‘40 Until 40’ is a poetry project to keep me creative over the forty days that lead up to my big 4-0 bithday. A gift to myself of time to write in the whirlwind of new motherhood. Each day I choose a 35mm photo I have taken over the last decade and see what words want to be with it. Process wise I’m open to whatever works on a given day, but I have some new methods I’m keen to try so let’s see where they lead me…
Day 2
I took this photo somewhere in the Algarve in 2018 on my first holiday with my soon-to-be husband, Joe.
Who doesn’t love a sunset?!
But those pastel hues you get in the bardo, the in between — once the sun has set but the night is yet to draw its thick velvet drapes, are my favourite.
The photo’s colour palette reminded me of a childhood sweet — those long sherbet straws with alternating colours that you had to tip into your mouth, without an ounce of saliva getting on the end, otherwise you’d never get the sherbet out. I got the sherbet reference and image of a ‘receiving tongue’ from this memory.
Then I wanted to place the moon as a sweet to finish the haiku. I toyed with ‘pastille’ or a mint of some sort, but unfortunately ‘mint imperial’ takes up the whole syllable count! I was wracking my brain thinking of sweets that look like a moon and then it was obvious — bon bons.
Short and sweet today.
My writing is free to access but if you wanted to show a small sign of appreciation, hot drinks on maternity leave are always welcome!
Jade x