One Hundred Words About Prayer of the Heart

John Tavener - Prayer of the Heart from John Tavener A Portrait

The first time I heard a piece of music that started with a heartbeat it changed my life. That was in 1973, thirty-three years ago.

The second piece of music I heard that starts with a heartbeat I heard for the first time today. I wonder where it will take me.

I listened, unable to move.

A girl’s voice emerged from the tangle of heartbeat and strings, then struggled free and climbed in a wild, raw, painful, fragile, insistent spiralling chant, sometimes so thin I thought it would break and in a moment a voice so strong, deep and rich.

At Penmon Point

We've had a week's holiday. It's been quite a busy time. Lots of jobs needed doing and I had saved up a few hospital appointments for the week. However I did manage to work on last week's entry a little. Hope you like it.

At Penmon Point

After the funeral we came

to Penmon
in fragile twilight,
in the unformed year
because she loved the place.

We came past

ruined Priory and dovecote
to a broken sea line
scoured by hard winds
and a grey Viking sky.

There we poured ourselves
onto this abandoned headland

wandered unsteady along
a rough uncertain track
to face the raw, bitter wind
that beat me to tears.

I remembered her here
in a summer blue dress
and an easy smile.
Looking out to Puffin Island.

This keeps me warm.

And all that time
a bell from the lighthouse
rang, slowly announcing
an end to something.




© David Loffman

One Hundred Words and A Picture of Penmon Point

We came to Penmon Point after Kathy's funeral. She loved this place.

We drove past the ruins of the Priory and the domed dovecote.

It is an isolated headland, especially in January. There, a grey sea scoured by winds from the north opened to us.

So we emptied ourselves out onto the raised beach. The children and dogs seemed to be lifted up into the arms ofthe wind, scattered among rocks and puddles, searching the sea towards Puffin Island and beyond The Great Orme.

And a bell from the lighthouse rang slowly announcing the end of something. 

One Hundred Words About Another Sunday

So far this has been a classic winter Sunday. Before church I had a little quiet reading time – an Austin novel. The children had baths and tidied their rooms. Then church and after the service brief chats with old friends. Then home to make a roast dinner. My mother came for the afternoon. We had coffee and After Eight. After dinner she spent time with the children and I had a nap, then read a bit of the paper and listened to a little music. Then tea, apple flan and chocolate fingers; we played cards until six, when she left.

One Hundred Words About APOD

APOD: 2006 January 15 - The Sombrero Galaxy from HST

It is about time I let you know about Astronomy Picture of the Day is one of the best sites I have found on the internet. It is a jewel of a site.

I visit it almost daily to catch up on the new photographs. I’ve always had an interest in astronomy. I even took a module in the first year of my degree on astronomy.

Each photograph comes with an explanation and each explanation comes with hyper links to other sites and pictures in the APOD archive.

I watch transfixed by patterns, colours and distances in time and space.

One Hundred Words Without You

Without you the house feels cold.

My thoughts return empty.

I leave the radiators on all night
and forget to turn a light off somewhere.

I buy too much food
to comfort us.

I don’t know when to go to bed
and wake with a jolt.
The radio whispers all night.

I wake the children early.
Hold them a little tighter,
give myself up to their
playground tragedies
and classroom news.

But the days are smooth and easy.
We slip in and out of them
without difficulty,
because you are out there
holding us
in the quiet of your mind.


(C) David Loffman