Do not go gentle into that good night

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dylan Thomas. I have been inspired by Thomas's work over the years, and recently I sat with my dying grandfather and read him Dylan Thomas poems.

He writes from the heart, his pain and his struggles written down to attempt to ease the suffering.


Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Weekend in Paris

Part 1

I always thought my first trip to Paris would be with someone.

Someone I was in love with

A mutual likeness for each other's souls

A deep understanding and compassion for each other's previous life journey

A shared forgiveness of past and mutual high expectations for the future

I boarded the train alone;

Just as Autumn cracked through the last day of summer

I am connected, loved and surrounded by a deeply loving reassurance of a well spent youth

Absorbed in the promise of an improved next chapter, faith

Paris Paris Paris

Take me

Take me as I am, with never ending thoughts of change and acceptance.

Take my damaged past struggles, the hopelessness and the hopeful

The brave and insane, make me new again

You can have me

Today is a new day, and it'll never again be this same day

I am new, new to you

And you will see me

I have no more lies controlling me

I'm sure the man on the announcement just said

'Good morning, I am Unique'

I like his name

I reply

'Good morning, I am unique too Je m'appelle Sarah Anne Harris'

Full name, I learnt to use that this year.

This year has been an in depth discovery and close encounter with love

There has been rare escape from the unstoppable honesty of love

The battle and rewards

The reality of life

Friends and family absorbing the centre of my heart, which I was hiding away for another day

The world wasn't an easy place for me

Nor for anyone else I met along the way

It's easy to forget you aren't alone

It's easy to close up, run away, hide and cry

Tell you why?

That's harder

The strength to share

When you forget about the consequences

You realise there are and have always been friends waiting for you to release the strain of the world

'You put so much pressure on yourself'

But they waited

And now I am here

Paris is the parfait ending

New music in my ears given to me by one with understanding

Surrounded by clothing, borrowed for returning

A meeting on the other side of the train journey, under the Eiffel Tower with an exotic, beautiful and determined friend from my hometown

This was a journey of love

This was a journey of friendship

I hear you

I feel you

I can't wait to see you

I'm in love with life again.

I want to give my all to nothing in particular

The shame and pressure dropped away, left behind with my fading father and his unintentional inspiration 

I am free

I am in love

Surrounded by its never ending promises of freedom, consistency and strength

Patience and faith

Truth and love

Part 2

We meet with smiles and greet one another with a decade of memories and comforting companionship

We swap stories quickly and irrigaurdless of our surroundings

Missing detailed stories over excitement to see each other and express our happiness to be together again

There is no agenda, no plan no one to impress

We can sight see, explore, wander, discover

Just be, as we always have been

There are a few paces, just two I wanted to see

We followed the map with our finger, drawing vague paths and making loose plans in invisible ink

Stories being swapped of all shapes and sizes

A picnic bought, wine and cheese.

We sat and watched the day turn into night with the falling light behind the great famous structure as our dreamy backdrop

The Eiffel Tower in all its night time sparkle glory

Shining just for us

New Paris friends, and a late night film

A vast beautiful wooden stairwell to the Cinderella roof top room

Cozy and warm before sipping the last of the cheap but luxurious wine

They have style. Oh yes, Parisians know what they want

They have a sophisticated grace about them

They float in pride

A traditional French market, strong coffee and a mistaken identity; 

Translation surprises for breakfast

Fresh food stalls lining the streets, gorgeous people perusing like it's a catwalk, style unmistakable and a far distant dream

What's their secret?

A broken bike ride, paused to sit out the sudden inconvenient rain; with a waiter of novel worthy appearance

Must be time for some cheese and wine again

The rain wasn't inconvenient after all as the afternoon tempo slows to a murmur of warm

The waiting over, time for Notre Dame.

Cycling side by side with the Seine

Stunning beautiful magical sights as far as the eyes can see

There is too much to take in

So much beauty

Pure delight as the famous Notre Dame comes into sight

Its grand front, the bells chiming with mellow musty and deep rich metronome precision

Ringing out over the charming romantic story city

Two candles lit in the world famous place of worship,

One for those who died

One for those who survived

It's been a year of beginnings and farewells

Confident bright eyes

French pride

The exact opposite of caring about what people think of you

Arrogance wrapped in effortless cultural beautiful

Paris isn't for solo wandering

Life isn't

As popular must see sights are ticked off, photos captured, memories stored

Love isn't selective

Love is blind to society requirements

Another break out of song on the Metro; a Ballard, a jam, a jig

Extravagant begging; busking?

The Arc de triomphe, grand palaces, the Louvre and exquisite hotel lobbies

Majestic architecture

The Eiffel Tower popping up as a backdrop to the never ending beauty city

Lock it up forever; will there be a lock for me?

Little back street cafés, bistros, and bars

Wine by the glass

Languages from all four corners of the world

Photographs with people posing in statue shapes in front of famous must visit places

Smiles across their faces

'We're in Paris' their status updates

A hidden bar behind the Notre Dame, the last meeting place of these two friends

For a while, not forever, not the end

Part 3

Paris Paris Paris

Paris; you've changed me

J'adore this city

The appeal, the feel

Breaths in beauty

Captures your soul

I leave Europe soon

Feeling whole

Farewell Paris

Thank you for having me

Thank you for the blue skies, the friendship ties and the beautiful surprise

Back to London, a home away from home

Returning for a few days before an onward journey

Back to the Orient, half way across the world

Winter is coming, the long dark cold

Not me, not this year

I'm going back

I'm facing my fear

New beginnings, a brave new world

A plan, a dream, a determined girl

I'm alive until I give up

Never give up the chance to dream