under another sun

Still sluggish, and my brain had all the incisiveness of a block of soft butter. Little written, listening instead to Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre, which is bleakly funny as the 15 year old protagonist makes one disastrous decision after another. Delighted to receive an email from Helen in Biberach in Germany, who I learned was translating Root and Branch into German for a party who had attended the liberation day service from Biberach. It was only by googling did I learn that there had been a prison camp there where Channel Islanders were billeted held during WW2. I need to learn more about this. Lorraine on one of her fasting days, and off singing with the choir this evening. I had a bit of a Frazier fest. Reading a bit of Rilke from the Duino Elegies aloud to Lorraine in bed tonight.  She likes me reading things to her as it sends her into an untroubled sleep, however deathless the poetry.

Greatly cheering text this morning from Jane, saying: "Just turned on radio. Reading one of your poems in the town church for liberation service..." Guernsey was liberated on 9th May 1945, and to hear the liberation day service click through. It starts around 1:31 and my poem Root and Branch is read at 1.52  rather beautifully by Dr Jonathan Frost, Bishop of Southampton. Obviously actually being part of the sermon made me feel incredibly proud and slightly amazed as I had heard nothing about it beforehand. Lengthy chat with Sonia about knee cartilage before heading up to London. Beautiful day in Brighton, so I stupidly set off in shirtsleeves. Pouring with rain when I arrived in London, so Pooterishly purchased a umbrella which I then did not need to use. Had a dental appointment at 2:30 (or tooth-hurty as I couldn't help but think of it) in my old Strand on the Green stomping ground. Had a walk across Kew Bridge and wandered about there for a bit past my old house and...