The cemetery and the sea

Bad nightmares which I attribute to some fine cheese at Anton's place. Then into work, and luckily it was another slow day. This gave me a chance to quietly print off and post a MS to Poetry London. I have a backlog of poems I've not submitted anywhere and so am going to start sending them off.

At lunchtime I took myself off to Hammersmith Cemetery again. I'd never spent an hour walking about in it, despite working in the same location for five years. Actually very peaceful, and poignant. I was taking notes for a poem, and jotted down some of the ornamentation: stone flowers and leaves, stone lilys, crosses, Celtic crosses, artfully broken pillars, anchors, scrolls, open stone books and bibles, Cleopatra's needles, tombs, urns, throne like chairs, a marble bed with pillows, angels with downcast heads, or looking up to heaven, and cherubs on the graves of children.

There is an enormous amount of subsidence in the graveyard and most of the stones are not standing true, but I like it when they lean together conspiratorially. It was also alive with squirrels, I counted seven near me at one point. And haunted by an elusive jay, and several rooks. Wandered about taking photos and noting some of the phrases. I liked one that said, God's finger touched her and she slept.

Left work early again today, and made it home in good time. Noticed yesterday how green the land is again after the rain. It had got very sun bleached a while ago.

Home and I walked down to the sea and sat on one of the groynes looking at the low sun and listening to the waves. Spoke to Sarah on my mobile who is resting after a marathon effort that sees her having completed all her University work. Sarah suggested I express noise at the sea (as she had done the other week) as a form of therapy. She recommended a C note. Surrounded by people, as I was, I found it difficult to comply. But I am going to try it.

Did a spot of shopping and then returned home. Learned an amazing trick from Anton the other day. On his birthday we had a glass of champagne at my house. This left me with a fairly full bottle and nothing to stop it with. He recommended I hang a teaspoon in it. I looked at it today and it was as sparkling as it was on Saturday night. Science compelled me to taste a glass too, and it was fine.

More Frazier tonight. And a quick chat with Mum who is on the road to sorting herself out with Skype. It is the future! She also indicated that the photo I had on my profile made me look like I had a huge and malformed jaw so I have put another one on. Of course, no mere photo is able to convey the sheer dazzle of the charisma I am blessed with.

This slipped angel took my fancy from the graveyard. Then those omnipresent squirrels.