Foxgloves and swallow songs by Pascale Petit

Writing with the Seasons - June 2024

Welcome to ‘Writing with the Seasons,’ a collection of writing prompts, ideas and inspiration that follow the rhythms of the natural world as the year unfolds. If you’re not already a premium subscriber, you can sign up here to enjoy our essays and audio courses as they unfold season by season. 

This month, we have a guest essay from poet Pascale Petit. Originally trained as a sculptor, Pascale’s poetry is vivid and tender, full of images and imagination, and with a deep understanding of nature.

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My cat miaows at the window at 5am and I let her in, make myself a mug of tea then settle in bed to write. If I’ve managed to get enough sleep this is my favourite time. I fling the window open for the dawn chorus. Above the solar panels of my writing shed in the garden, I can see the white mare at the top of the steep field beyond, and in the field above the garden three pigs are tunnelling to heaven, squealing with excitement. There’s often a great spotted woodpecker at the feeder in the dogwood tree just outside my window and a jay comes too – their colours alone can start a poem.