Old Woman’s Lane

I don’t normally share holiday snaps, but this one was too good to miss!

I’ve had a couple of small poetry boosts this week. The proofs for Tears in the Fence came through for me to check – two poems, one of which I think of as a ‘menopause’ poem. Is there such a thing? Well, there is now. I can’t give too much away about the poem as it’s not been published yet, other than it references Susan Sontag and uses some found text. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve submitted to that magazine, so I was on cloud nine for a while after they accepted the poems. The other good news is that I’ve had a poem accepted by The Interpreter’s House. Again, I was really pleased as it’s a magazine I enjoy reading. Having said this, I’m aware that I don’t have many poems in reserve now. I haven’t written any new ones  for quite a while as I’ve been typing up my novel (unfinished, but it feels like it’s nearing some sort of conclusion). So, there’s a quiet sense of dread in knowing that particular well is empty, and knowing the only way to fill it is to knuckle down and write some more. Ultimately, I know it’s a case of priorities.
As for Old Woman’s Lane (I feel duty bound to add the apostrophe) it makes me think about how women are classified, and maybe how we classify ourselves, in terms of age. I have to say, it’s something I always try to resist.  I’m more inclined to see myself in terms of what I’m doing, which is probably why I tend to have a few things on the go at the same time. I love to be doing something, walking the dog (he’s just out of shot on the photo) swimming, writing, creating collages and assemblage art boxes. If I’m honest, I do have a habit of taking on too much, and then feeling overwhelmed. My husband is always reminding me that ‘there are only so many hours in a day’. Still, even when I’m panicking that I’ve taken too much on, I also recognise that I’m incredibly lucky to be able to any one of these things.
And now I’m going into the garden to hang the washing out, then some lunch, and after that the supermarket shopping. Tomorrow I’m back at work. I know I won’t have time to do half the things I want to do next week, but I still count my blessings.