Learning Absences

Being alone is also to be learnt
Long time or short time.
Walking the length of the house, shutting
The doors and the windows
No longer calling casually over one's shoulder.
Returning to find no trace
Of the other, companionable living -
Bread smell, the stove still warm, Clothes on the line like messages,
Or messages written and left on the kitchen table:
"We need to keep watering the cumquat."
Or, "I have paid the milkman."
At night, at this season, lingering at the window
Not being certain where to find Halley's Comet,
And looking a long time at the darkening sky.

Rosemary Dobson


and interpreted by the very talented dinah. . .

8 comments:

Mel said...

Ohhhhhh.......that's wonderful.

And what a pretty sachet she made!

:-)

Christopher said...

You make these blog-collages so beautifully. Wish I had this talent...

dinahmow said...

Thankyou, ILTV. (and Mel)
Christopher - I'm sure you could if you just thought of pictures as notes and colours as keys.

Zig said...

clothes on a line do always look like a message don't they?

*thinks*

Is it because they are linear?

Too much talent on blogs - all of the above - delightful but equally depressing!

dinahmow said...

ziggi...NO! Never depressing! We all have different arenas. Ooh! That's a good 'un in your case!

I think what Jax has done is lovely and I should tell the rest of my swap group to have a look.

Anyway, you're a witch, why should you feel left out? Hex 'em, baby!

mig said...

Lovely.

andrea said...

Lovely -- and thanks to Di for sending me over. She didn't even know I needed to see this (though she does now).

I, Like The View said...

andrea glad it was worth the visit!!

(-:

mig the words are wonderful, aren't they

X

dinah cheers!!

ZiggZ I so miss having a washing line, I used to love hanging clothes in patterns. . .

dinah thank you

Christopher what dinah said!

Mel she's very clever that dinah. . .