Looking to the Mountains

 It's been a day of reminiscing and remembering travels to Kashmir due to the fact that I have embarked on a journey to learn and write Sanskrit. 

I have a wonderful Sanskrit teacher who has been attempting to teach me to read and write in Sanskrit for a while. Gillian has a gift for teaching. She encourages, repeats and encourages again and I simply enjoy every moment of the time spent in lessons.

When we were visiting Leh in Kashmir we came upon some intriguing Gompas (monasteries) where we observed monks and participated in pujas and became immersed in the local culture. Such a privilege to experience the cracking silence of the Himalayas and the vast and never-ending icy crags. 

From the Bhagavad Gita

Carved stones in Kashmir

I am also working on poems for a journal of photographs which a woman has compiled over the past few years. We use her images as inspiration and it is another great initiative brought about by the pandemic. It is a wonderful creative initiative and I am in the process of working though some short poems, prose to describe some images. The photographs are taken along the Ou Kaapse Weg in Cape Town and are very beautiful.

Here are a few pieces written so far: 

So many blessings in the golden light of dawn.

Rainy day puddles dance differently in early morning light. No footprints to fill.

In the meantime I continue to work on calligraphy and Sanskrit and writing with a group from around the world every Wednesday evening. So satisfying as we are all so different in cultures and writing techniques. 

Just a little book, some palettes of paint a brush and a pen

Time to be Aware

 I don't know where I've been over the past years, but obviously very absent from this blog. 

I haven't been lolling in bed in a haze of 'not wanting to do anything'. In fact I've been extremely busy being busy. Teaching and staying at home mostly because of the COVID-19 pandemic but I think that too has become my excuse for not 'going out' as I used to. 

I've kept a diary, done many courses and created a calligraphy piece a day for over a year. Written poetry, gained 2 new grandchildren and quite frankly simply enjoyed my new contained studio space upstairs.

My visual diary has over 400 calligraphy pieces in it and I have written a few poems and prose pieces which I have worked on from time to time. 

A walk along the sea shore

I also started a correspondence with my friend Paddy in the deepest days of the first Lockdown which kept both of us sane over a few weeks and I need to relook at the writing to see if it worth keeping, or whether it was just something to do' in a crazy world. 

I still continue writing with prompts and with a friend. This time Sam. She and I Zoom almost weekly to chat about a writing group we've joined and how our personal writing continues as well as books to read. So we are busy and focussed. 

I'm also writing words for a project which a young girl has managed the past year. Photographs taken from a similar spot for two years. She's requested that various authors and poets write about the images. Which is a beautiful way to write - from images not words.

Now that I have re-discovered this page. I shall certainly keep it going.