Magical III

It’s magical this snow-cast light
the icing sugar dust
as slowly things are covered
and capture it I must

Iron-chill the Northern blast
makes minus five feel raw
yet still the child within me yearns
for snow on snow and more

Househound here the nation wanes
to bleak midwinter flow
But doesn’t really mind because
there’s nowhere else to go

So gazing whimsically outside
as whiteness thickens there
we welcome inner child-like glee
and in this beauty share

©Jemverse

Photo – Sally Croucher

Stories from ‘The Dreaming Sites’

Emily Kame Kngwarreye
loved colour with a passion
with acrylic paint to canvas
like it was going out of fashion
and in eight years to an end of life
she captured there ‘the dreaming’
three thousand plus enlightenments
and each with hidden meaning

The expression of an elder
of the Anmatyerre people
it matters not our ignorance
and understanding feeble
For unless we were indigenous
we could not hope here to confide
so as it is these myriad paintings
to most of us their meanings hide

Yet still we are presented
with her legacy of style
enriched beyond mere words
which we could conjure in a while
for here is simple beauty
captured with sincerity
presented for enrichment
where we see what each will see

©Jemverse

[Emily Kame Kngwarreye (1910-1996) was introduced to acrylic paint in her late 70s. For the next eight years she painted over 3000 canvases, approximately one each day. As an elder of the indigenous Anmatyerre people in the Utopia region of central Australia, Kngwarreye was a custodian of the women’s ‘dreaming sites’. Each of her paintings captured an artistic expression of this role containing stories that only those who have been initiated through Anmatyerre ceremony can know or understand. The rest of us non-indigenous people can only imagine].

Photo – Emily Kame Kngwarreye painting ‘Earth’s Creation 1’ in the Utopia region of Central Australia in 1994

The beauty of a tree

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Silhouetted in the sun
the tree in centre field
stands proud of the water
and looks out to the Weald

And out here east of Steyning
on this lovely winter day
I felt so glad to be alive
I shouted loud ‘hooray’!

Life is made for moments
like this, singular and free
especially when confronted by
the beauty of a tree

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

Frosted Teazles

The teasels through the fence
had had a frosting overnight
and now in three-tree field
they were caught in pale sunlight
And as the sheep in lower field
paused and looked so I did too
to gaze upon this wonder
well, you would now, wouldn’t you?

For this is winter glory
at its best despite the cold
essential here to capture
so the story can be told
And I trust that you’ll appreciate
both the picture and prose
of the treasure in that moment
in the field there as I froze

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

Over Brighton Tonight

A sky atmospheric
over Brighton tonight
met us on the beach
reflecting the light

Spectacular was
the view there that we
had to pause for a while
by the night-blackened sea

To take stock of it all
and to apply a measure
by which we could capture
this wonderful treasure

©Jemverse

Photo – the Brighton night skyline from West Beach, Shoreham – Jempics

The cast of winter’s die

The teezles look to fields beyond
lacklustre yet still fine
whilst sheep in woolly jumpers
graze the green on which they dine

Winter shrugs its shoulders
resolute to Nature’s hand
as hibernating creatures rest
in England’s pleasant land

And though the winter die is cast
the beauty here shines through
as Spring lies waiting in the wings
to bring about the new

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

Reflection the raindrop

Reflection the raindrop
there in the field
where gathered water falls
and, caught in a moment
with a tear in my eye
I am enamoured as
Mother Nature’s beauty calls

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

With beauty

Night clouds in December sky
hide the moon as it floats by
eliciting from me a sigh
at its beauty here

Pausing here to look up high
my eyes they really can’t stay dry
as tears of joy I freely cry
for its beauty here

This ambiance I can’t deny
with wonder here hard to defy
or deign to sort or classify
to its beauty here

So I’ll not try to specify
or even here to quantify
but simply look to magnify
with its beauty here

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

Julie’s plate

Julie’s plate makes for a picture
with oranges waiting there
in the middle of our table
for a feast we’ve yet to share
and as the light was perfect
and the depth of field just right
I thought I’d take a picture
as they made a lovely sight

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

Plate – Julie O’Sullivan

 

Golden II

In the churchyard there’s a tree
which is golden at this time
particularly lovely when
on days like this it’s fine
I’m thinking it is magical
with a secret proud to share
showing off its wonder here
to all who stop and stare

And that really is quite difficult
not to do I feel unless
you really need to be some place
and haven’t time I guess
But if you have a moment
to pause here for a mo
it’s sure to leave you breathless
at the glory here on show

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics