PRELUDE TO JUNE

 26th May 2018

 GLIMPSES OF EDEN

by Jonathan Tulloch

 I was reading by the garden pond

when a red flash caught my eye.

Our first damselfly of the year was on the wing.

An hour before, I?d watched her emerge

from the pond, crawling up the spear of flag iris.

Now flying languidly to the raspberry bushes,

the spring sunshine sparked

on her brand new, barely dried wings.

For the next two or three weeks,

this large red damselfly

will grace our village with her dream-like fly past.

Her story began two years ago

when her parents wheeled above

the water crowfoot in our pond.

From an egg laid in the green, submerged weed,

within a few weeks she had grown into a nymph.

For the next two years

her whole world was this two square metre pond.

In rain, in hail, under ice, under broiling sun,

she?d hide in the mud from the larger

dragonfly nymphs,

and hunt the shallows for midge and mayfly larvae,

and tiny crustaceans ......

*

*

31st of May

 The Moving Finger writes; and having writ,

Moves on: nor all thy piety nor wit

Shall lure it back to cancel half a line,

Nor all thy tears wash out a word of it.

 Omar Khayyam

*

 Wednesday 6th June

 The heat-wave began some days ago.

It reminded me of the summers in Italy,

when the slightest movement made

our clothing damp, and we walked

around indoors without our shoes on,

our feet appreciating the coolness

of the stone floors ...

That was a long time ago !

But it is good to remember those days - and to smile.

*

The post today, Thursday 7th June,

contained a card from a friend in Canada.

The design was by Ge Feng.

On the back of the  card

were the kind words

Made with love from the UK ?

Here is a copy of the design ....

 *

 A day later the weather had become overcast.

As I walked round the garden

I noticed the cracked soil

in the flower-beds which had been weeded

and which, perhaps, could no longer protect

the life hidden in the earth below.

It is possible that we human beings

are sometimes in a similar state ...

 *

 The birds sing quietly when the night is over

and dawn illuminates the earth.

*

Thursday  7th June

 We are hoping that the weather will soon change.

Today the branches of trees sway in the wind

while  flowers drop their petals.

We are thankful that the air is cool

as this may herald a promise of rain

to heal the cracked soil.

For now different types of bees

are searching for nourishment among the flowers.

*

During the last few days,

after the sending of the Monthly Diary for May,

I have received many kind cards of

sympathy for the unexpected death of my brother.

I am so grateful for them as the

prayerful support reaches out

to the whole of my family on the Continent -

and elsewhere.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

May God bless all of you.

*

A friend wrote:

Your diary proclaimed its usual

lively acclamation of nature from the birds

and the bees to the foxes and the cats.

It is all fascinating.

The sadness was there too.

I know that your brother was special.

What a lovely photograph

of the two of you at the end of the war

when I think you were soon to go

on separate ways.

May he rest in peace

and his family be comforted.?

*

A view of a garden somewhat similar to ours !

*

12th June

FATHER, WE THANK THEE

 For flowers that bloom about our feet,

For tender grass,so fresh and sweet,

For songs of birds and hum of bee,

For all things fair we hear or see,

Father in heaven, we thank Thee !

 Emerson

*

 Tuesday 19th June

 Our sewing machine is purring like a cat

appreciating the touch of a loving hand.

Sister Monica is preparing more bags to hold lavender

for Hazel to begin to fill later today.

*

The day itself is overcast

and a light wind is swaying

the thinner branches of tall trees.

Leaves fall on the recently cut grass.

*

Dave continued to weed the congested flower-beds

yesterday, when the sun was shining.

*

The distant Welsh hills are no longer visible

from our enclosure.

We look forward to seeing them again

during the winter months.

*

A grey squirrel joined the pigeons

whilst they were pecking at the soft bread

early this morning...

I hadn?t seen the squirrel for a long time

and was pleased to know that all was well.

*

 Good-Night

Sleep softly in this quiet room,

O thou, whoe?er thou art,

And let no mournful yesterdays

Disturb thy peaceful heart.

Forget thyself and all the world;

Put out each feverish light;

The stars are watching overhead,

Sleep softly then, good-night !

 Anon

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