Sunday 31 December 2017

The keepers of our secrets

Another year has passed and once again earth has completed its orbit.

Once more, the enchanted place has fallen under midwinter's spell.



December's eternal gloom has lifted, if only briefly. The layers of grey have peeled away, leaving patches of delicate blue sky and a low watery sun painting the horizon in brilliant colours.



The river is a mirrored ribbon, snaking away towards the railway bridge in the distance.

Every so often, a train passes by, creating a low, rumbling, but somehow soothing sound.



The sky is darkening already, the sun still convalescing and not yet strong enough to lengthen the late December afternoon.



A path leads away from the river towards the castle. Through tangled shrubs and weathered branches, the crumbling castle can be glimpsed, moated and miserable.



Rounding a corner, its unearthly beauty is revealed, its turrets defying gravity, its walls covered with mosses and lichen.

Time is fleeting, and we fail to catch the fleeting moments.

Only the trees have witnessed the castle's slow but steady decay.



Gone is the great hall used for feasting. The birds are kings of the castle now!

The silence is shattered by their plaintive calling and their bickering and squabbling for the best seats on parapets and blind window ledges.



Turning away from the castle, with its padlocked gates and moss encrusted coat of arms, it's as if we are leaving behind last year's regrets and I-told-you-so's.



The wintry sunlight is casting elongated shadows.



Rainclouds are gathering, but shafts of sunlight keep piercing through them, creating an eerie interplay of sun and clouds.



The illuminated trees are bright and brilliant beacons in the park's undulating landscape.



The sun keeps getting tangled in their branches, sinking lower still, the sudden chill a herald of the night to come.



So, it is time to say goodbye once more, taking only dreams to be dreamt on moonlit nights in the new born year.




 May the new year be a happy one and may some of our dreams come true.


“For last year's words belong to last year's language 
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning." 
― T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets




40 comments:

  1. A beautiful, evocative, wistful and poetic post.
    Perfect for the final day of the year.
    Wishing you a wonderful, happy new year xxx

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  2. That's so lovely. Best wishes to you and Jos for the New Year.

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  3. dear ann - you´r a poet!
    wonderful post. wish you 3 a happy, healthy, awesome new year!
    <3 <3 <3
    hugest hugs! xxxxx

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  4. Such a thoughtful post and the photos fit the mood perfectly. Happy New Year to you and Jos xx

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  5. I'm finally getting around to check out all the lovely bloggers that commented on my blog post Vix shared earlier in this month! I just wanted to say thank you for stopping by and showing love! http://moderncolorsblog.blogspot.com/

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  6. Ann thank you for these wonderful pictures.
    I wish you a great, happy and healthy new year. Much love and a big hug, Tina

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  7. This post is pure poetry in both images and words!
    Happy New Year, dearest Ann!
    Every ending is a beginning of something new, there is such a profound truth in that.
    Lots of love!

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words, Natalia! xxx

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  8. What beautiful and emotive words and images, Ann. So lovely! Wishing you a very Happy New Year! XXX

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  9. Wonderful photographs, and I love that quote at the end. Wishing you and Jos all the best for 2018 xx

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    1. Thank you so much, and yes, that is such a poignant quote, isn't it? xxx

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  10. How beautiful! You are a very talented writer.

    Happy New Year!

    Suzanne

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  11. What a beautiful poem! I was especially struck by "leaving behind last year's regrets and I told-you-so's"

    Thank you, and Happy New Year to you and Jos!

    Happy thrifting ;)

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    Replies
    1. You picked the line I was happiest with, so thank you! xxx

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  12. Lovely pictures Ann and a very Happy New Year to you too.

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  13. Wonderful, emotional poetry here, Ann - you've captured the essence of time flying by. Beautiful pics as well, and thank you for sharing with Vis Monday, xox

    -Patti
    http://notdeadyetstyle.com

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  14. Happy New Year! Your poem made me feel slightly sad, I think it's the broken castle.

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    1. Seeing those ruins always makes me sad too, especially as it's a protected monument. They're obviously not doing anything to protect it ... xxx

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  15. Oh, I love the Eliot quote, and your writing is like poetry here, Ann. I love that we both live near castles. A very Happy New Year to you - every ending a new beginning.

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    1. Thank you Sheila! Unfortunately, I cannot see "my" castle from my window! xxx

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  16. Lovely.
    Wishing you both a wonderful 2018
    xx

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  17. Happy New Year, Ann, Jos & Phoebe.
    What a beautifully crafted post, poetry, thought-provoking words and gorgeous photos. xxx

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  18. What a lovely insightful post, Ann. I really enjoyed it. I'd love to have seen that castle in its hey day!

    Happy New Year!
    xx

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    1. Thank you Veronica, I would love to have seen it too! xxx

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  19. What a beautiful post, both in photos and prose. That castle is so stunning, it's so sad to see it decaying and unloved. I'm very much someone who enjoys bringing the joy back into old things and I would love to see this beauty brought back to life.

    Anyway, happy new year! xx

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    1. Thank you Cate! It is sad indeed, especially as it's supposed to be a protected monument ... xxx

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