Orion Still Looks Down (On the land my shadow knows)

Nighttime on Still Waters

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It’s a bitingly cold, sleety night. There’s a warning of snow in the forecast for later. It’s a perfect night to sit together around a warm stove snug inside the Erica’s cabin, while the wild world rages outside. The kettle is singing, the biscuit barrel is full. The night belongs to us.

Journal entry:

7th February, Friday.

“Yesterday’s spectacular
Blood-orange dawn
Has given way to a dawn
Without colour or feeling.

We pick our way between
Rutted potholes of slippery mud
To the Magpie’s scalding laugh.

A wicked wind cuts
In from the north-east
And reminds me that I am,
After all, an embodied being.”

Episode Information:

In this episode I read ‘Where does Comfort’s Bosom Glow?’ by John Clare from his Madrigals and Chronicles: Being newly found poems and ‘The Darkling Thrush’ by Thomas Hardy (1900).

I also quote from William Blake’s (1796/7) The Four Zoas (Night the Second).

With special thanks to our lock-wheelersfor supporting this podcast.

Kevin B.
Fleur and David Mcloughlin
Lois Raphael
Sami Walbury
Tania Yorgey
Andrea Hansen
Chris Hinds
David Dirom
Chris and Alan on NB Land of Green Ginger
Captain Arlo
Rebecca Russell
Allison on the narrowboat Mukka
Derek and Pauline Watts
Anna V.
Orange Cookie
Mary Keane.
Tony Rutherford.
Arabella Holzapfel.
Rory with MJ and Kayla.
Narrowboat Precious Jet.
Linda Reynolds Burkins.
Richard Noble.
Carol Ferguson.
Tracie Thomas
Mark and Tricia Stowe
Madeleine Smith

General Details

The intro and the outro music is ‘Crying Cello’ by Oleksii_Kalyna (2024) licensed for free-use by Pixabay (189988).
Narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence.

Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.

All other audio recorded on site.

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I would love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected] or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon.
For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters

You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com.

Chapters

1. Introduction (00:00:00)

2. Journal entry (00:00:26)

3. Welcome to NB Erica (00:01:05)

4. News from the moorings (00:02:47)

5. 'Where does Comfort's Bosom Glow?' by John Clare (00:06:03)

6. 'The Darkling Thrush' by Thomas Hardy (00:11:26)

7. Cabin chat (00:13:29)

8. Orion still looks down (on the land my shadow knows) (00:21:09)

9. From 'The Four Zoas' by William Blake (00:27:21)

10. Signing off (00:32:34)

11. Weather Log (00:32:47)