It’s been months since we’ve had consistent rain in Santa Barbara, Southern California. As much as I adore the sunshine, I do miss the ever-changing weather of our home in Wellington, New Zealand. Last night, and this evening, we’ve had proper rain – that lasts for more than an hour and leaves real puddles behind! […]
poem
The Sea Princess & the Pebble Shell Castle
The winding steps, walled with pebbles and shells, whispered to the Sea Princess on the beach. The beach castle needed her help. She peered through the gaps in the pebbled walls, careful of the witch, who could turn her to stone. The castle walls spoke to her, telling the Sea Princess to seek out a […]
Some sunsets feel too good to see alone | Prose for Thought
I took a walk, alone, on a Friday evening, after a week of being with my three children, every hour of every day. Alone, by the sea, I walked along the beach, past couples entwined and groups of friends sharing drinks, past people walking their dogs and jogging on the sand. There wasn’t anyone else […]
Prose for Thought – Over the rooftops of San Francisco in Fall
Inspiration for this poem is from a week staying in San Francisco. A beautiful, sunshine week in early Fall, but the beauty marred by the number of people sleeping rough on the streets; and the answers I sometimes struggle to give to the questions my children ask. Linking up with others that like to write […]
Prose for Thought | The anxiety of separation
Her face was just like all the rest, on pick up time at three. The adrenaline that had twisted thick, buried for a spell. The anguish of the morning, the torment of the night. The constant torture of anxiety, that steals family time. It even creeps upon us at weekends, when we’re trying to forget. […]
Exploring new ground: Labyrinth
Running a new trail, no preconceptions Following the track, as long as it runs. Uphill legs are taken without knowing Desire to explore overriding exertion. Unexpected surprises of nature – Cross the path ahead, & sour in the sky. A labyrinth of trails, for mind and soul – Prick the senses, revive the body. © […]
Prose for Thought | In Transition – Preparing for an international move (whilst the ground shakes beneath us!)
It’s pretty crazy in beautiful New Zealand right now. We’ve had some big wobbles in the shaky isles, which have been rather unnerving – but that goes with the territory here! This map, from GeoNet, shows all the quakes from Friday 21 July up until earlier today (Tuesday)… Pretty crazy amount of activity. We live […]
Prose for Thought | Life’s Flow
I enjoyed a beautiful run as the sun set over the Cook Strait, between New Zealand’s north and south island. It was a perfect winter’s evening, with just enough of a breeze to support me in finding my breath and driving my step. It was the kind of evening that cannot be passed by without […]
Prose for Thought – The greenstone that seeded my love for New Zealand
Before I ever laid a foot in Aotearoa (New Zealand) I received the gift of a pounamu (greenstone) necklace, beautifully carved in the eternity symbol, from my boyfriend who had left England to take up a job in Aotearoa. The year was 1996 and I had planned to join him in February 1997, on a […]
Prose for Thought – After the Longest Night
Ten years ago I was labouring long and hard to bring my first born daughter into the world. This is a poem I wrote a couple of years ago, remembering her arrival into the world. ________________________________________________
The winter solstice storm that struck Wellington, June 2013 | A Poem
The past few days in Wellington have witnessed the destructive force of nature at a magnitude not seen in decades. Debris litters the south coast, with sand dunes and sea walls obliterated, trees torn from their roots, slabs of concrete cracked and moved like putty in a giant’s hands. Many thousands of people have been […]
Prose for Thought – If the rain could wash his pain away…
A poem for anyone who knows someone far away, who you wish you could help in some small way xx ________________________________________________
Prose for Thought – Lovers Winter Retreat
Lovers are never compromised by the seasons. Lovers will be lovers, what ever the weather. They will find a way to love, a way to embrace, that no elements can steal from. Today at dusk I watched two lovers, walking on the sand. The wind was cold and brisk, the waves racing onto the shore, […]
Prose For Thought – The Bond
A poem about the bond that many people feel across a lifetime for special people they meet. They may not realise the depth of their bond till much later – but to recognise it, is still powerful in itself. They may not get to journey together in life, side by side, but their connection lives […]