GRAVESEND,  KENT,  ENGLAND

MAY 31 2008

(1 of 2 )

In this spot,  I find temporary santuary,   peace and quiet.  Away from the accusing eyes and dismissive scowls of folk who form a snapshot opinion, as they pass me by at a wide berth,  without the benefit of knowing the reasons for my current predicament.

 I am snuggled cosily out of the wind,  the old brick wall offering protection against the harsh reality of another night under the open sky and twinkling stars.

Romantic?

Hardly that when the heavens unleash a torrent of rain over this thinly padded,  under nourished bunch of bones,  or a frost permeates the sinews of my core.  There's little romance in a British winter,  al fresco.

All I need is my blanket to keep out the chilly early March evening,  a can of brew to deaden the fear of facing my nightmarish personal deamons,  and 'Misty',  my trusty mutt who never passes judgement upon her master,  nor thinks any the less of him,  so long as she get's her share of the food and a regular cuddle.  Though I'm certain that even she,  clings to the memory of the not too distant past when she enjoyed the warmth of a loving home and food on tap at her private furry restaurant!

As the fading light draws in,   I'll settle down with my tattered book and read until my weary eyes close,  and I drift into another world, another dimension in which my shortfalls and failings are replaced by the success and rapture of the life I once enjoyed.

And I'll mourn the loss of a once loved wife who betrayed our love and hastened my descent into the abyss.

I can dream Can't I?