Current events

Howling wind and rain last night. People being bullied by a storm down the hill to the station, from where trains crawled at a weather-restricted 50 mph. I was one of them, having to get to my old agency for an early start. Nasty to be squeezing onto the tube again, and once at the agency I sat about for an hour or so waiting to everyone else to arrive. Typical.

Have been drafted in to work on a healthcare pitch. Nice to catch up with people. I hung out with Mark a bit at lunch, looking on his computer at virtual tours of houses with stunning views in New Zealand, where he is moving in a couple of weeks. Bumped into the French Bloke too en passant. But mostly spent the day locked away with The Gnome, who was in good spirits, and I enjoyed my day.

My essay How I stopped being a genius, and poem Thought Daughter were accepted by Written magazine in Guernsey, which makes me feel cheery. Also asked to quote for another writing job today, so all is looking well, and have arranged a time to do my Brighton Festival interview. All good.

Toby in the country and had been seeing his pal Danny in Wales, now at Mum's place after a difficult journey. Will see him on Wednesday, which I am really looking forward to. Also spoke to Mum and Lorraine whose school was closed today, due to a gas leak.

Here's the poem, which is about an imaginary daughter.

Thought Daughter

When you’re in the botanical garden
She takes shape. A child who is always running;
A comet coursing through the magnolias
As petals splinter from their waxing moons.
Laughing, her face squeaks into a balloon
But you recognise her as she runs close
Her feet just brushing the blades of the lawn.

Your helium girl returns to the sun
She ascends through bud-bursting treetops
To somewhere so bright if you stared too long
Your eyes would cataract and cloud away.
Her name’s on the tip of your tongue;
In the jay blue sky with her big balloon
You were mine, you were mine, oh you were mine.