Poem by Christine
Reading by Nigel
Music by Fabrizio Paterlini  - "There's a light we might see"  in Headphone Commute's set  "...and darkness came" - a http://headphonecommute.bandcamp.com/ 

Cave

Poem Christine
Music https://soundcloud.com/simonwest369
This is based on a Hindu legend about Krishna who grew up in a village as a cowherd and captivated the "gopis" (milkmaids) with his flute music.

The Cowherd Prince

This is a loose translation of the French poem "Sables Mouvants" by Jacques Prevert

Huge thanks to Pete Salmond for his guitar music and technical input!

Translation Christine
Music Pete Salmond
Reading Christine and Pete Salmond

Quicksand

Music Pierre Rosique (Cosmos 6666)
Poem and Reading Christine
Thank you Pierre for the great accompaniment to this poem

Lost
She trailed our ship for days
with her relentless smile, sunlight catching
the copper ribbons of her hair, turning somersaults
in the waves, her song insubstantial as
the sea breeze or the call of gulls
but irresistible,
and I understood
that we were lost.
I saw blue sky turn to solid pewter,
the animal howls
of the wind swallowed our human cries,
our ship a matchstick toy lifted 
by a wall of water;
a final violence of hull
against waiting rock
as sky became sea and
sea became sky.
She swaddled me in blue velvet, carried me
to the soft sandy seabed and held me,
shedding her mermaid tears.
They fell and settled around me like jewels.

Lost (1)

This is a translation into French of Carol Ann Duffy's well loved poem " A Child's Sleep". I wanted to combine it with a lullaby and Ed Haydon very kindly let me use his beautiful track "The Mystic Lullaby" - https://soundcloud.com/edhaydon/ed-haydon-the-mystic-lullaby . Thank you Ed!

Music Ed Haydon
Translation and reading Christine

Un enfant dort

Mon enfant dort
Je ne peux pas penetrer 
dans la foret de son sommeil
mais je reste a la lisiere
sans bouger
Cette petite foret
est remplie de fleurs parfumees,
une foret sombre, paisible et sacree
aux heures infinies.
Et mon enfant c['est le genie
qui habite au fond de cette foret,
un genie bienveillant
qui ne dit pas un mot, 
pour qui le temps et le passé n'existent pas.
Je dis son nom
et un caillou tombe 
dans la nuit profonde.
Je la vois remuer,
une lueur douce dans le creux des mains.
A la fenetre
la nuit qui nous enveloppe
nous fixe d'un regard sage et maternel
avec son visage de lune.

Un enfant dort

I was listening to "Tweeting Nocturne" by Fivos Valachis. It is quite a sad ,beautiful piece. I had also been looking at some paintings on line by the Canadian artist Tom Thomson specifically one called "Northern River"
(http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/canadian/Tom-Thomson.html) which I loved, with its pine trees, and river in the autumn light. I was also inspired by the story of Tom Thomson's life. He spent a lot of time in Ontario painting and living in his cabin and led quite a sad lonely life. He was finally found drowned in the area - nobody knew whether it was an accident.
Thank you so much Fivos for letting me use your music and for doing the cover for this track.

Northern River

This is his church 
Stained glass windows
Of branches and sky
Russets and mauves
Framed in black
Before him
A carpet of vibrant reds and golds

There is a chill in the air now
The light is softening
Winter setting in
An earthy smell of damp leaves
The cries of wild geese
Breaking through the silence

Tonight he will sit in his wooden shack
A blanket around his shoulders
Remembering a summer
Of warmth and laughter
And the woman he loved
The woman he lost

Now until the sun sets
He will gaze at the river
Behind its screen of bare black pines
Meandering into the
Smokey grey horizon

Still and deep
The water waits
One day it will take him
But not yet
Not yet


Tweeting by Fivos Valachis, Poem : Northern River, feat. Christine Wilkinson

Translation and reading of http://soundcloud.com/simonwest369/sundries by Christine.

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Poem and Reading Christine
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Christine Wilkinson 2

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