Reading Vegetables

Fantastic night at Stirred's new venue in the wonderful Three Minute Theatre in Manchester. I decided to use my spot to experiment with poems written on vegetables ('on' as in physically 'on'). I thought the cabbage worked particularly well as it involved peeling back the leaves to read each word.

I had a really interesting discussion with an artist, who was painting each open mic participant as they performed, on how to write / paint my carrot poem with it being reabsorbed into the carrot.  He suggested I wear vegetable jewellery as well, and even drew me sketch of how it should look - still thinking about that one.

Jackdaws

I have a new neighbour, in my chimney, chucking down twigs and chirping and knocking on the wall and perhaps the sound of beak scraping and smoothing mud, a symphony of nest-building being played out in my 'library'/'bedroom'. I checked in the birdsong book - jackdaws. I tried lighting a fire to put them off moving in, before reading the RSPB advice : do not whatever you do light a fire - it's illegal to disturb a wild bird at nest and jackdaws are persistent critters anyway so give up the fight and remain fireless till the autumn.
I was very happy about the bluetits moving into the birdbox and moment-stoppingly (?) delighted whenever they come in or out so now I am transferring this attitude, hoping that what I have till now viewed as a pest/nuisance/difficulty can be transformed into an interesting and unusual neighbour. I know nothing about jackdaws, so think of it: jackdaw chicks hatching beside (apart from one wall) my pillow.

Leek poem

tall green mild and meek
not quite the full onion
the gentle leek