north light

There are so many ways you can look back on the year that’s just drawing to an end.

When I stopped to think about the things that had stuck in my mind (my heart) this year, I kept coming back to flowers.

There is something about the feeling of wonder, love, connection and connectedness that I get from taking flower photos learning how to do flower portraits.

Each one: each place, each flower, each moment is etched in my mind (my heart).

Moments of:

• finding the flower (or letting the flower find you)
• bending down and trying to notice, pay attention
• smiling as the flower responds
• getting wet, stung, scratched, stuck
• enjoying a brilliant moment of wonder
• hearing the start of a poem, the whispers of a song line that emerges in response
• recognising the flush of emotion: grateful, and humble
• feeling simply, wildly: alive

There are so many things that get lost in the flash of time, passing.

I am glad that flowers are not one of them.

The collage is of flowers found over the last twelve months.

The world is so dark

so grey, so gloomy.

Is it possible to write

of beauty, love,

magic, alchemy,

enchantment,

rich, orange,

golden, glowing,

true?

In response,

you paint me skies of midwinter:

soft peachy apricots

a palette of moonlight blues

red gold burning on the galloway skyline

pinks, purples, mauves exploding in a

fever by my door.

You scratch words with barebone branches

‘gainst the canvas of midwinter

asking softly, irresistible:

is it possible not to?