lotusinthemud

the riches of european union - and further afield

'first chop an onion' -
our traditional prologue
while wondering what the vegetables
would like to be.

discarding ginger skins
and chopping fine
with dangerous dimple-handled steel -
spanish onions
'firm, juicy, versatile'
the label promises
as they soften and release their scent
in green italian oil

italian almonds
and my new discoveries -
sharp henna-red israeli sumac,
sour iranian lime,
za'atar from palestinian hillsides
and the more prosaic -
water and rich brown marmite
from london

next, scrubbing off claggy yorkshire mud
from yellow potatoes, then diced,
orange carrots, sliced,
sand-coloured parsnips, in slender match sticks -
all added, bubbling
with fine leaf-green strips of cabbage
to be added last

nothing of our meal has leapt and bounded
save tiny sesame as it toasted
but all looked upward to the sun
or tuberous, fattened in secret
unseen, enclosed in dark rich earth

 

#smallstone 4

day 3 - what are small stones?

It's day 3 of this month of writing 'small stones' - short pieces of observational writing in prose or poetic form. Last night a private FB page was set up with membership snowballing by the second and lovely comments being added to others'... writing - very encouraging for the new and lacking in confidence - for a small fee (£10) you can receive an email encouragement and inspiration every day this month - :: look here for more details

morning colours

morning colours

from dark wood cupboard
I take the crackly lime and raspberry paper bag,
press new grass green tablet,
flecked with orange petals,
into the small silver tin.

wet from shower,
I rub the green across my brown hair,
creating soft cream-white bubbles,
releasing aroma of flowers and patchouli.

amber translucent soap adds to the bathroom scent.

senses enlivened,
refreshed,
rubbed dry by rough blue towel,
I am ready to face the day

#smallstone 3

greys

rain streaked window

blurs the tree

across the street -

no brightness,

sharpness, of limb

against the sky.

all is soft,

grey shades,

muted.

#smallstones

small stone 1 for 1st january

tiny seeds toasting, they dance and jump, then ground, mmm, such beguiling scent that senses beg 'please, supper time soon?'

#smallstone

:: link to Writing Our Way Home

writing 'small stones' - a new month of 'noticing'

From 'Writing Our Way Home':

Start 2013 by clearing space for beauty. Will you be joining our Mindful Writing Challenge this year?

The Everso Quick Version: 

1. Notice something properly every day during January.
2. Write it down.

That's it. You can stop reading now. Go out and buy yourself a gorgeous notebook, start writing your small stones, and you'll be in the river. If you join half-way through January you can either write 31 daily small stones or stop at the end of the month.

:: link to read more and to join. I'm joining!