fionajefferson

Spate

White noise, brown water. She snatches sticks, tickles the grass. Do the fish think it’s a bit windy today? Is the water’s wash a gill-gale? Or perhaps it’s a firm massage A loving caress of their silky sides The river gives her children Squeezed tight by the singing water A hug that says, “Soon, allContinue reading “Spate”

Heatwave Times

The forecast is for 36 degrees in this part of England today. If you’re reading this from another part of the world, be assured that that is HOT for us! I decided to get up early and go running before the heat of the day really got started, but when I opened the door, IContinue reading “Heatwave Times”

Archaeology

We walked in the ashes of a city Ovens greened with ivy Olive jars full of stones. Game fluttered on cracked walls We stepped over the holes where box hedges Burned where they stood. Time stood still The olive sellers curled up cradled by ash Outside the brothel Soft arms grey and hot Breath drawnContinue reading “Archaeology”

Perfect weather

It’s a beautiful day today, still and sunshiny: the perfect day to go outside. However, in England, if you waited for a day like this before you went for a walk, you’d spend a lot of your time indoors. Last week I went for a walk in the rain. While I like – and oftenContinue reading “Perfect weather”

The Danglebird Dilemma

The bird books tell us that certain types of bird, like robins and dunnocks, don’t cling to our bird feeders, but instead tend to feed on the debris underneath. You can even buy low, flat bird tables that they can stand on (why they’d want to do that instead of rummaging around unseen in the grass,Continue reading “The Danglebird Dilemma”

Danglebirds

I’m on a one-woman mission to introduce a new term to the birding world: danglebird. The definition, which I’m working on, is something like, “a small bird which dangles athletically from thin branches, bird feeders and ivy, often without any regard for gravity. Gathers in groups which are sometimes quite large and pings from treeContinue reading “Danglebirds”