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24th June 2016
First They Came Pastor Martin Niemoller First they came for the Communists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Communist Then they came for the Socialists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Socialist Then they came for the trade unionists And I did not speak…
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Gatherings
Vast have been our peregrinations of late; to wit a weekend with the Folk Club in Blairgowrie and a sojourn south to Peebles, thence to make the acquaintance of Marco, Bendrago and Pearly Popstar. We enjoyed some happy pottering in Kirriemuir, saw Marsh Harriers at Loch of Kinnordy, and nearly an Osprey but it turned…
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Mothering Sunday
After great pain, a formal feeling comes By Emily Dickinson After great pain, a formal feeling comes – The Nerves sit ceremonious, like Tombs – The stiff Heart questions ‘was it He, that bore,’ And ‘Yesterday, or Centuries before’? The Feet, mechanical, go round – A Wooden way Of Ground, or Air, or Ought…
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Next stop
As most of my life is lived on board a train just now, some shots below from a wee half day out to Kirkcaldy, to view this most excellent work:- The Great Tapestry of Scotland There are some thoughts of my band After 8 Mince as well, we sing a lot of songs about trains,…
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Ars longa, vita brevis
A deftly crafted and finely honed homily, on the subject of British wildlife. You’ve got to be nice to badgers, Badgers are nice to us. If you’re not nice to badgers We’ll smack you in the puss.
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Wintry discontent
A Slumber did my Spirit Seal By William Wordsworth A slumber did my spirit seal; I had no human fears: She seemed a thing that could not feel The touch of earthly years. No motion has she now, no force; She neither hears nor sees; Rolled round in earth’s diurnal course, With rocks, and…
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The North, Circular
Affairs of the stomach much on my mind these days, so it was with rising interest that I noted a factoid from the appendices to one of my favourite books, The Poetry of Birds*. The noble bird the gannet derives its name from the Scottish word gant or gaunt which means to yawn by…
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Fresh out of Lotus
If I had a superpower I would like it to be the ability to stay awake during the dvd and stay asleep in bed. Since i have clearly lucked out on that one, here I am with my book of New York poetry after having played away all my lives on Candy Crush and finished…
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Spinally tapped
Another evening at Pilates, another well stretched me. We had a very interesting weekend with our friend Rieko, from Tokyo. Saturday: National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh; Meadows walk; Burrell Collection, Pollok Park, Glasgow; then home for a gourmet Japanese meal. Sunday: The Kelpies, Falkirk; the new exhibition at the field of the Battle of Bannockburn;…
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Saturday serendipity
For the first time in a week it is actually possible to see the horizon. A dreich haar has enveloped the Kingdom of late, and frankly it has been depressing. Turns out to be jolly difficult to photograph in low light, through a window, without a tripod. Who knew?…