Lockdown Diary - Tuesday 5th May 2020

Working day, so that has dominated proceedings and there's not much to say about that.

The sun is out again today, though I've only been out to hang some washing out to dry, and the rest of the time I've been seeing it out the window as I work at the PC screen.

Spoke to a work colleague for a bit to catch up on what's been happening with them, but otherwise just getting on with what needs doing.

Boys made an excellent lunch of fried egg, bacon and toast which I ate while working.  A hot lunch makes a pleasant change, so I'm feeling well looked after 😍

I managed to knock up a quick review of yesterday's book club novel, 'Ghost Wall', but only after I re-read the first chapter. It is really powerful story and well worth reading.  Do yourself a favour and read it!  Now I need to read 'Three Women' and 'Futuristic Violence and Funny Suits', but before that I must start IV.3 of the 'Wake.

{Some time later on}

I finished IV.3 of the 'Wake, and only have 13 pages until I return to the start. Hopefully I'll read IV.4 tomorrow (it's a mere 5 pages) leaving perhaps the best section of all, IV.5 to Thursday and Friday.

That's enough reading for now! What I need is music and I'll return to reading once Hypnos beckons.

Music this evening was provided by Can and Camel ('Soon Over Babaluma', 'Landed' and '(Music Inspired By) The Snow Goose', if you're asking)

I'm still managing to stick to my poem a week promise, and this week's poem is a return to form with the deeply moving 'Echo' by Christina Rosetti:

Come to me in the silence of the night;
   Come in the speaking silence of a dream;
Come with soft rounded cheeks and eyes as bright
   As sunlight on a stream;
      Come back in tears,
O memory, hope, love of finished years.

Oh dream how sweet, too sweet, too bitter sweet,
   Whose wakening should have been in Paradise,
Where souls brimfull of love abide and meet;

   Where thirsting longing eyes

      Watch the slow door
That opening, letting in, lets out no more.

Yet come to me in dreams, that I may live
   My very life again tho’ cold in death:
Come back to me in dreams, that I may give
   Pulse for pulse, breath for breath:
      Speak low, lean low,

As long ago, my love, how long ago.

As for the rest, just a typical lockdown evening: dinner, an episode of 'Devs', clear up, get ready for bed, read (started both 'Three Women' & 'Futuristic Violence...', and re-read the poem above), then sleep!

The Heliocentrics from their recent album 'Infinity of Now', here is 'Burning Wooden Ship'

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