Dreaming

No. 115 dreams
The living room remembers Gran dancing to Count Basie.
The kitchen can still hear my aunts fighting on Christmas day.
The hall is worried about the loose banister.
The small room is troubled by the missing hamster.
The toilet particularly dislikes my Grandfather.
The wallpaper covers up for the whole family.
 
And No. 115 dreams of lovely houses by the sea.
And No. 115 dreams of one night in the country.
 
The stairs are keeping schtum about the broken window.
The toilet's sick of the trapped pipes squealing so.
The walls aren't thick enough for all the screaming.
My parent's bedroom has a bed in a choppy sea.
My own bedroom loves the bones of me.
My brother's bedroom needs a different boy.
 
And No. 115 dreams of yellow light, an attic room.
And No. 115 dreams of a chimney, a new red roof.
 
And the red roof dreams of robin redbreasts
tap dancing on the red dance floor in the open air.

Jackie Kay


A horrible day weatherwise - cold, grey and persistent rain. This little abandoned house seems to fit the mood but look closely and the daffs are popping up, optimistic amongst all the dereliction. An entry for Derelict Sunday, this month hosted by AngelsShare.


The answer to yesterday's abstract was a fragment of a rather flamboyant and exotic Venetian glass chandelier that hangs above us when we're beavering away on the Faery course. It's  huge and made out of clear, blue and pink glass, and I want it! The bit that looks like a zip I think must be a wick of some sort.


I've also been beavering over my Faery homework for we have been asked to read a translation of the Táin Bó Cúailnge or The Cattle Raid of Cooley - the Irish equivalent of The Iliad and every bit as good. It's complicated!! So far I've got to page 20 and  basically the story is about Queen Medh who wants to be as rich and powerful as her husband in every way. And she is - except .... He has the biggest bull! There is another fella with a bigger one and he's up in Ulster and he won't give it to Medb. She resolves to summon the Men of Ireland and go and get it for herself by force. She's on her way but also coming into play is someone who is going to be her biggest opponent - Cúchulainn, one of the most magical and powerful figures in Irish folklore. He's aged 6 at the moment and has just killed the enormous bloodhound that was guarding a king's palace by throwing his silver ball at it - it went in its mouth and came out the other end dragging entrails - sorry if you're having your supper but you need to know who Medb is up against!) The king was dismayed at the death of his bloodhound but Cúchulainn has promised to do the job until another suitable dog can be reared. Here's a hugely simplified version - you can read up to the Curse of Macha but no more- that's for tomorrow!