The apple pond sits at the bottom of a field
circled by hedges and trees
its water gloomy and muddy and still
sprinkled with leaves and twigs
The apples mature
only to tumble into the pond one at a time
where they rest on the water rotting and fermenting
decade after decade
Spring has come early this year
helping the apples blossom
filling the air with the scent of sun and grass
painting the pond different shades, different hues
© Lawrence Estrey 2021
Poetry
I spent a great deal of today involved in music. First, I practised the piano (Liszt 2 Concert Etudes, Schubert Wanderer Fantasy). Next, I compiled piano recordings I’d done during the various Lockdowns.
Finally, I converted six separate audio files to one single mp3 before adding a still image, to produce a video of my playing. The video lasts fourteen minutes and includes popular classical piano, Russian folk music, and Ragtime.
Happy listening!
The church bells ring
Chimes from afar
Fanfares, near whispers
A choir of angels
Sounds that carry over the river
Through the fields
As the sun sets
Painting the sky magenta
© Lawrence Estrey 2021
Poetry
I haven’t updated readers for a long time. I found parts of Lockdown a challenge, especially in regards to Mental Health, and preferred to hide behind my poetry. Having said that, I enjoyed Christmas and felt confident enough to welcome in the New Year in a limited but satisfying manner.
Spring has come at last. I had my first dose of the vaccine last week. I was meant to have it even earlier due to past bouts of pneumonia and septicaemia from Strep throat (years ago, admittedly), but there were some issues to resolve first. Suffice it to say, I’ve experienced flu-like symptoms this week, but am glad to have received the vaccine and will return in July for a second dose.
Meanwhile, I’ve spent hours practising the piano and polishing up repertoire during Lockdown, both Classical and Ragtime. Below is a video I made of the Ragtime Dance by Scott Joplin. I recorded the piano part this morning, then added it to a still photo from a few years ago.
Happy listening.
The man wanders year upon year
guided by blind hope
driven by restlessness
always seeking the unobtainable
hiding from the past
running from the images
escaping the torment, though in vain
never knowing where he will reach next.
ii.
Each place is a paradise at first
then restlessness strikes
tempting him with promises of greener grass
leading him in search of a new home
another empty desert where he will reside alone
the seasons pass
another year
the man wanders
© Lawrence Estrey 2021
Poetry
The old railway bridge sits halfway up a hill,
No longer a train track, but a nature walk,
Nestled in between houses and shops,
With a garage in the arches below.
From the bridge, one can see the city sights,
The office blocks in the distance,
Hills and marshland further on.
The palace to the left.
The sun sets over the city,
Painting the sky a myriad of colours.
Shades of light that ebb away as evening falls,
Another sunset over the city.
© Lawrence Estrey 2021
Poetry
Chandeliers tilt in the ship’s dining room,
Like tiny jewels and clinking laughter.
The waves push from side to side,
A crescendo of force,
As cold as ice,
The cruel whims of the sea.
People stagger backwards and forwards,
Down corridors, up flights of steps,
Stumbling, feverish.
No one can walk straight.
The passengers grope around in semi darkness,
Hoping and praying not to fall.
Outside, the sky is empty and abandoned,
Save for the wind and rain and the clusters of clouds.
© Lawrence Estrey 2021
Poetry
a figure stands alone, leaning against the railing
the tide swirls around at the bottom of the pier, a dangerous turbulent colour
the figure continues to stand by the railings in the drizzle, staring blankly at the water
© Lawrence Estrey 2021
Poetry
The rain. Vapour, splatter.
The temperature drops.
Icy rain.
Snow will come within a week.
A man stands alone at the bus stop, shivering.
Rain bounces off the pavement, splattering his shoes.
He is already late for work.
The rain is raw, lacking in mercy.
© Lawrence Estrey 2021
Poetry
quarter past nine at night
an audio click
and then darkness
the display on the clock has vanished
no electricity
silence
torchlight and internet
despite the stillness the house breathes
a heartbeat barely noticeable
outside sounds come and go
ebbing away like the sea
© Lawrence Estrey 2021
Poetry
Theme: reliance on technology (in a wider sense, electricity included), and how humans cope when technology fails. I personally found the above experience lonely and unsettling.
