Bells ring out across the land the time for action is now at hand World leaders in Glasgow hear our plea the world is dying you must see that what we need is open hearts we beg of you to play your part. Make decisions wise and true for the many not just the few remember the animals, plant the soil and water without which nothing supports us remember the thirsty lands those drowning already we need your strength to keep us steady. Peace, justice and hope for our earth overall that is our prayer that is our call
Your heads are full thoughts, ideas, dreams of other worlds just like ours. You probe you ponder you encourage exploration for extra-terrestrial resources. But beware like a thirsty traveller searching for water in the desert you may discover the oasis is just a mirage. This morning, this day, this evening listen to my call* One planet that is all, One planet beautiful, One planet that is for all.
* Not to be confused with Collared Dove who repeats One Planet, One Planet, One Planet!
This poem was written in response to the call for patches that would be sewn on to the Coat of Hopes an art work and pilgrimage project to COP26 and came to me as I mediated on what my design should be. This is the resulting patch:
Coat of Hopes Patch
Notes to go with the Coat of Hopes Patch
The blue/green circlet of course represents our astounding, astonishing, amazing blue/green planet. Strangely at the time I was reading Braiding Sweet Grass by Robin Wall Kimmerer and without realising, the design I chose for the circlet is based on a Potawatomi design which seemed serendipitous. I’ve added a red centre for the vibrant life-force our planet has and surrounded it with stars.
In an upside down world I stare at my reflection and tell you I know about disease. I know about shortage and want. I know what it is like to dread the chainsaw’s roar and wonder if it is coming for me. I know what it is like to no longer hear my friends whispering on the wind. In this upside down world if you can’t hug your mother, sister, friend, brother, father, child, grandchild put your arms around me and listen while I tell you we are all in this together.
“How stricken would our luscious landscape be without the lovely Ash” Ali Walters March 2019
Today I am angry Today I can’t understand why We aren’t shouting from the roof tops, That with dieback and the borer beetle WE could lose nearly 1 billion Ash trees Where is the Cobra planning meeting for that? Where are the emergency tree planting proposals? Why are the politicians sitting around arguing about borders and immigration instead of this national catastrophe? Have we become so thoughtless so disconnected From our environment that we would Not notice if millions of trees disappeared? John Constable mourned the loss of one “young lady” What would he have to say to us about our carelessness with a whole species? If they were humans we would cry genocide There would be benefit concerts and distressing pictures all over the news But we seem not to give a damn about trees or the 1000s of insects, birds, fungus, mammals (including us) that depend on them. How stricken would our luscious landscape be without the lovely Ash. Will they live on only in place name memory? To be read out like the names of war casualties on Ash Tree Remembrance Day Ash, Ashampstead, Ashbocking, Ashbourne, Ashburton, Ashbury, Ashby, Ashcombe, Ashdon, Ashdown, Ashen, Ashendon, Ashill, Ashington, Ashley, Ashamsworth, Ashmore, Ashow, Ashreigny, Ashtead, Ashton, Ashurst, Ashurstwood, Ashwater, Ashwell, Ashwick, Ashwicken, Askam, Askern, Askham, Askrigg, Bracon Ash, Five Ash Down Monyash, Saltash Ash, Ashampstead, Ashbocking, Ashbourne, Ashburton, Ashbury, Ashb, Ashcombe, Ashdon, Ashdown, Ashen, Ashendon, Ashill, Ashington, Ashley, Ashamsworth, Ashmore, Ashow, Ashreigny, Ashtead, Ashton, Ashurst, Ashurstwood, Ashwater, Ashwell, Ashwick, Ashwicken, Askam, Askern, Askham, Askrigg, Bracon Ash, Five Ash Down Monyash, Saltash Ash, Ashampstead, Ashbocking, Ashbourne, Ashburton, Ashbury, Ashb, Ashcombe, Ashdon, Ashdown, Ashen, Ashendon, Ashill, Ashington, Ashley, Ashamsworth, Ashmore, Ashow, Ashreigny, Ashtead, Ashton, Ashurst, Ashurstwood, Ashwater, Ashwell, Ashwick, Ashwicken, Askam, Askern, Askham, Askrigg, Bracon Ash, Five Ash Down Monyash, Saltash Ash Ash Ash Ash
The feel of the cool breeze on the palm of my outstretched hand
The warm sun on my up turned face
The roughness of dried seaweed between my fingers
The sound of rippling wavelets as the wind pushes the river against the out going tide
The raucous squabbling of seagulls
The chirping of a cricket in the grass
The salty smell of sea river water mixed with sweet lavender I’ve carried on my walk
The savoury taste of a handful of almonds found at the bottom of my bag and for dessert a few blackberries picked from a bush accessible only at low tide
The blue of the sky, the green of the hills, the brown of a recently ploughed field and the iridescent shimmer of a red dragonfly’s wings.
What a beautiful day a veritable feast for the senses.
While sitting at my computer this afternoon I noticed a movement out of the corner of my eye and there sitting behind my bird bath was a fledgling blackbird, which the male had just fed. It was a wild and stormy day so I was slightly concerned about it (as one is as an interfering human!) but I watched avidly for the next 40 minutes or so and eventually the male came back with a beak full of tasty treats – well for a blackbird chick that is.
Off he went again and I double checked the RSPB website for info about fledgling chicks. Of course we should in the majority of cases do nothing. So I just sat and watched. A bit later on I was delighted to see the chick hopping about and calling to its parent so I figured it was ok. I have to confess to putting out some stale bread crumbs which I then watched being collected and fed diligently by the male to the chick.
The crumbs also attracted the female who was quite aggressive towards the male. But I guess I might be if I’d been sitting on eggs and then feeding chicks and was now getting ready to have another clutch of eggs!
Even with all this going on the male still managed to find a moment to sit in the hedge and sing out to defend his territory before going back to feeding the chick.
A glorious end to May started with a fabulous sunrise.
Not being the earliest of risers sometimes it does pay to peek out of the curtains on waking at 4.30am even if your going back to sleep!
Down on the beach at Rottingdean the scene could almost have been described as Mediterranean.
So time to whip off shoes and socks and dip the toes for the first time this year in the sea. And very pleasant it was too. A great preparation for #30DaysWild