Inner-city summer. 17th august

We wanted to experience the butterflies

fluttering around

and landing on

the buddleia

but the buddleia was browning

july would have been

the prime-time

for the pinnacles of purple

now

only a few remain

prostrate

on tarmac

past its best

or at its best

a matter of taste

personal opinion

aesthetic subjectivity

how you look at the world around you

what you see

depends on

how you look at the world around you

framing

focusing in

seeking out

seeing

noticing

fine elements

willow herbs

burst their slender pods

their seeds

on silky fibres

suspended

hanging by threads

until the wind

gusts

or a critter tweaks them free

anyone’s garden is going to seed

in all the glorious forms that takes

and the colours of late summer and early autumn are settling in

echoed by our chairs

as well as the fly tipped rubbish

on the far side of the garden

Anyone's garden

is bigger

than we let on

it stretches beyond

where we choose to explore

the far side

is an area favoured by fly tippers

but

with selected viewing

you could think

you were in an urban cottage garden

however

the views we favour

are here

my view

her view

and the space we explore is this side

17th august

too late

to experience

the butterflies of the budlea

the admirals, peacocks, and tortoise shells

instead

this day

we experienced the blues

common

and frequent

and brown

if they’re female

other things that caught our eyes this day were

curious things

fungus covered concrete

home to spiders and moss

and

a milk container

void of milk

yet packed to the brim

with stones

it makes you wonder

all of it

constantly