Poetic

I'm watching an avian roller-coaster out of my window. From where they perch on the perilous ends of thin branches in the heights of the ash trees across the lane, fat wood pigeons are being bounced up and down with sickening speed in a buffetting wind that is showing no mercy to any living thing. I know this myself because I've tried to water a few newly-planted  and fragile seedlings but the strength of the wind forced the spray back on itself, and all over me. I don't know if the birds mind this brutal treatment or are getting a thrill. Every now and again there is a mighty fluttering of wings as they try to regain the hold that has nearly been shaken from under them.

We experienced the wind at Walberswick beach today as it hurtled aggressively down the coast from the north. If it's not the north then it's the east. It's been going on for weeks now with no end in sight. I hate it with a vengeance because as well as being piercing and unrelenting it's bloody cold. But then that miraculous thing, the clouds dispersing to allow the sun through, made everything different. It wasn't chilly! It wasn't gloomy! We could relish the joys of being by the sea and being warm again. It reminded me of a poem I used to recite to my children when they were small, and which never failed to make us all laugh. I used to leave a long dramatic pause after "THEN", my eyes wide and gleeful, and their eyes would nearly pop with expectation:

Everyone grumbled. The sky was grey.
We had nothing to do and nothing to say.
We were nearing the end of a dismal day,
And there seemed to be nothing beyond,
THEN
Daddy fell into the pond!

And everyone's face grew merry and bright,
And Timothy danced for sheer delight.
'Give me the camera, quick, oh quick!
He's crawling out of the duckweed.'
Click!

Then the gardener suddenly slapped his knee,
And doubled up, shaking silently,
And the ducks all quacked as if they were daft
And is sounded as if the old drake laughed.

O, there wasn't a thing that didn't respond
WHEN
Daddy fell into the pond!