The Merry Month of May

I find that there is something powerful and magical about the month of May. It occurred to me this morning whilst I was strolling down the canal path, under the warm sky with butterflies fluttering around me and the hedgerows filled with flowers and dandelions. There was something in the air, something mystical and filled with nature and wonder that was especially powerful. I was reminded of stories such as Midsummer nights dream, George and the Dragon, Flora and May day festival back home and one of my favourite plays ever, Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth.
May is the month of festivals celebrating the coming of summer, of birth, wakening and life beginning again. Most would argue that Easter is the season of fertility and rebirth, but for me, May is the month where that feeling and essence in the air really kicks in and permeates our nostrils, fills our being. Perhaps, it's because where I grew up, May is filled with ancient festivals like Maisy day, Flora Day and other traditions that involve wearing floaty dresses, flowers in our hair and dancing with wild abandon to folk music and celebrating nature (although these days, there's a lot of unjudged mid afternoon drunken revelry involved too). It all sounds very Pagan but there's more to it. It's not about worshipping polytheistic gods or sacrifice, it's about celebrating and revelling in nature. It's about reigniting that connection with the earth within ourselves and adoring that which the earth can give us. It doesn't matter what faith you follow, we must all be grateful for the earth and admire it's endless marvels. From the dirt and remains of dead things little seeds make their bed and become things much more marvellous - roots, tubors, beautiful flowers and trees. They provide habitats for wildlife, food and beauty. They push life out from their death and decay and I can never fail to be amazed by soil and how the sun, the earth and the water all work together to create these perfect plants.

May is the month of flowers, of fairies and folktales. It is the transition, where the fleeting spring of buds beginning to appear, fully blooms and our rainy little island comes alive in flora, fauna and bird song. 

Every year, there's a little list of things I like to make sure I cover in the time that I'm home from Uni. Somethings change and some things stay the same year after year (Like watching the meteor showers).
This year, my biggest dream is to visit the Scilly Isles. Silly, since I've lived in Cornwall forever yet I've never visited these brilliant little charming islands off our coast. I have an obsession with islands and each year, my draw to the scilly isles gets stronger and stronger until now, I can hardly bear it. The song of the islands calls to me. Not to mention the appeal of puffins - I really want to go puffin watching!

Making wishes on dandelions. I wish for today to be a happy day, but most days are happy days so it's hard to tell if it comes from wishing on dandelions or just a charmed and fortunate life.

Important question: "Do you like Butter?!" 

Watching barges go up and down the river. The other night, my friend Louis and I went for 6 mile ramble down the canal until we found the wild swimming spot. We had a french picnic of bread, cheese, pate and wine and watched the otters swim about and tried to sing songs to the sound of the guitar. I love the river. I love water. I was born to be a fish.

I'm on my final deadline now at Uni: a Poetry portfolio and yet I've barely begun. I live too much in the moment, my lack of self organisation will surely catch up with me one day. 

Today has been a beautiful and brilliant day: George, Jess and I took this walk on the river this morning, then I met up with my playwrighting class at the Old Vic in Bristol where our Lecturer Sharon works and we got a tour of the theatre. It's so beautiful, 18th century with original features. Standing in the theatre itself was like existing in another time. Then Sophie and I came up the idea of setting up a Harry Potter society in the next academic year (As our Uni sorely needs one) and we want an excuse to wear cloaks and our house colours (Blue and Silver for me, Gold and Black for her) and of  course to just geek out with other students about Harry Potter and have a moan about the strife of being a muggle. In the evening, Jess and I went on an adventure in some fields by the train tracks and watched gig rowers on the river before having a chilled drink in a beautiful pub called 'The Boathouse'. 

I've had a busy week taking photographs for engaged couples, editing, rambling about and reading my new favourite book 'The Gracekeepers'. It scares me that we're almost half way through the Merry Month of May. I need time to slow down so that I can cherish every single summer day and not let it be blown past me in a gust of sudden breeze.