Exquisite



The window is open all night. Whatever the weather did then, I slept through it. Woke to coolness, to a low sky of watercolour greys.
Boy is up, eating cheese on toast. Boy looks at his watch. His morning routine is breakfast and cop drama. This morning some fanatical plot to reintroduce smallpox is not quite foiled yet. In principle, I do not like tv and breakfast. In practice, Boy relaxes happy before hitting the exam desk.
‘You can have a lift,’ I say, stirring soya milk into a bowl of oats. My breakfast is paler than the sky.

The big news today should be the big cheque handed to the letting agent. If we don’t pass the credit check, there is no refund. At this point, homeless and penniless thoughts haunt every level of our minds. One attends to practical acts to appease uneasy spirits, such as the dogs need walking, then we should write a menu plan.

As we are striding across the corner of the lowest field, out of habit eyeing up wood sources, a marvellous thing flies by, a dark winged thing, shaped as a damselfly, as skittering in flight as a butterfly. Most damselflies; Mr and me must confirm out loud, to each other; they hover, dart, they have a purposeful nip of movement. Curiosity pulls us from the path, has us wading in shallow brambles. We have not dreamt this thing, which perches now on a blackberry leaf.  Six thread-slender legs; an iridescent tube of body; the eyes are one-at-each-side wide; folded wings are gauzy-black; it all shines like finely glazed ceramic.

(This is what we saw; that changed the emphasis of our day; a long way from the native habitats, it seems: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebony_Jewelwing)




Comments

Teresa Cypher said…
Lily, I don't understand how the process works? There could be denial...and then there is no refund? That is horrible!

Positive thoughts coming your way.

I am so glad that you took a walk and saw the marvelous damselfly-changing your focus.

A big hug to you...
Lisa Southard said…
Teresa, I am hoping the process is designed to weed out arsonists and hoaxers! I had a credit check before and passed, so it should be fine... hard not to be a bit freaked out though- thank for the hug- all the support we get makes the world friendlier :-) xx
Suze said…
Can you feel my shoulder butting up against yours, at this moment?

With you in spirit, expectation and good hope.
Lynn Proctor said…
what a wonderful thing we humans have--beautiful distractions
Lisa Southard said…
This evening, I am feeling most buoyant- nothing more beautifully distracting than these friendly words :-)
Thank you lovely people :-) xx
Stephanie V said…
I'm here catching up with you...your walk sounds like a tiny path through paradise. I hope that this process all ends well for you.
Good luck with the house/credit and all that. So frustrating sometimes. I do love dragonflies/damsel flies. They're my favorite!
Lisa Southard said…
Thank you Fran- things are going much better now! :-)

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