A WEST CORK GARDEN DIARY: December 2018
The weather has been fairly terrible for the last couple of weeks. Gales, wind, rain. I have managed to get out in between and have finally dug out every last bramble from what will be my flower garden. What a relief.
Ownahincha after a stormy night.
A West Cork Garden Diary November 2018 – Futility, Wilfred Owen
Move him into the sun—
Gently its touch awoke him once,
At home, whispering of fields half-sown.
Always it woke him, even in France,
Until this morning and this snow.
If anything might rouse him now
The kind old sun will know.
Think how it wakes the seed
Woke once the clays of a cold star.
Are limbs, so dear-achieved, are sides
Full-nerved, still warm, too hard to stir?
Was it for this the clay grew tall?
— O what made fatuous sunbeams toil
To break earth’s sleep at all?
Only five of his poems were published in Wilfred Owen’s lifetime. FUTILITY was one of them. It appeared, together with HOSPITAL BARGE, in “The Nation” on 15th June 1918, shortly after being written – at Ripon probably – although Scarborough is a possibility.
Owen died on November 4th 2018. The news of his death did not reach his parents…
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A WEST CORK GARDEN DIARY: December 1 2018 – Invocation
A True Account Of Talking To The Sun On Fire Island – Frank O’Hara
The Sun woke me this morning loud
and clear, saying “Hey! I’ve been
trying to wake you up for fifteen
minutes. Don’t be so rude, you are
only the second poet I’ve ever chosen
to speak to personally
so why
aren’t you more attentive? If I could
burn you through the window I would
to wake you up. I can’t hang around
here all day.”
“Sorry, Sun, I stayed
up late last night talking to Hal.”
“When I woke up Mayakovsky he was
a lot more prompt” the Sun said
petulantly. “Most people are up
already waiting to see if I’m going
to put in an appearance.”
I tried
to apologize “I missed you yesterday.”
“That’s better” he said. “I didn’t
know you’d come out.” “You may be
wondering why I’ve come so close?”
“Yes” I…
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A West Cork Garden Diary: November 2018 – pulling up brambles
Before and after. It is hard work but worth it. I also have dozens of free bulbs which also came up with the brambles so I will replant elsewhere.
A WEST CORK GARDEN DIARY: November 2018 – After Raking
I spent days last week between showers raking the field to remove all the large surface stones so it can be mowed. This is not strictly necessary but very satisfying. I have also been clearing the old stone walls and cutting back the fuchsia. I thought I had overdone it but it started sprouting within a week.
A West Cork Garden Diary: November 2018 – over the bramble hedge, the view from the kitchen window
There is a long bramble-covered wall at the top end of the garden. I am leaving this wild as a habitat. This is the view of the bramble hedge from the kitchen and the countryside beyond. There are usually horses in the field belonging to my neighbour Connie.
