remote

As per usual there's so much stuff going on that i never know how to prioritise any of it (and don't worry i'm not about to detail all of it here), but such decisions were taken out of my hands today when i was informed that in return for 3 hours of peace and quiet i had to drive us all to Toys R Us so toys for a kids party could be bought (which, eternally thankful as i am, i didn't have to attend).

while i waited in the car with the kids, my eldest ask me to put Lemon Jelly on. It's nice to have quietly-cool kids (unlike myself at their age), but it was more to do with the sun shining and the fact that it reminds us all of our trip to New Zealand over a year ago.

it was a wonderful trip full of great memories (even for my three year old), but the best times were the ones where we were practically the only people on a beautiful deserted beach. it was like that everywhere (and maybe our reputation preceded us), but we'd roll up to beach after beach after beach (in Kaikora, Abel Tasman, Akaroa), settle down and enjoy the sun, sand and the vast expanse of beach, and relax not thinking of england.

Remote

The sky, long as it ever was,
Stretching ahead of me
Into a distance I could not know.
A wind, so warm and subtle
Teasing our hair
That no mirror could ever scold.

We could be happy here.

No rain can touch us now,
No dark dark cloud
Laying its clammy paw on our foreheads,
Letting the dirt slide
(leaving mud tracks on my face).

The sun can bake us now
With long long days,
Letting the sweat fall from brows
That had seen no better days

Than these days.
Remote and happy,
Alone at last.
Long, long last...


May 1994

remote and happy

for the record the top 3 songs on holiday were, in no particular order: Love, The Staunton Lick and Stay With You.