Monday, May 05, 2008

i told her straight ...





... that if she really loved me ...



... and if there had been an ounce of initiative in her, then in her spare time she could have dug a secret tunnel beneath the thames and up through the primeval clay in to the gilded glory of the chocolates vault at fortnum and mason

Saturday, May 03, 2008

water water




a couple of times, briefly, i had the privilege of travelling through the beautiful land where the navajo live




their wonderful art and their philosophy come out of their religion, but for most their path to spirituality and happiness is blocked by the most bruising and insulting form of poverty




america's toxic abuse of democracy and basic human rights in it's own back yard doesn't help
click the link and read on ...




radio, radio

i drive a little german truck with a really clear stereo radio that sometimes lets me hear musical details i'd never noticed in over forty years

but it has an annoying habit of jumping stations whenever a stronger local signal tempts it

on may day morning at six o clock i was just trundling into the dreary industrial estates on the south side of gatwick airport and the first golden sunbeams came flooding across the street to bring up every texture and colour in the few lovely trees

as i swung through a little roundabout, the radio jumped stations again and suddenly the young bob dylan was singing mr tambourine man as if he stood next to me

these things can pick your heart up and hurl it head over heels into the golden past

tears came in to my eyes

Thursday, May 01, 2008

fight ! fight !

this afternoon, i was reading a book about greek art outside the resuscitation room in saint george's hospital ... as you do !

suddenly i became aware that, out of the corner of my eye, in the extremely vague periphery of my vision, two shadows on the frosted glass windows of the swing doors fought in a violent and startling struggle

... then i realized in the next second that it was the shadow of the ward cleaner and his big duster

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

superstition


i took this picture from the back of the truck at six this morning whilst i was sorting out my deliveries
afterwards, when i pointed out the rainbow to the driver in the van, he told me that you should never point your finger at a rainbow ... saying, "that's what i were told when i were a lad"

Sunday, April 27, 2008

hurrah for the national health service and hurrah for science and technology


after two miserable nights with a wisdom tooth that had gone off, worried that i might be overdoing the medication, i betook myself to the new charing cross hospital in hammersmith
i am still stunned, amazed, and overjoyed ... having found myself back on the street and free from pain in less than two hours
the national health service and all the people i have encountered there have been brilliant