The outside world and more bird antics

[Anne Brooke]

Ye gods, but it took me ages to get to sleep last night. My night-time routine (mental note: I really have to get a night-time routine sometime ...) must be truly shot to pieces. Also I was horrendously thirsty, but couldn't be arsed to get up for a drink. Must have been all that Lucozade having its evil revenge at last. Still, at least I'm back on the water today, so things are returning to normal. Hurrah.
We are still glued to Springwatch (http://www.bbc.co.uk/springwatch) - goodness, but those baby house sparrows are simply mouths on stalks. Incredible really. I must admit to having a soft spot for sparrows - I did a project on them in primary school and remember my father spending many hours stock still in the garden, attempting to get a decent photograph of one for me. He never did manage it but, hell, it's the thought that counts.

And I've finally finished off the cleaning which Lord H nobly began yesterday. So the flat looks less like something had died in it. Thank God. And I have rediscovered my birthday present list which I kindly gave to Lord H at least a month ago and which he unaccountably misplaced. I have now put it on his side of the dining table, so he can't miss it. Ho ho.

This morning, Lord H has decided to visit an RSPB santuary in Sussex somewhere, so the bird keenness continues. I'm hoping he's going to take some pics and come back and explain what they should all sound like too - he's taken the birdsong CD with him after all. In the meantime, I have bravely left the flat for the first time since Wednesday. Goodness me, but the outside world is strange. It took me a hell of a long time to get up and down the stairs and out to the car - which appears to start, thank goodness.

All that excitement has been enough for one day, and I have since been collapsed on the sofa, sipping water, and not writing. Sigh. Might try for another sentence or two before the sun goes down, but I don't want to strain myself. Tonight, I'm planning the watch the video of "The Last Detective" from last week (or was it the week before?) if I can fit it into my action-packed schedule. And there's also a new series on, "Talk to Me", which looks like it might be quite hot. We'll see.

Oh, and sad confession time - I've written a poem which mentions "Star Trek", as I am of course an ardent fan and know quite well where my true existence lies ...

Beyond the stars

Sometimes I wonder
if the life I’m living
is not in fact my true one,
but part of some Star Trek
holosuite game
and my real life
lies out there
somewhere beyond the stars.

It would explain a lot.

As several times
I’ve caught myself muttering
“computer: end game”
or “freeze action”
but with no success so far -
I just keep on being here.

Still, there’s hope.

For it’s my considered opinion
that I’m currently residing
in a rather long-winded
temporal anomaly
and when Mr Spock,
ably assisted by the good Captain,
finally arrives
I’ll see I’ve only really been gone
five minutes.

Till then
I stare upwards at night
where the aliens roam
and wait for the mother-ship
to summon me home.


Talking of which, I've also practised my Writewords (http://www.writewords.org.uk) London Literary Circle poetry reading - the first pass through seemed okay and fits into the 20 minutes allocated, so I hope I'll be fine. My big fear is to remember not to rush it - I tend to be a fast talker anyway, so I have to keep remembering that reading work aloud is a totally different animal. I hope they'll like it.

And this week's haiku is:

The older I get,
the longer illness takes me.
No more birthdays then.


Today's nice things:

1. Springwatch
2. Being well enough to go back on the water
3. Poetry.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.pinkchampagneandapplejuice.com
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