Day 226 August

eyes on other days heart on today head letting fall the moment found complete

failing to discover but none the less challenged found wanting still searching

joy in a diagram understood explained encouraged to be built beyond capacity

satisfaction in the solving making the brain work pushing logic finding laughter

 

As the bathroom came finally near its completion today I sat considering the other major parts of the work needing to be done here. First comes the external fabric of the cottage so kitchen and workroom window lintels and sills are first on the list, hopefully achieved before winter sets in. With the mess of that job the fireplace lintel in kitchen needs raising and chimney properly blocked off and vented which would cause stone removal plus all manner of debris and dust both drop and trodden through no doubt so both at the same time seems optimum for living with that kind of mess only once. Talked to builders about work and their availability they are going to see what how when and get back to me with serious dates and quote. A huge amount to do to make ready for the work both in actual boxing up but also with me, the forty days certainly are a good focus away from the ‘delights’ of builders. At least a months break now so a very quiet day tomorrow and then a plod forward on many levels.

Paper and thread mixed in with house-paint and cleaning cloths with added external ‘appointments should be enough to ‘entertain’ me.

A poem by Elizabeth Jennings called Delay was the poem that found me today.

Comments

[Cathy]

Delay is lovely and sad. I searched and found she had written this one too. I like it:0)

Friendship
Such love I cannot analyse;
It does not rest in lips or eyes,
Neither in kisses nor caress.
Partly, I know, it's gentleness

And understanding in one word
Or in brief letters. It's preserved
By trust and by respect and awe.
These are the words I'm feeling for.

Two people, yes, two lasting friends.
The giving comes, the taking ends.
There is no measure for such things.
For this all Nature slows and sings.

[Daisy-Winifred]

Ah yes I know that poem too, it is indeed beautiful;funnily enough I was conversing with a certain person:0) about the friendship poem over this weekend, how it is an ideal of friendship but can be a real gift beyond measure when it is found as truth between two people. If you dont know Elizabeth Jennings work I do encourage you to seek out her poetry she wrote a great deal during her lifetime and some of it is truly great, I think there could be twenty volumes of her work but many may be out of print of course. I love the last line of the friendship poem -
For this all Nature slows and sings. Such a powerful beautiful image to engage with.

[Cathy]

Yes, it was that last line that made me sit up.