I cannot believe that I let the first anniversary of this blog pass by. It went up on the 4^th of July last year. So there, I’ve done it now, it’s officially noted. I have had great fun and pleasure in sharing these poems with you and getting your very encouraging feedback. Thank you all for that. It continues to sustain me and also challenge me.

It is now at the end of July and coming into the first of August, I am, as always, at this time of year very conscious of Aoife. It’s fourteen years now. So here is a piece that came to me in the past few weeks.

As usual, read, enjoy, share and let me know what you think.

On this quiet summer morning

sitting easily, coffee in hand

the feeling of her wells

from his toes, reaches his eyes

which moisten from behind

brings him to that distant place.

          Her absence fills the room

          he feels held in time past

          wrapped in sorrow past

          hurting in pain past.

This sharp burst

catches him by surprise

after all this time

Makes him aware

of the permanent ache

that lies beneath his skin.

Peter Clarke

21^st July 2018