The Bunuel Martini
Posted: November 16, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentI had the pleasure and privilege recently of meeting up with Stewart Bartlam, a long standing friend of Helen Carey. Stewart and I have got to know each other well, in the virtual world, and I have become a great admirer of his poems.
And now he has released a book, ‘The Bunuel Martini’. And we have got a copy. And I can unreservedly say that there are some very fine poems within.
I/you/we can buy it from Amazon or order it in book stores.
And Stewart can be found at http://stewartstanzas.wordpress.com
Please do try his poetry – I feel sure that you will like it. A lovely man, an excellent writer.

In Crete we dreamed in blue
Posted: November 14, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Chania, creative writing, Crete, Greece, Helen Carey, Helen Carey Historical fiction WW2 WW11 Sagas, Kingfishers, Kythira, Poetry 9 CommentsWe had a holiday in Crete a little while back. The sea and sky were as blue as can be. The greens were equally intense. The kingfisher combined all these colours. The sunsets bled into the sea.
Helen and I met on a Greek Island, Kythira, when she was teaching creative writing. I was one of her students…I came home with the First Prize.
Helen Carey, this one’s for you.
(Oh! And hats off to Homer too! And a muted apology to the writer of ‘Grease’)
IN CRETE WE DREAMED IN BLUE
It’s autumn
But in Crete the leaves are not yet falling
And I’m bursting with life
Olive grove glad
Back Home
In the land of the Iliad
We are here
Our 18th year
Greece, the landscape
Soaked in ancient Sage
Washed with Thyme
History beyond belief
And the nearly new
That’s me and you.
In our spring
Kythera was King
Oleander lit the way
Winding down dusted tracks to
The azure blue, Kapsali bay,
Hora above, gleaming alabaster white
In our autumnal , peacocked Crete
Kingfishers dripping jewels in flight
Across the Lake at Agir
Turtles stroke the tranquil waters at Koumas
Now, in the dream dented, honeyed night
My Cretan Queen whispers
Impish delight
“Greece is the word”
And I heard
And I heard