The Mind Cupboard

 Dear reader,

In popular culture swans are renowned for their beauty, grace and loyalty.  But they are also highly territorial and rather noisy.   These large waterfowl are found in wetlands across all continents except Antarctica. 

Swans have a long history evolving from ancient myths to a symbol of luxury and royalty in the Middle Ages and continuing as a cultural icon.  Historically they were semi-domesticated for their meat with the British Monarch claiming unmarked swans, and the practice of marking ownership became a key part of their royal history.  

In folklore they are widely represented as symbols of beauty, purity, love and transformation.  The average lifespan of a swan is about 10/20 years in the wild.   In captivity swans can live much longer with some individuals reaching 30/40 years. 

 

                                                                               *

As the winter approaches I thought I would put on the blog some of your favourite poems.  Today is 'The Mind Cupboard' which seemed to attract people from all over the world.  How popular a poem seems that the subject is pretty universal. All humanity shares, I think, happiness and sadness to some degree and for the poems that I have written about these facts shows up in the responses I get. 'The Mind Cupboard' says it all.

                                                                              * 

I have been having lots of nightmares lately and have decided to stop reading about the two WWs.  I honestly think I could write a book about the Resistance in WW2 myself and feel it is time to stop the books.   So what am I going to concentrate on now I wonder.  Any ideas?  Let me know please if you do.  

                                                                              *

 

 

From Francis Kilvert  October 25th  1874  in Wiltshire

'A damp warm morning steaming with heat, the outer air like a hothouse, the inner air colder, and in consequence the old thick panelled walls of the front rooms streaming with the warm air condensed on the cold walls...The afternoon was so gloomy that I was obliged for the first time to have lights in the pulpit.' 

 

From William Cowper  October 26th 1790 in Buckinghamshire 

'A yellow shower of leaves is falling continually from all the trees in the country......The consideration of my short continuance here, which was once grateful to me, now fills me with regret. I would live and live always.' 

 

                                                                     *

The Mind Cupboard

 

 

 

My mind cupboard overflows

with unwanted debris.

It needs a spring clean.

 

I will brush away the cobwebs

of cheerless thoughts.

Scrub out the stains of childhood.

 

I will replace the brass hooks

corroded with salt tears,

empty all the screams

hoarded through the years.

 

I will replace the accumulated ashes

from the worn shelf-paper,

with virgin tissue.

 

I will chase and catch the wasps,

relieve them of their stings.

I will refill this cupboard

with love, and learnt, brighter things.

 

 

 

                                                                      *

With best wishes, Patricia 

 

PS   My email address is:   patricia.huthellis@googlemail.com    for book ideas please.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Call to You

 Dear reader,

 

The history of the ladybird is rooted in a blend of scientific classification and folklore, particularly European traditions honouring the Virgin Mary from whom the name "ladybird" originates.

In the Middle Ages farmers nicknamed them "Beetles of our Lady" after they saved crops from pests with the name evolving over time.  The name ladybird also references the Virgin Mary's red cloak which she often wore in early art.   The seven spots on the common seven-spot ladybird were said to represent the seven joys or sorrows of the Virgin Mary.

 Ladybirds have long been considered symbols of good luck.  Folklore suggests that if a ladybird lands on you, it is good fortune and some believe counting the spots can predict the future.

While the 7-spot ladybird is common in Europe, there are more than 5,000 species worldwide.  Ladybirds are important predators of pests like aphids making them valuable for farmers and gardeners. 

 

                                                                                *

From Gilbert White   October 13th 1787 in Hampshire

'We saw several redwings among the bushes on the north side of the common.  There were swallows about the village at the same time: so that summer and winter birds of passages were seen on the same day.'

 

From John Everett Millais   October 16th   1851  in Surrey

"Worked on my picture;  painted nasturtiums; saw a stoat run into a hole in the garden wall;  went up to it and endeavoured to lure the little beast out by mimicking a rat's or mouse's squeak.....Succeeded to my astonishment.  He came half out of the hole and looked into my face, within each reach.'

 

From Francis Kilvert  October 18th  1878  in the Gower Peninsula, Glamorgan

'St. Luke's Day.  This week has indeed been the summer of St. Luke.  Five of us drove in the waggonette to Oxwich Bay....We had a merry windy luncheon on the bank near the churchyard gate, and great fun and famous laughing.  An E. wind was blowing fresh and strong, the sea was rolling grey and yeasty, and in splendid sunburst the white seagulls were running and feeding on the yellow sands.  A wild merry day.'

 

                                                                                *

I Call To You

 

I am the winter snow

the summer sun

I am the birdsong

the first snowdrop

I am the seagull's cry

the gold red sunset

I am the butterfly, the ladybird

the falling leaves

I am the blue mountains

the oak tree

I am whispering trees

the silver stream

I am the Southerly wind

the Northern Star

I am the sound of the sea

the gentle rain

I am the light, peace

love and sisterly soul

 

I call to you

 

                                                                    *

 

With very best wishes, Patricia 

 

 

Stations

 Dear reader,

 

Gauloises cigarettes were launched in France in 1910 by the state tobacco monopoly SEITA and became a symbol of French identity, particularly after WW1, known for their strong, dark, unfiltered tobacco and signature blue packs with a winged helmet design. 

The brand evolved with the introduction of filtered cigarettes in the 1950s and American-style blends in the 1980s, but remained an iconic cultural symbol associated with French artists, intellectuals and the working classes.

Gauloises became intertwined with French art and intellectual life, they were smoked by Pablo Picasso, Jean Paul Sartre, and Albert Camus.

 

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From Gerard Manley Hopkins   October 5th  1897  in Lancashire

'A goldencrested wren had got into my bedroom at night and circled round dazzled by the gaslight on the white ceiling; when caught even and put out it would come in again.  Ruffling the crest which is mounted over the crown and eyes like beetle-brows, I smoothed and fingered the little orange and yellow feathers which are hidden in it. Next morning I found many of these about the room and enclosed them in a letter to Cyril (his brother) on his wedding day.'

 

From Francis Kilvert   October 7th  1874 in Radnorshire 

' For some time I have been trying to find the right word for the shimmering glancing twinkling movement of the poplar leaves in the sun and the wind. This afternoon I saw the word written on the poplar leaves.   It was 'dazzle'.  The dazzle of the poplars.'

 

                                                                                   *

Stations

 

are full of people,

people angry, people joyful

people sad, people anxious,

people disappointed,

people running,

people excited,

old people,

young people,

middle aged people

the odd dog

 

Stations are full

of smoke

the smell of frying onions

gauloise cigarettes

pigeons

lost luggage

people hurrying to and fro

the crashing of doors

noise and emotion

 

Stations

are the beginning

or the end

 

the alpha

the omega

 

                                                               *

 

With best wishes, Patricia 

 

 

 

Mother Earth

                                                                              Red Pandas
 

 

 Dear Reader,

This week I had a small adventure, well I don't have many, but on Friday I visited a wildlife park.  I gazed at rhinos, giraffes, and lions.  I peeped in at various alligator type animals and saw a large group of camels.  But, and this is my point:  these animals didn't look at all happy.  The lion, in particular looked unutterably miserable and one of the monkeys was in a rage, tearing about its cage at an enormous rate. There was an air of sadness, I thought, in every cage, and although it was all very well done I am sure the animals were bored and frustrated in their captivity.

However, Francis enjoyed himself on the maiden voyage of Humphrey.  Humphrey is a new acquisition in the form of a mobility scooter and he whirled around the paths in great style.  I haven't walked so far in ages and was thoroughly exhausted.  Still it is nice to go on an outing sometimes.....

 

                                                                                * 

 The red panda was formally described in 1825.  The two currently recognised subspecies, the Himalayan and the Chines red panda, genetically diverged at 250,000 years ago.  Genetic evidence suggests they are closely related to raccoons, weasels, and skunks.

Red pandas are not dangerous animals but they do have aggressive tendencies. When a red panda stands on it hind legs and raises its arms, it displays a defensive stance and may attack the threat with its claws and teeth.

Red panda symbolism includes, gentleness, patience, compromise and adaptability, reflecting their calm natures and ability to thrive it their environment.

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From John Clare    September 29th  1824 in Northants

'Took a walk in the fields, saw a old wood-stile taken away from a favourite spot which it had occupied all my life.  The posts were overgrown with ivy and it seem'd so akin to nature and the spot where it stood as tho' it had taken on a lease for an undisturb'd existence.  It hurt me to see it gone.'  

 

From Dorothy Wordsworth   September 30th   1800 in Westmorland

'It rained very hard.  Rydale was extremely wild.....We sate quietly and comfortably by the fire.'                                                          

                                                                                       * 

 

Mother Earth

 

is dying,

 

suffocating in

oceans full of plastic,

 

gasping for breath

in the rain forests,

 

choking in cities

from pollution,

 

gagging in rivers full

of chemicals.

 

She is asking us to stop

and think,

sending fires, floods

and famine

 

but do we hear her?

 

Mother Earth

is weeping,

 

and so am I.

 

                                                                   *

 

With best wishes, Patricia 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stone

 Dear Reader,

 

 

Damsons, derived from the term "damascene plum"  are the type of wild plum with origins in Western Asia, possibly near Damascus and were introduced to Britain by the Romans and later by medieval monks. The Normans significantly planted damson trees in the 12th century leading to their widespread naturalization in British hedgerows and orchards.

While once a popular fruit for jams and preserves, their popularity waned in North America due to difficult harvesting, unpredictable yields and a decline in jam consumption.

"King of Damsons" refers to King of Damsons, a variety of damson (a type of plum) known for it large,blue-black fruit, rich flavour and self-fertile nature, originating from Nottinghamshire in the late19th century.  The fruit is excellent for cooking and also has a quality that allows the stone to come away cleanly from the flesh making it a freestone variety. 

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From Gilbert White    September 23rd   1781  in Hampshire

'Begin to light fires in the parlour.'

 

From William Blake  September 23rd  1800 in Sussex

'The villagers of Felpham are not mere Rustics; they are polite and modest.   Meat is cheaper than in London, but the sweet air and the voices of the winds, trees and birds, and the odours of the happy ground, makes it a dwelling for immortals.  Work will go on here with God speed.' 

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 Stone

 

 

 

I wrapped the stone in linen cloth,

the picnic I wrapped in plastic bags.

We made for the river the stone and I.

My arm ached with the weight.

 

 

We sat on the bank,

watched the river run.

 

 

I fed myself tomato sandwiches,

shortbread, spring water.

The stone was still and silent.

I fed it words.

 

 

Standing up I said:  “Stone

you have been my life companion.

My fetter, me, chained to you.

Hurling you into the river

will be my resurrection”

 

 

                                                                               *

 

With best wishes, Patricia 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Soldier's Meditation

 Dear reader,

The Chinese fire lance is generally considered the first gun, emerging in China between 10th and 12th centuries.   It was essentially a gun-powder filled bamboo or metal tube, often attached to a spear, designed to project flames and, later, shrapnel or projectiles.  This invention was a direct precursor to the modern firearm and was developed following the Chinese invention of gunpowder in the 9th century.

Guns particularly matchlock muskets and arquebuses were present and increasingly common on the 1500s, especially Europe. The technology of firearms spread through Eurasia, and by the 16th century  they were a decisive factor in warfare used in various formations and becoming more prolific in armies and arsenals.

The Brown Bess musket (1722-1838) is arguably the most famous musket in history.   Standard issue for British infantry during the 18th and early 19th centuries.  This flintlock musket was used in countless conflicts including the American Revolution, Napoleonic Wars and War of 1812.

                                                                              *

I have been reading about the brave men of the SAS who fought in the Iraqi was against Saddam Hussein.The things they had to do in the freezing dessert are beyond what I can think about, so brave were our soldiers.  At that time they thought that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction, which he didn't.

                                                                              *

From Dorothy Wordsworth    September 14th  1800 in Westmorland

'A lovely day.   Read Boswell in the house in the morning,  after dinner under the bright yellow leaves of the orchard.  The pear trees a bright yellow.   The apple trees still green.  A sweet and lovely afternoon.'

From D.H. Lawrence  September 16th 1919 in Berkshire

'Pleasant mild autumn, many mushrooms, smoke from cottage gardens, chilly evenings , etc.'

                                                                                             *

Soldier’s Meditation

 

 

 

 

My cigarette time-burns,

my body trembles,

only minutes now

until the action starts.

 

Am I brave?   no, not brave

I am shit-scared,

my body reeks.

The last drop of whisky

wets my parched lips.

I light another cigarette.

 

I hold this gun to hide behind.

With it, I will aim and slaughter

someone unknown, someone’s son,

mother, father, daughter.

 

 

If killed, I want no part in bands playing,

or speeches glorifying my sacrifice.

I want no weeping, seen or unseen,

pitying those who were,

those who had been.

 

Go, action, ready, time to start.

Dear God, do leaden wings always fly

a universal soldier’s heart?

 

                                                                                   *

 

With very best wishes, Patricia

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                              *

Betrayal

hi

 Dear reader,

Badgers are an ancient species.with their earliest fossil records in Britain dating back over 60,000 years and their evolution occurring in the temperate forests of Asia before spreading to Europe.  Historically they were hunted for fur, meat and bones and their name in thought to derive from their distinctive forehead "badge'.

In more recent history badgers were even introduced to the Isle of Wight in the 1920s to manage fox mange leading to a temporary ban on fox hunting.  Badger species include the American badger found in treeless areas of North America, the honey badger found in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia and the Sunda stink badger found in Indonesia.

Although badgers are protected by law in the UK, since 2013 the UK Government has allowed the licensed culling of badgers in England as a temporary measure to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis (TB) a highly infectious and devastating disease in cattle.

Badgers have big families, big appetites and big personalities.   They are a wood's ruling clan often occupying the same sett for generations and laying a network of well-trodden paths through the undergrowth.  They are playful, houseproud and expert foragers. 

                                                                              *

From Francis Kilvert   September 14th  1873 in North Devon

'I got up at 6 o'clock as the sun was rising behind the Tors at Lynton.  The house was silent no one seemed to be about.  I unlocked the door and let myself out into the garden.  It was one of the loveliest mornings that ever dawned upon this world.  A heavy dew had fallen in the night ans as I wandered down the beautiful winding terraced walks every touch sent a shower from the great blue globes of the hydrangeas, and on every crimson fuchsia pendant flashed a diamond dew drop.  The clear pure crisp air of the early morning blew fresh and exhilarating as the breeze came sweet from the sea.

                                                                                 *

 

 

 

Betrayal

 

 

You were always there

for me, as I for you.

You read to me

you laughed with me

you told me stories

of magic and imagination.

 

We travelled north and south

to Scotland and the Western Isles

enjoyed Dorset, Devon, Cornwall.

Went to see the Lakes

peeped into Beatrix Potter’s house

felt cold in Dove Cottage where

you put my hand in your pocket.

 

We were one heart beat.

 

But you have gone.

Now I have to try to live

another life

with you not there,

with someone else perhaps,

someone to fill the empty gap

you left me with.

 

 Please forgive me darling.

                                                                           *

With very best wishes,  Patricia

Betrayal

Autumn leaves

Dear Reader, 

During autumn the leaves of many trees turn red, yellow, orange or even purple.  This happens because the green chlorophyllin in leaves breaks down, revealing the other colours that were hiding all along.  It is like the trees are showing off their hidden rainbow before winter arrives.

Autumn leaves symbolize the flow of energy, change, transition and renewal in forests and in people.  

The metaphor of autumn leaves on the wind illustrates the transient nature of time, emphasizing how moments pass and are carried away, prompting reflection on life's changes. 

                                                                                 *

From William Cobbett   September 1st  1823    in Kent

'From Tenterden, I set off at five o'clock and got to Appledore after a most delightful ride, the high land upon my right, and the low upon my left.  The fog was so thick and white along some of the low land, that I should have taken it for water, if little hills and trees had not risen up through it here and there.'

 From Gilbert White  September 7th  1775 in Hampshire

'In the dusk of the evening when beetles begin to buzz, partridges begin to call; these two circumstances are exactly coincident.'

From Francis Kilvert    September 8th   1871   in Radnorshire

'Peacock butterflies flitting over the sea of blue scabious, swinging, opening and shutting their broad wings and spreading their peacock eyes on the slope to the morning sun.  Light fleecy clouds drifted along half way down the great slopes of the dim blue misty mountains.'

                                                                           *

Betrayal

 

 

You were always there

for me, as I for you.

You read to me

you laughed with me

you told me stories

of magic and imagination.

 

We travelled north and south

to Scotland and the Western Isles

enjoyed Dorset, Devon, Cornwall.

Went to see the Lakes

peeped into Beatrix Potter’s house

felt cold in Dove Cottage where

you put my hand in your pocket.

 

We were one heart beat.

 

But you have gone.

Now I have to try to live

another life

with you not there,

with someone else perhaps,

someone to fill the empty gap

you left me with.

 

 Please forgive me darling.

 

 

                                                                       * 

With very best wishes, Patricia

Praise

                                                                                  Blackberries

 

Dear reader,

Blackberries have a long history, consumed by humans since the Iron Age and potentially earlier, with evidence found in Neolithic burials.  They spread from temperate Northern Hemisphere regions and were used by ancient Romans, Native Americans and Medieval Europeans for food, medicine and dyes.

Modern cultivation began in the late 19th century in the US, leading to the development of new cultures like the t hornless varieties that improved commercial viability.

The Romans mixed blackberries with honey and wine and also used them for medicinal purposes.  The indigenous  people in North America used blackberries as a food source, a medicinal ingredient and for dying animal skins and fabrics.

In British folklore there is a belief that blackberries should not be picked after Old Michaelmas Day (October).  By October the fruits are deemed food for the devil, so plant new plants in October, but don't pick the fruits.

                                                                          **

From Gilbert White  August 26th  1787 in Hampshire

'Timothy the tortoise, who has spent the last two months amidst the umbrageous forests of the asparagus-beds begins now to be sensible of the chilly autumnal mornings; and therefore suns himself under the laurel-hedge, into which he retires at night.  He is become sluggish, and does not seem to take any food.'

From William Cobbett  August 28th  1826 in Wiltshire

'(Five a.m.) A very fine morning .....My horse is ready; and the rooks have just gone off to the stubble fields.  These rooks rob the pigs; but they have a right to do it.   I wonder (upon my soul I do) that there is no lawyer, Scotchman, or Parson-Judge, to propose a law to punish the rooks for trespass.'

                                                                                *

Praise

 

She always tried to be good

did her best in everything she did

but her best wasn’t

good enough

 

her mother was too busy

meeting drinking friends

her father didn’t notice

he was too busy making films

 

and they didn’t seem

to know about praise

 

but praise is so easy to give

and so difficult to get

why can’t people see that

a word of two can change

a whole life view

 

can turn a bad black day

into a day to remember

when your heart fills

with love and thanks

 

                                                                                  ^*

^{With very best wishes, Patricia}

Katie's Angels

 Dear Reader 

Doves have held symbolic significance throughout history, primarily representing peace, love and the divine.  Their association with peace stems from biblical stories like Noah's dove returning with an olive branch, and their symbolism as the Holy Spirit in Christianity.  Doves have also been linked to love, fidelity, and even good luck in some cultures.

Some people believe that the sight of a mourning dove is a message from God, angels or other spiritual guides.   In the Old testament of the Bible, a dove is a symbol of reconciliation, forgiveness and peace.   Many dove species ae known to be monogamous and mate for life.   Once a pair is formed they typically remain together to nest and raise young.  

For Christians the dove is a powerful symbol of the Holy Spirit and God's love for us such as the one that landed o Jesus as he was baptized.

Doves capacity to find their way home over hundreds even thousands of miles is unrivalled in the animal kingdom.  This  uncanny ability has seen them used for centuries to deliver messages for royalty, military leaders and other notable figures.

                                                                                 *

 

From Gilbert White  August 23rd   1785  in Hampshire

'Martins and swallows congregate by hundreds on the church tower.  These birds never cluster in this manner, but on sunny days.  They are chiefly the first broods, rejected by their dams, who are busyed with a second family.

 From Alfred Tennyson   August 25th 1860 in Cornwall

'Tintagel.   Black cliffs and caves and storm and wind, but I weather it out and take my ten miles a day walks in  my weather-proofs.'

                                                                                    *

Katie's Angels

At dawn, driving eastwards,
mist still covering the fields,
trees ribboned in cobwebs,
sky blue and white,

she saw a rabbit, a pigeon,
and two hen pheasants,
but no cherubs, no bright light.

Much later, lost, tired,
rounding a corner she saw
gathered in the road
twenty white, white doves.

They flew up,
a breath of sunshine tipping their wings.
Ecstatic, she recognised the sign;
recognised her angels.

                                                                            *

With best wishes, Patricia