By the carpark
I was sitting on the bus going back to pick up my car. It gave me a higher view over the hedgerows into the fields beyond. I could see all the new builds.
As we approached the town there was more and more. New estates were springing up. The trees, streams and ponds were disappearing along with the remaining patches of wasteland. Even the word wasteland betrays the attitude. If it is not being built on or used for agriculture it is wasted.
So where do the voles, mice, hedgehogs, newts, frogs and toads go? Is there space foe the lizards, slowworms and snakes? Are we sanitising the countryside of insects?
I looked out over the fields and all the birds I see are pigeons, crows, magpies and sea-gulls – the scavengers. They are having a fine old time.
But how far can we continue pushing nature into the periphery before it runs out of room?
Is it all going to be ploughed fields, manicured lawns and ornamental shrubs?
How many creatures are shivering in the wreckage of their homes?
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By the carpark
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By the carpark
Where the wood one stood;
By the stream
Long since culverted in;
Where the new housing estate now stands
On what used to be a marsh,
A vole hides among the rubbish.
Near the runway
For the new airport;
By the side of the new field
Reclaimed from wasteland;
Alongside the new road
Bringing travellers to and fro;
On the roundabout
That used to be a copse,
A tiny mouse shivers
Under a newly planted shrub.
Opher 18.4.2016
These are my six books of poetry. They are available as paperback or on Kindle from Amazon – all for under £5 for a paperback. You could buy the whole lot for just £27.62!!
They are not conventional poetry books. They are like you find on my blog with a page of explanatory prose followed by the poem. The prose is as important as the poem to me.
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Stanzas and Stances – £5.59
Poems and Peons – £4.33
Rhymes and Reasons – £3.98
Prose, Cons and Poetry – £4.60
Vice and Verse – £4.15
Lovely picture above. We used to have a lot of open land around here but now it is all new housing everywhere you look. We are told to house those from London, the one’s kicked out by the rich, but no the truth being down here they will probably go to refugees who the majority are migrants. Where do the poor wildlife go who belong there first well no one gives a damn about them, that’s why to the annoyance of neighbours I feel the birds, the squirrels, hedgehogs, frogs and whoever comes to my garden and I won’t stop. England and it’s green pastures not now.
The photo is from my friend Rich who is an award winning photographer and grower of the wonderful auricular plants.
Nature is on the retreat all over the world. There are far too many people.
It’s beautiful. Well there are only three of us and I can’t see my two increasing the population not while I am still going. By the way Jonathan was in such severe pain yesterday morning he took himself over to the hospital, turns out he has a stone in his kidney, he saw a Spanish Dr who he said was so nice, but he has to see another Dr at our Surgery tomorrow and that is the Dutch one I had to see last week. If it’s not one thing in this house it’s another.
That’s not nice. Kidney stones are extremely painful. One of my friends just had his gall bladder removed. He had gall stones – another painful condition.
How are you today? Are you feeling better?
I think it’s going to be a slow process with this shoulder, just as I started exercising for SF and this has to happen. Worried about Jonathan though, he has put a lot of weight on would not listen to me apart from the fact it does not suit him it is no good for him and I wonder if this is all part of it.
Not necessarily. Though exercise and weight loss make anyone a lot healthier. Kidney stones are very unpleasant and he needs to get them sorted, though they are not that serious in themselves.
The shoulder will get better. Just might be a bit slow.
I am hoping that the Dr may say he is overweight, Spanish Dr put him on Tramadol, we shall have to see what happens tomorrow.
Exercise never does any harm and a good diet is invigorating. Maybe it’s a wake-up call?
Yes I can only hope it is, they don’t listen to Mother’s you know.
I think they do. It takes them time to do anything about it though.
Your poem makes me very sad because I know exactly what you mean. When we had this house built we were right in the middle of fields. Had all kinds of wildlife. Not anymore. After they plowed under the cornfield next to us I wrote ‘Ode to a Cornfield.” I gotta try and find it. I was sad for months and months. And we don’t see ANY raccoons any more.
It’s the same the world over. There is an environmentally destructive creep. Bit by bit. It isn’t just all the big things – the logging and strip mining; it’s all the little things – piece by piece. We’re eradicating the wild things.
It destroys me.
Reblogged this on Impromptu Promptlings and commented:
Opher’s poem touched my heart this morning. When we first moved here we were in the middle of fields and pastures. Now it’s all housing developments and I really miss the raccoons that used to steal the cat food out back…
Yes I have learned that lesson
They’ll do something about it eventually. They need a kick every now and then. Maybe kidney stones will do it?
Make no mistake Jonathan is in great discomfort and work piles up and more to worry about, don’t you ever feel you could just walk away from it all
Kidney stones are very painful. They need sorting. I’m not sure how they’d treat them. It might need surgery.
I often feel like walking away. This blog takes too much time and doesn’t go anywhere. The books hardly sell. I think I should just write and publish for myself and ignore it all.
Sometimes everything goes wrong – car and house – there’s all the bills and repair work. Keeping on top of painting, hedge and grass is a pain. It would be nice to not have to bother.
Too much else to do – travel, reading and writing.
Yes, don’t you wonder what the hell is the point of it all, it will all be there when we are gone. David told me last night he’s worried about me going to SF on my own, I am worried too. Said he would go with me but he has to keep his business going and that he would probably spoil it for me. I do want to go on my own, but I feel so vulnerable this bloody walking stick and maybe not being able to cope with all the walking, and before you say it, I can’t keep getting a taxi. Maybe I am too old for all of this, what the hell I don’t know. Maybe I am just being a fool, but something I can’t explain it – it all changed last year.
It’s perfectly normal to be apprehensive. That’s OK. But I know you will love it. To be able to go round all those places where Rod has been. That will be great. You don’t have to do too much. Pace yourself. If you don’t feel up to doing too much then stay in the hotel. That’s not a problem.
I would suggest that you get out walking a bit so that you know you can get around a bit. That’ll build your confidence up. Push yourself a little but not too much. You’ll be absolutely fine.
Americans are very friendly and helpful. You’ll find them very good to you. Don’t get bogged down in worrying. You’re not too old. Many people on my S American trip had sticks and zimmers. Some were very disabled but they were out there doing stuff. You can to.
Just build up slowly and enjoy it. It’ll be great.
I know inside I will love it, perhaps too much and when I went to America before yes they were all so friendly. I guess as every year goes by Opher it becomes harder and never, ever going anywhere on my own always having to be stuck has not given me the confidence. Outside I seem different, inside I am the little girl still inside a shell never being able to crack it. I will be honest with you, I find it hard just to go to the Drs at the top of the road, even out to my garden I feel too secure inside my house with all my books and possessions around me, it is a dreadful feeling that’s probably why I cry so much. If I don’t go and see the City that Rod loved so much, go to the places where it all started I shall never forgive myself. I am just so insecure. Don’t forget I will be just a woman on my own.
Conquer the fear.
As long as you are sensible and do not go to seedy places after dark you’ll be fine. San Francisco is a friendly city. It is fun and there’s lots to do and see. Being a woman on your own will not be a problem there.
It will be so good for you to be out of your comfort zone. It will be exhilarating once you’ve done it. It’s like doing a parachute jump – all that fear and anxiety before hand. Then you do it. And it is just wonderful! And afterwards you look back on it and it changes you.
You have no idea how much I need it to change me. Andrew was kind enough to tell me I would be safe. I have l always got on with Gay men, worked with with them. I have a list of dangerous places to stay away from, I would like to go to the Theatre or Opera when I am there, that’s about the only time I will be out at night. I am hoping to go on a Hot Air Balloon trip, that would be fantastic, but will have to see about Meniere’s. My new walking shoes arrive tomorrow so hopefully that will give me the push to go out, as long as Daisy does not pull me.
If you get some roller-skates for Daisy she won’t be able to pull! You can simply tow her behind you.
Did you hear about the smoker who was trying to give up smoking, who had a dog with no legs?
He used to take it out for a rafty drag.
Good joke, you got a smile out of me. Right now Daisy is tucked up in the corner of her bed nearby me. Even though I am ironing in the kitchen, just love that job, she is still tucked up asleep – dog’s life!
They don’t worry about a thing as long as you’re around. That’s the life.
I wish I was a dog living in this house, even the goldfish get their way
Surely with the goldfish it is only in a roundabout way?
A very well written post on the losing of Wilderness, and of the sad situation for all of our brother and sister beings who unfortunately do lose their homes to the encroaching take over of the Natural World.
Thank you for this, Opher.
Fim
Thank you Fim. It’s good to hear from you.