER OF ADARE. PLEASE DO NOT PUT ME IN YOUR POCKET.”
Nothing to do with plants, but with seeds of memories….
At the time when we were allowed, me and my Mum were walking together along a path near to the Manor. She picked up a coin from the reign of George the Third (of England), and gave it to me. I valued this, not for its worth, but for the link with Mum.
I put it in my ‘funny money box’ which holds coins that mean something to me for one reason or another.
Years later, Mike and I were burgled and our burglar, seeing a box of money, took a handful – presumably putting them in his pocket. The handful included Mum’s George 3 coin.
By that time, Mum had died and what bothered me most of the things our burglar took was that coin.
But…..I have my Mum in my head and heart – she’s still with me in the very way I live my life, so the burglar didn’t really mess with my memories.
*************
Plus….
Yesterday we collected seeds from our wildflower meadow.
After collecting them I came in and separated them from their heads and pods, then laid them out on paper to dry off properly.
It felt like a very witchy-poo thing to do, and I wrote this…
Equinox Seeds
Dust of Orchid
Pod of vetch
Thistle-down
And Ox-eye head
Devil’s bit blue
And Campion red
‘Ear of cat’
Hawkweed seed
Glove of Fox
And Black Knapweed
This is how I brew my mix
When moon is full
I’m full of tricks!
BB 22.9.24
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Observation….
I wrote a little poem for me old mate Ian….
An Observation
In the ‘window’
Of The Dome
A man stands
Observing
Wondering
Hoping
Will the Observatory
Survive?
So that others
Not yet born
Can continue
To observe.
BB Sept ‘24
***************************************************************************
'Balanced’…..
The heat of the day
the cool of the night
The sun and the moon
on opposite sides of the sky
The world spins
under our feet
I unfold my arms
to welcome autumn
Balanced on the edge
of a year
https://bartbarkerpoet.com/2024/09/22/balanced/
(Scheduled to post on the September Equinox.)
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