Things for which I am thankful for this week…
1- A hypograt first, and dominating my headlines in every way – I have now had the physio, the Emergency room doctor, an orthopaedic doctor, and finally, an ultrasound scan – all of which is to say, it is now conclusive that I have ruptured (they won’t say broken, because its not a bone) my Achilles tendon, which is as close as I am going to get to the greatest warrior and hero of the Greek army in the Trojan War…
2- I have a boot which looks like it belongs to a StarWars trooper, and I now have great sympathy for Medieval Knights getting in and out of their armour…
3- The Orthopaedic surgeon can now decide on a course of action – from my advance research on Google (AI) – it appears that surgery is avoided for older people like myself (really – is that me?) although there are less invasive keyhole procedures. The alternative is wearing the boot with wedges that I am now wearing in the hope that the tendon will reconnect by itself. Against this, as I see it, I wasted nearly two weeks before going to the doctors – not because I am a typical doctor-avoiding man, but because it just didn’t feel that bad – more like a sprain, so I thought I would give it a chance to heal by itself. However, I wonder if the gap is now too big for the tendon to self-heal… I hope to hear from the surgeon early next week…
4- A former Weed of the Week returns since it has now developed a plume? Flower? Although if this is the flower – what is the corn-cob that develops lower down the fully grown plant – is there a biologist in the house?
5- Since the TToT is a place for reflection – in particular on things we are grateful for, I have decided to start a new photographic thread – things that are seen in reflection. This first one is from when I was in my early 20’s and living in a squat in Brixton. If that sounds very Bohemian, I did have a proper job, manager in a restaurant in central London – my first venture into catering (if you haven’t seen Tony – about Anthony Bourdain – go see it – it’s streaming now). These two friends, who I have completely lost touch with, held up the mirror which was lying in the back garden for a bit of trick photography. I do remember the girl on the right was French and diminutive dancer…
6- I am getting back into a writing flow again – yesterday I finished a poem for November’s Keighley Library Poets. It was my suggestion for the prompt to be: Write a poem In The Shadow Of (ITSO) Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood. This was a radio play but it contains many passages of pure poetry prose as well as several poems by the Rev. Eli Jenkins (one of the characters). The language is an inspiration to poets everywhere. If you have never heard it, you can listen to the definitive Richard Burton version below – go on, put your feet up with a cuppa, close your eyes, and treat yourself… I will share myITSO poem after the Library group meeting…
I find that the above does not start at the beginning – so you can use this link instead https://open.spotify.com/album/62VwPd962DVhm8KVZTzF8K?si=HGlH0q93S5iQE3BncCyIoA
7- Barbara has had to respond to my incapacity by doing more, for which I am very grateful, but I hope it will serve to dissolve some of her own incapacity and lift her depression…
8- Tracking shows that my three mini-poetry books arrived in New York and my friend Akua, confirmed that she received them!
9- The Autumn continues to be mild (well you couldn’t expect a post from an Englishman without reference to the weather – by which standard, Miski is almost naturalised English) and I haven’t had to wrap our olive tree in frost-proof gauze yet…
10- Thanks for all the well wishes about my leg from you lovely people…