I have made the book a peace offering. I snuck out while it was sleeping, found my way back to … More
Tag: mindfulness
Ordering drinks in Spanish
We are at the flat. Everything has worked out fine: the journey, our connections and now amazing sense of space. We … More
Packing to leave
‘Passport?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Flight info?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Euros?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Underpants?’ The book glares at me. ‘What do you take me for?’ ‘It … More
The blanket
Though you may disappear, you’re not forgotten here And I will say to you, I will do what I can … More
Going for coffee
The book and I are passing each other messages through a third party. Neither of us bothers with the niceties … More
Nine years ago today
Nine years ago today I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the white blood cells. Even though I have … More
Just another Wednesday
Days Each one is a gift, no doubt, mysteriously placed in your waking hand or set upon your forehead moments … More
Visiting hours
I am visiting the book. We have already been through a lot together, including the part where I killed it and … More
Lifesaving Poems: Denise Levertov’s ‘The Secret’
The Secret Two girls discover the secret of life in a sudden line of poetry. I who don’t know the … More
Cut through
Cut through to what happens when you listen. Cut through to making it happen, listening for it, failing, then doing … More
Past fifty
Well, it’s happening. Happened, I mean. Stuff I thought would last forever -film titles, the actors in them, scenes of … More
After the thing
I have finished the thing. People come up to me to say things. It seems to have gone well. While … More
Teaching paying attention
Lately I have been pondering the practice of paying attention, vis-à-vis my habit of keeping a notebook to capture impressions, … More
Paying attention
Readers of this blog will know I have been thinking a lot about stationery recently. (Actually, that is something of … More
The stationery thing again
My blog post yesterday about the stationery thing provoked more responses than I ever imagined it would. Among the … More
The stationery thing
At the start of each academic year, usually when I have known them for a week or so, I make … More
The crying boy at the airport
My wife and I are at the airport of a European capital city. It’s late on a Friday evening, the … More
A day so happy
Gift A day so happy.Fog lifted early. I worked in the garden.Hummingbirds were stopping over the honeysuckle flowers.There was no … More