Shadows


A shadow is an absence of light 
yet to make one 
you need a source of light
you also need an opaque object 
of which the shape of the shadow will be formed
You need a surface onto which the shadow is projected.

A shadow appears when light from a source is obstructed by an object yet shadows do not occupy "space"
Shadows are mostly black
but can be coloured under certain  specific circumstances.

An object can form more than one shadow 
if more than one light source plays upon the object.
A shadow is a virtual image of a real thing
which science says can move by itself 
yet they are not "living"
they appear to flicker 
but this can be caused by the light source flickering.

There are shadows on the moon - created by the moon itself.
Pure water - with no suspended particles in it 
casts no shadow.
Light casts shadows - yet a flame won't.
Glass casts only a faint shadow.
Air can bend light away from its forward direction 
and so create a shadow.
Aeroplanes cast shadows 
but only when they're close to the ground. 
Ironically
once in the air
the shadow is lost under the light source which made the shadow in the first place.

Shadows are fascinating!



Loch Lomond

Quiet 
hear the waters lap on the shores the ice age formed 
the history 
the battles that raged
the smugglers rowing illegal whisky along its shores
it's landowners
its castles and stately piles
hear the swallows on the wing
and the "tip tap" of the soft raindrops on the roofs of the cars in the carpark

the midgies are missing thanks to the rain and the mist
both of which swirl around us
the wild water swimmers come and go 
back and forth
as hardy as the areas original settlers
tugging their coloured floats behind them 
the peaks of the mountains which tumble down to the waters edge to greet them
come and go too 
the crowning peak of "Ben Lomond" itself hidden 
maybe it's there - maybe it's not

the tourist boats are
plying their trade around the Loch
the many miles of island shores
splendid houses and secret coves 
they also come and go in the mist
leaving only their commentaries
skimming across the surface of the still waters
like the swallows
chasing what midgies they can find
to feed their families 
...oblivious to it all


A Raindrop Fell

A raindrop fell from a dark black cloud
'cross the dark black land
like a dark black shroud

a raindrop fell into a wee piggy's eye
as the wee piggy sat
in his wee piggy-sty

more raindrops fell into 'icky sticky' mud
where the 'icky sticky' piggy sat
amidst an 'icky sticky' flood

after a mighty fight they found themselves free 
and found themselves a river
then found themselves the sea

they join the other raindrops - some people never knew
the sea is just a lot of raindrops
some which fell on me and you

the sun shines on the sea; the raindrops warm enough
they're warmed enough into a cloud
to make the warm and rainy stuff

So don't be sad when raindrops fall
think of the miles they've had to do
the many hurdles they've had to jump
just to get you soaking through!

(If you are worried how the little piggy's now
the little piggy's fine
having eloped with a cow)










Now That I Am Old

Now that I am old I find that...
and I'm not able to...
my memory is...
to have to... ...is taxing
and not to be able to... ...frustrates me
and I don't...
the excitement felt from simply...
for when I was young I used to...  ...all the time
and...
it was so simple to...
now, now I can't even... ...by myself
I have to rely on others to...
and that isn't...
I don't like being old because I can't... 
I sometimes feel I'm a...
and a...
they say I'm not but I...
I don't like being...
I don't like...
I don't...
I...
...

Culross

Culross in Fife
former royal borough
former port city
with an abbey and a palace
and hidden courtyards
tiny cottages on cobbled streets
steep little streets 
streets off streets
ancient streets
history itself right in front of us
dates over doorways
tiny doorways
from hundreds of years ago
windows at irregular heights
tiny windows
and the 'Lockit Well'
foot-worn steps up to first-floor doorways
pan-tiled roofs and harled walls
and all on the shores of the mighty river forth
people from all over the world 
come to look
to take in the beauty 
of this sleepy little village
that once upon a time
shared trade with the world
and all with his majesty's approval






Edinburgh

Historic streets
names you know
names you can list
rammed with people
pouring off pavements and onto the streets
people of every hue
tongue religion and creed
as if...
as if the whole world were here
just to see the sights
to pay to jump on a bus 
to stroll around and gawp
to gawp at the bricks and mortar
at the sights of historical significance
to know about the events and happenings of years gone by
to hear about the people of significance 
the people who invented and created
painted, wrote, built
to see which house they used to live in
to identify just who it is 
remembered on which plinth
or obelisk
or grand archway 
or blue plaque fixed by some grand doorway
all the things that happened here
listed for us
like a city's CV
"Edinburgh is a good team player and is iT literate"
all those shops selling endless tat
all aimed at tourists
claiming to be more Scottish than Scotland itself
things they never knew they needed
things to stuff in their suitcases and try to get through customs
caps to keep the sun off their heads
and any number of variations of fridge-magnets to stick on fridges all over the world
they stand on street corners with cameras as big as your arm and snap away
holding mobile phones
either in their hands or on "selfie-sticks"
images then sent instantly around the globe
and then 
when the sun goes down
the crowds thin a little
all heading inside into restaurants and bars
or onto one of the specialized night-time tours
ghost tours
comedy ghost tours
haunted history tours
by foot or on ghostly painted buses
they wring out every drop of the city
they visit everything they've been told they must visit
...and then
like the wilderbeast on the plains...
they move on