Feeling free

Feeling free today. At my desk doing lots of poetry related emails one to Live Cannon, following up about a meeting before Christmas after my recently shortlisted collection. 

Finding the advice that Sarah Barnsley gave me last week continuously resonating with me at present: be on your own side. Looked at my phone as I mooched, and my emails were all from poets. 

Lorraine out to join Penny and another head teacher for a walk around Ditchling.  I went for a walk of my own, and signed up at the nearby sports centre so I can use their gym. Got a Christmas deal so I got three months for the price of one. Friendly place, and I got chatting to an elderly lady at reception who was off to do Tai Chi. From there I walked about for a bit, listening to the In Our Time podcast about Wilfred Owen.Wandered over to a bit of Seaford Head, wind surging off the sea in a way that makes you feel a bit roughed up and buffeted, which I liked a lot.. 

Home and had a chat with Mum, and arranged a long overdue visit to zoom up to see her next week.

Home again, and Lorraine home shortly after. We did a bit of zooming about cleaning up, and at two thirty our neighbours Joy and James came in for a coffee and a chat. Intelligent, older than us and we liked them. James, a retired civil servant, has a keen interest in archaeology. 

We then had a phone appointment with a Scottish Solicitor about our wills. Then did some other bits of admin. 

Lorraine off to meet Adele and others at her book club. I walked her off to the Boot and repaired to The Wellington, which was very quiet, and I did what I have not done for ages: nursed a slow pint and wrote the draft of a new poem. My pen ran out, so I walked home tidied up the kitchen a bit, got another ink cartridge and simply returned to nurse a second pint and write a second draft of the poem. Something atmospheric about being in a mostly empty pub at night, with the rough sea just a couple of hundred yards away. Noticing again the stars that are visible. Seaford is much darker than Brighton and I love that. 

After this, and having a small chat with Toby driving home, I went to The Boot and sat with the book club for a bit. Lots of pleasant interesting people. Adele I knew obviously, and a woman called Delores, I met once before too and five others. Chatted there for a bit, and also spoke to Toby, then Lorraine and I walked home, and watched an episode of DS9. I felt freer today than I can remember feeling, and also did things that I had been putting off. 

A moody Seaford Head with the sea white.