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Lady
Dressed in straw baskets,
The Lady of the Bighouse
Has gone on her shopping trip.
All the way along the hall,
Exquisite perfume lingers in the air.
High on the top wall
Hangs a large oil painting
Of the Lady wearing pink,
Her eyes seem real
As she looks down reassuringly.

Gundog is passing by
And is momentarily distracted
By the hum of a solitary bee,
Which flies through an open window
And alights on a vase of flowers
Freshly cut from the herbaceous border.
It hovers unsteadily over each bloom,
And then flies back outside.
A strong shaft of sunlight
Picks out the gentle patterns
On the deep hall carpet.
The light breeze from the window,
Causing small shiny specks of dust
To spin playfully.
The lavender leaves of the notepad
On the hall table waft up.
“See Gardener: Strawberries for tea”
Is written on the top sheet.
Next to the telephone,
A fine china cup sits
Quarter full on its saucer.
Still warm.
Traces of red Italian lipstick
On the rim
And a gold foil biscuit wrapper
Lies neatly folded.
Through in the drawing room,
The French windows are open
To the big, big lawn.
With its fresh green stripes.
The Lady’s secateurs
And small brass watering can
Wait on the steps,
In the sun
The Lady magazine lies open at Perfect Peonies
And a ladybird wanders
The crinkling pages
Aimlessly.
As the mid afternoon stillness
Descends upon the big house.
Every room is filled
With a warm summer silence...
From Bighouse first published in 2014