JLM Morton

Juliette Morton invited me to take some more photographs of her in advance of the release of her latest collection; Borrowed Ground which is available at https://www.brokensleepbooks.com/product-page/jlm-morton-borrowed-ground

Juliette chose to have her photographs taken alongside of the River Severn, near Framilode. The river views as we walked past vibrant green reeds, were magnificent, set against a sky full of dramatic grey cloud against blue.

The origin of the river's name comes from Sabrina the latinised version of the name of a mythic princess Hafren, who was reputadly drowned by her repudiated Mother, Gwendoline. Sabrina is a source of inspiration for Juliette in one of her poem's Drowning Backwards. As we stood by the Severn, the power of this natural force, its depths and the hidden world beneath its surface seemed poignant. It is easy to imagine the fate of Sabrina's impact upon Juliette's feelings about the river.

Rivers stir something within us. The history they have carved through our landscape and the drawing magnetism of their current pull on the depths of our own souls. We stood amongst abandoned boats; vessels once used to cross the water and somehow now ghosts, abandoned to the shores. Perhaps the boats speak more of the people who have steered them across the water and perhaps the ghosts we really perceive are those of who we have lost along the river's long history.

From Drowning Backwards....

Trojan. Celt. Migrant.

Saxon. Love child born

in the dark, borne on water

drip-ip-ip-ipping from

a cave roof

earth smell constricting

the heart they couldn’t

kill I am coming

back and again I keep

coming, relentless tide

washing

clean

Severn Hafren Sabrina Sab-

rina Hafren Severn.

Is that my voice?

Do I talk backwards?