Haiku: ‘Striding Sun’

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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Stride northward, O Sun
Fill our hearts with hope and light
A greater harvest

copyright Francis Barker 2020

Daily Haiku: Benefits of Winter

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Photo by Gantas Vaičiulėnas from Pexels

Candles flickering
The cat loves the crackling fire
Winter benefits

copyright Francis Barker 2020

Poem Update: Girl With A Cello

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Photo by Gimmeges on Pexels.com

In a diamond city night we’re
taxied through floodlit streets

angled snow alabasters old facades
medieval histories beyond all guessing

Flanders is frozen outside this misted glass
the two of us sitting nose to nose

our tongues loosening aperitif smiles
white burgundy cutting through brie

making heads light and cheeks flush
and toe touch toe

Our eyes meet when bare soul strokes calf
kissing slim fingers one by one

plied each day to taut cello strings
sneak previews to plots and suites of night

© copyright Francis Barker 2012

Stunning Cochem, Germany

Germany is such a beautiful and varied country – well worth a visit in 2020.

Check out Reichsburg, Cochem

There is beauty and stunning imagery to be found at any time of the year, in any place in the world.

https://www.cochem.de/stadt/

Nearly 17 Degrees Overnight Temperature in Scotland!

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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

In a time where we would appear to be experiencing ever more unusual weather and strange atmospheric phenomena, this story grabbed my attention more than others.

I have to confess I have never heard of the ‘foehn effect’, nor do I admit to understanding it having now digested the information, yet when temperatures in northern Scotland briefly reach nearly 17 degrees C overnight, it makes you pause over your morning coffee. And this at a time of year when the average overnight temperature is around freezing point.

My only ‘experience’ of such unusually warm winter weather was when I was a baby, according to my late mother.

Apparently, it was warm enough one dark January evening for her to sit by the riverside in her short sleeves whilst watching me in a pram. Even if such memories did distort the truth over time, I saw no reason to disbelieve her.

copyright Francis Barker 2019