‘Nothing will come of nothing’ – King Lear
Today I did very little that was ambitious,
just small things that needed attention:
leaves clogging the guttering, a missing
shirt button; heard my breathing, heart
beating, wind in the trees; sent an overdue
email, paid a bill, cooked, then washed
the dishes and more of the routine stuff
that anchors minutes, hours – caught
the news, said a prayer for the world;
read a little, played some music, asked
myself what life is all about, gave thanks
for the routine wonders and miracles –
air and light, daily delights for eyes,
ears, noses, tongues, fingers...
Yes, today I did as close as I could to
nothing – and that’s something!
Pete Mullineaux's most recent collection is We are the Walrus (Salmon 2022). His environmental film-poem Careful What You Wish For Orangutan won the 2023 Home-stage pFITE award.
Today I did very little that was ambitious,
just small things that needed attention:
leaves clogging the guttering, a missing
shirt button; heard my breathing, heart
beating, wind in the trees; sent an overdue
email, paid a bill, cooked, then washed
the dishes and more of the routine stuff
that anchors minutes, hours – caught
the news, said a prayer for the world;
read a little, played some music, asked
myself what life is all about, gave thanks
for the routine wonders and miracles –
air and light, daily delights for eyes,
ears, noses, tongues, fingers...
Yes, today I did as close as I could to
nothing – and that’s something!
Pete Mullineaux's most recent collection is We are the Walrus (Salmon 2022). His environmental film-poem Careful What You Wish For Orangutan won the 2023 Home-stage pFITE award.
