Friday 17 January 2014

she sells sea shells

shells in shells
stripes, whorls, pearl
natures formal patterns of perfection
mementos of beaches
held within an oyster shell with
its sharp edges and silky smooth lining

thursday's small stone on friday - ink


cobalt ink
whiskery string
homemade label
curved reflections in the bottle
tidy ridged cap
paintable paint

wednesday's stone on friday - fading memory


fax paper - remember that?
this paper is forgetting, fading fast
fortune photocopied precious words
from dying friend, too ill to speak
still eloquent on paper

tuesday's post on friday - new sketchbook


the blank new sketchbook
carnet d'esquisses more properly
gold letterpress on ridged card
the blue of cornflowers
precious gift from dear friends visit to Paris
it may wait my next visit there
too perfect to use

Monday 13 January 2014

catch up orchid

paper porcelain petals
bisque brittle
a protruding mouth with
spiked curled bottom lip
and delicate red stripes like 
blood vessels in the eye

Belated stone





washed up from yesterday
smooth chalky surface
cold to the touch
underside less mottled
almost imperceptible arrow mark
if only it could speak

Saturday 11 January 2014

sunset

brief moments
ephemeral glory
as good a show as the Northern Lights
sky pale blue green
clouds crushed raspberry ice
ivy black
minutes later all gone

Friday 10 January 2014

bark

the wild cherry tree's overcoat
smooth yet pock-marked
strong yet delicately marked
stripes defining the form
small twigs daring to extrude
brindle bark

Thursday 9 January 2014

spire


Standing sentinel over our home
delicate tracery, honey stone
spikes and knobbles with a
see-through fragility
home of rooks and pigeons
to the glory of someone's god

Wednesday 8 January 2014

wet leaves

dripping, rotting
that big leaf was summer silver and green
now soft, wet brown, flooded winter
fish skeleton-like it has
blown up the hill
a long way from its branch

Tuesday 7 January 2014

handmade

smooth, warm, tan leather
wrapped with soft, red thong
smelling of animal, pliable, supple
neatly stitched in yellow
fits in the palm of my hand
made by other hands

Monday 6 January 2014

Flame

meditative tool, the light glowing down the candle,
black curved wick with red glow into fluttering flame
blue at the core. apricot flame
peace

Sunday 5 January 2014

glass bauble



A glass tear, hand blown in some inferno, now icy, green and luminous

Feather

Speckled, bars of brown on tan, fidgety marks either side of a strong, dark quill. Fluff changes to solid but not solid. Part the feather and it smoothes back into a single blade. Perfect design by nature.

Friday 3 January 2014

Ammonite

symmetry, pattern making, like a tractor tyre
soft antiquity, spiral chalky beauty

Thursday 2 January 2014

Pill pack



Empty pill packet. Each blister crumpled like an old volcano. The broken foil twangs. Seven days, seven capsules, one blank to fit neatly on the rectangular pack. Expiry date 04/2015 but empty pack will not expire in landfill.

Wednesday 1 January 2014

Hyacinth



Blooms blue to violet crunched over lime green leaves

Their pungent, sweet smell swells to the corners of the room

2014 Small Stones






From today, 1 January 2014, I will be repeating my previous Small Stones Challenge. I choose something to reflect upon and write a few words. Simple.