One minute past
midnight I lie in the bath. One glass of hedgerow wine rests quietly at hand;
sound of rain beats heavy on the window. The house smells of steam. The density
of the steam was such as I had to fumble for the bath and the cold tap: it was
the one that didn't pulse painful heat to my fingertips.
One minute past
midnight: technically, the start of a day. Any sentence requiring the word
'technically' usually involves some form of deception.
Heat, wine:
remember to leave the bath before sleep: a reluctant but practical remembrance.
Upstairs the air is a pinching thing. Bed is safe. Rain flicks the window and
dreams I do not later recall are taking place.
I think I dream of
lying in a hot bath, listening to fat precipitating smacks, watching a wine
glass fog. If it were a pleasant dream, it would appear this simple. I think of
a cold cottage I lived in once and there was hardly any hot water then, hardly
any of anything except coal dust and cobwebs. Life was so pared down, right
down to cold and hungry and sat in the dark, hilarious and miserable in equal
parts.
It was the best
appreciation training I have ever had.
Heat, wine, calm
sleep, enthrallments of weather: I have the measure of them.
Comments
Well, let's see, here.
'I had to fumble for the bath and the cold tap: it was the one that didn't pulse painful heat to my fingertips.'
Fucking brilliant.
'Any sentence requiring the word 'technically' usually involves some form of deception.'
Ruminating.
'It was the best appreciation training I have ever had.'
mind a jumble.
'I have the measure of them.'
What a way to toss the title back out. You'd be proud of me, though. Despite the surprise, I caught it, and held it tight.
Jacqueline: We also make hedgerow jam (anything that can be locally foraged: in this case hawthorn berries, rosehips and sloes.) Gifted with words and wild food :-)
By the way, last week, I posted a review for your book on both Goodreads and Amazon. (both U.S. and U.K.) Needless to say, I loved it. You've got mad skills.
I am roughing out a review for Hot Flashes, but as usual am behind schedule! xxx
And you're welcome. Your writing truly is wonderful.