NaPoWriMo #28

For today's poetry, follow the following link: An Anglo-American Sandwich/Red Letter Day.

Thank you Read Write Poem for mentioning that Carol Ann Duffy is joint favourite, with Simon Armitage, to be the next poet laureate here in the U.K. I used a phrase from her collection Rapture in my collage poem on day 22 of NaPoWri Mo. The present laureate, Andrew Motion, has done much to promote poetry with the Poetry Archive, but although there are some female poets, Duffy and Jackie Kay (also included in the betting) are not included. There are other notable omissions. Both, however, can be found on the British Council site and Famous Poets and Poets, which also features American poets.

It's really snowed in the New Forest

It started to snow yesterday afternoon...a few desultory flakes drifted past my window. This morning i was surprised , on drawing the curtains, to find that it had stuck. It's snowing now but it's turning to sleet. I decided to have a walk before the light failed and the snow disappeared.

Into 2009

Last Thursday, I went to Christchurch as part of my new year resolve to get out and about at least once a week. I had lunch in the Costa coffee shop because it was buzzing with people whereas most of the others were very quiet. I picked up a newspaper, which many bars now provide. A little old lady came and sat with me and we chatted until I felt that I needed to go to make room for people who were still eating. The cold snap we've been having lately was on hold and I enjoyed a pleasant walk down to Christchurch Quay; apart from the bare trees, it could have been a summer's day. I had hoped there would be an organ recital in the Priory but there was a funeral taking place in the Lady Chapel. Click on photographs to enlarge.

Life's like that

Noah at Yo Sushi

My daughter, Kamsin, an English language teacher in Japan, recently spent a fortnight in England. The first week was dull and overcast, but at least we could go for walks along the coast; the second, it rained almost every day. During that week, we went up to Manchester to visit my younger son, Gavin, his partner, Kay and baby Noah. Manchester has a reputation for being wet, and it certainly lived up to it. It wasn't too bad whilst we were eating lunch at Yo Sushi, or inside the Manchester Art Gallery, but in between the two Kay had to go to Primark (cheap store) for a pair of wellies as her feet were sopping wet.

Today, and for most of this week, the sun has been shining!

There's a lightness in my spirit...

Just lately, I've been feeling depressed; a mixture of guilt and hopeless on account of my increasing inability to care for my mother. Physically, she is in good shape and despite finding showering her difficult, on account of arthritis in my hands, I keep her clean and well fed. It's the emotional/psychological side of things that I can't handle: the constant repetition of the same phrase; setting the table for five when there's only two of us; talking about people who don't exist and asking for her mother. It sounds so trivial, when I write it down. The worst thing of all is my lack of freedom to move. She constantly forgets where I am when I'm in, so is even more confused if I go out. After an incident last Saturday, I'm now locking the outer porch door when I go out, although I don't Like doing it. When I went out on Saturday afternoon, she locked outside and had the next-door neighbour going up and down the road looking for me. She (the neighbour), who had her in and gave her several cups of tea, said that Mum shouldn't be left on her own. That was what decided me that it had to be residential care.

Yesterday, I visited a care home which is only half a mile away from where we live. It's in a listed Victorian building, and there are only 20 residents, who all seem to be pretty good physically, like Mum. The room Mum would have has recently been refurbished and is light, bright and overlooks the garden. She's going to spend a day there next Wednesday, when she will be assessed. I do feel that this would be the best solution for both of us, and it would give her the company that she seems to be looking for.