A Promise for a Friend

On Friday 27th September one of my oldest friends died after struggling against an illness that swallowed the summer. As well as being generous, supportive and understanding, she was incredibly creative and was an inspiration to many, not least me. Her name is Margarita Rubra, known to me as Mary. Her life touched many, many people and we'll all miss her.

Here is a poem from Artists & Liars that would not have been written if not for her.


The Promise

A vague pledge, a hope,
Indistinct yet imminent,
The hazy glow of morning
Veiled with a grey net of mist.
In head and body, hands and heart,
Thoughts, actions and longings collide.
A wish, an expectation
Of what is there and what might be,
What the swearer intends and the hearer desires
And the gaps between
Words, images
Seen from behind and in front of the paint
Finishing the story.
A door opening, letting through a crack of light
Illuminating wishes.