Poetry, Books, Spring in the Air
Lockdown life in the archipelago
Hello there!
Another month has passed by…
I had a ‘chat’ with a fellow writer today and she commented on time during world lockdown. It’s a strange concept, time. It seems like we’ve been in this weird state of waiting for months and months. But only six months ago I was getting ready to get on a plane to visit my family and friends in Australia! Six months ago! Travelling! Hard to imagine that now.
Last week feels like six months ago and when people ask me how my weekend was I have to really think, ‘what even is the day today?’ What exactly did I do that wasn’t the same as every other day? Seriously hard on the brain!
So what have I been up to?
The Finnish Government has announced they’re slowly opening up. This means schools will open next week, libraries too (hooray! I’ve read all my library books!). Museums will follow on June 1, so back to work for me. There won’t be any tourists, because people can’t travel yet, but maybe the locals will take a mini-vacation and pop by!
I’ve read more books. Not as many as the ten in March, but six. Keep reading for the standouts.
I painted our bedroom. Now all rooms in the apartment are done. I felt like I needed to paint this final room because I know I’m not working. It took two days with all the prep and furniture moving so I could, so it with the thought I didn’t have to rush. It looks really nice.
We put our boat in the water. It’s all ready for us to head out into the archipelago. The above photo was taken when we collected the boat from its winter home.
A song I have worked on with a friend has been released. We worked on the text together and she’s done the music and recording. It’s on Soundcloud and is called When She Sings. Check it out! Give us some love. There are more songs coming with this collaboration.
I’ve written more poetry. It’s not coming as easily as other times in my life. But creativity is like that - it tends to ebb and flow. One of my favourites is The Layers of Me.
I have been using challenges and prompts to get my writing juices flowing and I wrote Paper-thin in response to IdeaStream’s Poetry Salvage word list.
She yearns, reluctantly,
for the wanton delights
of her youth.
The zenith
of her twilight years,
A place never contemplated.She sits, silently,
Embracing the morning,
Watching silvery sunbeams
Dance across the field,
Meadow’s magic,
Waving wondrously.Wisps of soft web
Float on the air,
A spider’s reminder
They are there, alive.
Dew gathers, gently,
On a leaf, waking slowly,
Green, unlike her.
She is curled, yellow,
Paper-thin at the edges.So still, she sits,
Barely breathing,
Watching nature wake,
Spiders spinning,
Dragonflies buzzing,
Birds reminding the world,
They exist, trilling, chirping.Her children, tall, strong,
Preoccupied, grown-up,
Brush her thoughts.
To live forever?
She ponders. No.
A violation. An infringement
Of life. And death.To frighten death?
With a golden breath?
No.
She sits, silently,
Regarding life.
And nature’s beautiful
Wonder.
I wrote a satirical piece about Donald Trump - good for a laugh! Here’s one about social distancing in Finland, and about going viral…at least, what it used to mean! Enjoy!
Standout Reads for April
Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood: Did you know that The Hogarth Press (founded in 1917 by Virginia and Leonard Woolf) launched The Hogarth Shakespeare Project to see Shakespeare’s works retold by acclaimed and bestselling novelists of today? No? Me neither. Hag-Seed is Atwood’s contribution to the project, retelling The Tempest. And it’s wonderful!
Atwood is a wonderful writer and she continues her masterful storytelling with this reimagination of Shakespeare’s work. She cleverly deals with the whole ‘play within a play’ aspect by the use of setting and characters, and the supernatural is very cleverly integrated. As to how she does it, you’ll just have to read it to find out!
The Power by Naomi Alderman: If Margaret Atwood recommends something to read, it’s a good idea to try it! Alderman has created a brilliant ‘what if’ scenario, examining power structures, gender, and religion in her novel.
Imagine waking to a world where teenage girls have suddenly developed the power to use electricity within their bodies. This is what happens in Alderman’s world. She explores what this means for the world, for humanity, for the concept of power. She follows the stories of several characters and over a period of time. It’s clever, interesting, and challenges the reader’s ideas of power, motherhood, religion, and societal norms. Let me know if you read it!
Other reads:
Affinity by Sarah Waters: set in Victorian England, Waters explores, amongst other things, the metaphysical in this novel. Through her protagonist, Margaret Prior, we experience what it was like to be a not-even-very-old spinster during the Victorian era. Mental health issues, prison visits, unrequited and unacceptable love, societal pressures are all explored by Waters. She writes beautifully and her prose will be particularly appreciated by fans of Victorian literature. If that’s not your thing, then perhaps give this one a miss.
The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes: This novel won the Man Booker Prize in 2011, and deservedly so. Barnes explores the fluidity of memory and the impact choices made early in life can have on life. And not just your own life. Protagonist Tony Webster reflects on his past when it comes back to haunt him in the form of a legacy left by an old friend. It’s beautifully written, drawing you in as Webster’s past is revealed. Worth reading!
The Gun Room by Georgina Harding: How can one photograph, one experience shape your life? Harding explores this premiss in The Gun Room. This novel suggests you cannot really escape from your past, no matter how distant and buried it may be.
I See You Everywhere by Julia Glass: I haven’t read anything by Glass before so perhaps this wasn’t the best one to start with. Exploring the relationship between sisters, it just fell short for me. The two voices were just not different enough, almost like a collection of short stories of the sisters’ lives than a cohesively written story. Leave it off your list.
I am currently sitting on my couch, listening to my partner and his mate (who happens to be an Aussie), brew beer. They’ve taken over the kitchen, have some rock music playing, and are talking technical (and some utter bollocks!) beer talk. The smell is quite amazing - hoppy and grainy. Not for everyone, I think, but I don’t mind it. It kind of reminds me of the pellets I used to feed my guinea pig or mouse when I was a kid!
I hope this email finds you all well. Let me know what you’ve been reading and writing. Let me know what you’re up to. Reply to this mail or leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you.
Lisa xx
(our boat, affectionately known as Boaty McBoatFace!)
