Writing

On Travail

Image | | andy townend

The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.

St. Augustine

The clue to this post is in the title, which is a clumsy attempt to wrap multiple concepts into a single pithy phrase.

Among my resolutions this year were to write and shoot more. Rather dismally I have failed to respond well to my own resolutions. This does of course make choosing next year’s resolutions so much easier, as I plan to have another go.

However, I am happy to report that I have read a lot this year. And I will write about that also. In due course, the fullness of time, and so on.

I have also travelled a great deal. A very great deal. And, that is also something I intend to write about on the same terms as above.

I am not comfortable with my personal carbon footprint this year. So, trees will need to be planted. Probably enough to stock a decent sized hillside.

What prompted this post was my need to share (other than on my FB page) my journey home.

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high life

Aside | | andy townend 

this seat is mine

mine, for the time
it takes
to cross, the
desert
to cross,
from there
to
here,

a part, of me
is no
longer

mine

lost
with all the
other
parts,
along,
the way

lost

by all, those
others, who

said

this seat, is mine

castronuño

Image | | andy townend

Farewells can be shattering, but returns are surely worse
– Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin

It’s been a while since I posted here, more than four months to be (almost) precise.

A lot has happened in that time.

It’s time to return, to re-engage.

So, rather than write pages and pages explaining my absence, I thought I would share some photos from a walk by the river, yesterday, in Castronuño.

A few small slices of life, under the Spanish sun.

Presented, more or less in the order that they were shot.

Be seeing you.

As you sow, so shall you reap

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twisted

Image | | andy townend

put your dirty angel face
between my legs
and knicker lace
– lyrics from twist by goldfrapp

tormented
whenever
i

sleep,

that

ending,
depending

a (late) and twisted contribution to this week’s wordpress weekly photo challenge

*image shot with Fujifilm x100f and fixed 23mm (34mm full frame equivalent) lens, ISO1600 f3.6 and 1/25s*

lloviendo

Image | | andy townend

a poem, some unedited rain, and a slice of plath

andy townend's avatarsalamancastreets

i woke to the sound of rain
― sylvia plath, the bell jar

see me

the face

in the rain

see me

the fingers

on the pane

see me

before

i am

wiped

away

*one of a series of shots made in salamanca with my ancient olympus om10, with zuiko 50mm f/1.8 lens, and loaded with ilford xp2 super ISO 400 film*

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story

Image | | andy townend

‘whispered something in your ear
it was a perverted thing to say
but I said it anyway
made you smile and look away’
– lyrics from ‘nothing’s gonna hurt you baby’, cigarettes after sex

once upon,
a time
each story
began

in gentle tones
no broken bones

later,
gingerbread,
blood red
tales of death
and terror

stalked my,
dreams

later, still
each story
began, in torchlight
and fright

what right,
had i

and now,
each story,
ends before,
it begins

as life,
unwinds

for wordpress weekly photo challenge – story
*image shot in salamanca, españa, with fujifilm x100f with 23mm (35mm fill frame equivalent) lens at ISO500, f/4 and 1/300s with added effects applied in analog efex pro 2*

variations (on a theme)

Image | | andy townend

‘We know that we fear to win
And so we end before we begin’
U2 – Every Breaking Wave

take the

shot,

if you don’t, you’ll

never

know,

will

you?

For WordPress weekly photo challenge ‘variations on a theme’

*Shot with Nikon D700 and Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.d ‘push pull’ lens at f/2.8, 1/4000s and ISO200*

serene

Image | | andy townend

Death, therefore, the most awful of evils, is nothing to us, seeing that, when we are, death is not come, and, when death is come, we are not.
– Epicurus

we chase it
for eternity
yet, what do we lose

in our (endless)

chase
for, that
serene

(moment)

and
can
we find
it
before that
door

closes?

a dark slice of poetry for wordpress weekly photo challenge – Serene

*shot with fujifilm x100f with fixed 23mm (35mm full frame equivalent) lens at ISO1250, f/4 and 1/60s*

experimental

Image | | andy townend

freedom, is
mine
(was the cry)

and then,
that
freedom

(was sold)
and,

the
price
paid,

the value,
of
that,

(precious) life

the
right
to be

independent

(no
more)

– experimental

For WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge – Experimental

And, perhaps, a prelude to the return of a weekly poetry prompt