Red in Tooth and Claw

I am currently reading Vicki Feaver's Book of Blood. I enjoy Feaver's poetry a lot, she has a great way with words, using a lot if subtle internal rhyme. However along with John Burnside another excellent Scottish poet, she shows a tendency to sense badness or evil in nature, sort of summed up in the cliched phrase 'Red in Tooth and Claw'. I find this a disturbing and inaccurate view to take, which inspired me to write the poem below.


Red in Tooth and Claw

Nature is darkly unknowable
Wildnerness is wild, untameable
Tigers attack, strike fear into hearts.

I would not live with grizzly bears
but nor would I pretend
essential evil in nature.

We are the ones who destroy our own nests
we are the ones who kill for fun
We are the ones with the reddest teeth

the reddest claws.


Cliches for Poetry Thursday

Tony Blair says ‘Carry on Flying’

The UK Prime Minister Tony Blair says that there is no need to cut back on long haul flights to exotic holiday locations. Instead he is putting his trust in science to solve climate change without him needing to make any change to his life style. Read more in the Guardian online.

However, individuals can and need to reduce their personal environmental impact and we can all cut back on flying. If you have friends and family on the other side of the world then you will need to fly to see them. You may be expected to fly for work (but trains can be quicker for a short distance, when you factor in the waiting time in airports). And for holidays, why not explore the beauty of your own country and the neighbouring ones? I haven’t left Europe since I was working in Malawi 15 years ago (when I also had holidays in nearby Botswana and Zimbabwe). I haven’t finished exploring the UK (a small country!) and Europe offers many wonderful destinations that can be reached by ferry and rail. Though, yes I do sometimes take the plane.

Why not sign up to the Flight Pledge and resolve to fly less? To search the alternative options for reaching your destination and to avoid flying, visit No Fly Travel.

Another sky haiku

Grey clouds gather
In a troubled sky –
Lake ripples.


More subtle changes for One Deep Breath.

Haiku - sunrise

Dark fades to pink
becomes orange and red
- day breaks blue.

Subtle Changes for One Deep Breath

Haiku - New Year in Edinburgh

Fireworks
above the floodlit castle -
fuzzy moon

New Years Day
after the fireworks -
rabbit dead on path*

Hogmanay concert
cancelled by gale force winds -
New Year still blue sky.


* there are around 30 rabbits living in the hill below Edinburgh Castle. Our rabbit was safely in our flat, like all pets should be, kept well away from fireworks!

Haiku - dusk

Wolves howl at the moon

their cries echo into space -

the first soft snowfall.

.........................................................................................

Thick blue silk of dusk

hangs over the sleepy town -

a saxophone plays.

Haiku - weathering, ageing

This week's prompt on One Deep Breath is weathering and ageing and my offering is a snapshot from the centre of Edinburgh on the 31st December:

more masonry falls
shaken by the fireworks -
another Hogmanay.