under another sun

Finally able to focus on my writing this morning. Then off to Lewes to meet up with Robin, Charlotte, Stephen, SJB and Lou, and Antony Mair among others for the Finished Creatures reading, held at the Depot in Lewes. I got to meet Jan Heritage for the first time, and was chatting with a nice poet from Ealing called Oliver Comins. Lots of good poems read from the new issue. When it came to it I forgot even to say my name, nor plug Planet Poetry and read one by Tess Jolly, whose work I like lots, and then my Mezquita de Cordoba. Sarah and Lou making me laugh both being in the same issue and writing about the same subject, without knowing the other had done so.  Interestingly, Jan saying she had broken her own rule in publishing my poem, as she doesn't like printing the word God with a capital letter.  It was a gorgeous day, and it was great fun to do some poetry, and then sit in the sun chatting with poet pals afterwards. Felt like a holiday suddenly, and Friday afternoons ...

No beers today, and an iron resolve to get a grip on my diet as I am putting on a bit of weight again. I got up early with Lorraine, ate a sensible plate of porridge and wrote the first draft of a poem, which I feel is quite promising. Then I ate some frogs. This is a new learning from Jade: you eat your frogs early, so that the rest of the day seems fine. For me this was a bit of billing and redesigning my invoice not being a Ltd company any more and so on.  Then I went for a walk into town principally to buy a new watch battery. I went into a place in Churchill Square, who told me that I would have to leave them my watch, have it sent to the manufacturers and returned in a month. Instead I went to Timpsons and got it replaced on the spot. Walked down to the sea for a while. Gorgeous day, the sea striped by clouds and bands of brightness, then home again. I ended the day on 13k paces. Found out I had a poem called Mezquita de Córdoba accepted in Finished Creatures poetry magazine...