Clare Bryden
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Clare Bryden
@clarebryden.bsky.social
340 followers 330 following 470 posts
Born at 325ppm
clarebryden.co.uk
For an intro, see the pinned post

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
— Mary Oliver

May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.
— John O’Donohue
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clarebryden.bsky.social
A friend of mine recently started chemo. After she bemoaned the need to abstain from various foodstuffs she enjoys (especially soft cheese, but emphatically not kimchi) I wrote her this poem. She is very happy for me to post it. Words in ALT text.

#Cancer #Chemo #Diet
#Poem #Poetry #UKPoets
*You can keep the kimchi* /For Penny/ When chemo’s done, I’ll drink a sea of whole untreated milk in tea. I’ll eat a Ferris wheel of Brie, but you can keep the kimchi. I’ll feast on oysters, meat done rare, eat frites with moules marinières, break bread in molten Camembert, but you can keep the kimchi. I’ll wolf down Wiltshire ham for two, quaff casks of home-made scrumpy brew, scoff sourdough toast with Danish Blue, but you can keep the kimchi. /Bring cockles, mussels live-alive-o!/ Eggs Benedict would fill a hole or licking out the mixing bowl then gorging on a Gorgonzol- a — you can keep the kimchi. Salami, sushi, scallops, clam, smoked salmon, mayo, mousse, meringue, prosciutto, pâté, Parmesan, just kindly keep the kimchi! © Clare Bryden
December 3, 2025 at 5:40 PM
clarebryden.bsky.social
A new window for the new Exeter College Law building by my amazing friend Amy Orange Juice
www.facebook.com/share/p/19yJ...
Plus one of the Testament sculptures, which used to be in #Exeter Cathedral's Chapter House, now in its new home

#FensterFreitag #WindowFriday #StainedGlass #Sculpture
Modern stained glass window, with rose Design within landscape. Sculpture of human figure in an alcove on the right.
November 28, 2025 at 7:16 PM
clarebryden.bsky.social
Happy National Tree Week!!
Just for you, here are some beautiful autumn beeches

#NationalTreeWeek #Exeter #UK
Alane framed by beech leaves aflame
November 24, 2025 at 8:33 PM
clarebryden.bsky.social
For the start of #COP30 one of my shortest poems

#Chaos #Butterfly #Tornadoes #Weather #Climate
#Poems #Poetry
Thank you to Consilience for publishing
A poem in the shape of a butterfly... "After the lecture there was time for questions" When we have killed / all the butterflies / will that be an end / to tornadoes? © Clare Bryden Published in Consilience, Issue 21: Chaos, Editor’s Pick, 23 June 2025, online.
November 10, 2025 at 4:14 PM
clarebryden.bsky.social
For #TombTuesday here's the Cross Dermond Coffin Stone near Old Penallt Church, where the mourners rested to sing psalms, quench their thirst with ale and cider, and eat substantial meat pies.

#WyeValley #Wales
Dead leaves on the ground, a long coffin-shaped stone covered with moss and ivy, a fence, and a blue sign reading: "This is where the mourners halted and the coffin rested on its way to the funeral. Psalms were sung, thirst was quenched with home brewed ale and cider, and substantial meat pies eaten. Even now the hearse often pauses here on its way to the church."
November 4, 2025 at 5:43 PM
clarebryden.bsky.social
Spent a beautiful afternoon with the lovely folk of Exeter Seed Bank sorting flocks of broad beans for next season's sowing. Aiming to create a strain that can thrive in the future #climate of #Exeter 
#AdaptiveAgriculture
Smiley face made up of dried broad beans of different colours, on blue material
November 2, 2025 at 4:52 PM
clarebryden.bsky.social
Birch Polypore, European Platterful, Fly Agaric, Shaggy Mane ?
#FungiFriends #FungiFriday
10/10
Birch Polypore ? European Platterful ? splendid Fly Agaric Shaggy Mane
October 31, 2025 at 11:27 AM
clarebryden.bsky.social
Aniseed Funnel, Common Rustgill, Parasol Mushroom, Whitelaced Shank ?
#FungiFriends #FungiFriday
9/10
Aniseed Funnel ? Common Rustgill ? Parasol Mushroom ? Whitelaced Shank ?
October 31, 2025 at 11:27 AM
clarebryden.bsky.social
Hare's Foot Inkcap, Porcelain Mushroom x2, Sulphur Tuft ?
#FungiFriends #FungiFriday
8/10
Hare's Foot Inkcap Porcelain Mushroom Porcelain Mushroom Sulphur Tuft ?
October 31, 2025 at 11:27 AM
clarebryden.bsky.social
Amethyst Deceiver, Blusher, False Chanterelle, Slippery Jack ?
#FungiFriends #FungiFriday
7/10
Amethyst Deceiver ? Blusher ? False Chanterelle ? Slippery Jack ?
October 31, 2025 at 11:27 AM
clarebryden.bsky.social
Brown Roll-Rims ?
#FungiFriends #FungiFriday
6/10
Brown Roll-Rim ? Brown Roll-Rim ? Brown Roll-Rim ?
October 31, 2025 at 11:27 AM
clarebryden.bsky.social
Bearded Milkcap, Butter Cap, Woolly Milkcap, Yellow Fieldcap
#FungiFriends #FungiFriday
5/10
Bearded Milkcap ? Butter Cap ? Woolly Milkcap ? Yellow Fieldcap ?
October 31, 2025 at 11:27 AM
clarebryden.bsky.social
Brown Birch-bolete, King Bolete, Red-cracking Bolete, Scarletina Bolete ?
#FungiFriends #FungiFriday
4/10
Brown Birch-bolete ? King Bolete Red-cracking Bolete ? Scarletina Bolete ?
October 31, 2025 at 11:27 AM
clarebryden.bsky.social
Brittlegills, but which ?
#FungiFriends #FungiFriday
3/10Brittlegills, but which ?
Brittlegill ? Brittlegill ? Brittlegill ?
October 31, 2025 at 11:27 AM
clarebryden.bsky.social
Spotted Toughshank or St George's Mushroom or Sweetbread Mushroom (The Miller) ?
#FungiFriends #FungiFriday
2/10
Spotted Toughshank or St George's Mushroom or Sweetbread Mushroom (The Miller) ? Spotted Toughshank or St George's Mushroom or Sweetbread Mushroom (The Miller) ? Spotted Toughshank or St George's Mushroom or Sweetbread Mushroom (The Miller) ?
October 31, 2025 at 11:27 AM
clarebryden.bsky.social
My favourite oak through the seasons
Mucknell Abbey, a few years ago

#Oaktober #Oak #Eiche #Trees #ThickTrunkTuesday
#Worcestershire #UK
Oak tree in summer leaf Oak tree in autumn colours Oak tree covered in hoar frost
October 28, 2025 at 9:20 PM
clarebryden.bsky.social
I think it's about time I posted this

#Poems #Poetry #PoetsOfBluesky #UKPoets #Triolet
#WhiteHouse #EastWing #Ballroom #NativeLand #Climate

It draws on native-land.ca, a living map of indigenous land, knowledge and stories
*Mar-A-Lago lies* Mar-A-Lago lies on Seminole land. The White House is built on Nacotchtank bones. Because of bygone savage sleights of hand Mar-A-Lago lies on Seminole land, so claims of rich white men are built on sand and storms are rising, caring not for thrones. Mar-A-Lago lies on Seminole land and the White House is built on Nacotchtank bones. © Clare Bryden
October 26, 2025 at 8:56 PM
clarebryden.bsky.social
I made "Dress for overcast" 8 years ago, one of the many hacks of Taroko Gorge by @docmofo.bsky.social

clarebryden.co.uk/coding/mozfr...

#ALD25 #Random #Poetry #Javascript #Weather
Lines of Javascript code overlaid onto a fine blue cloudy sky
October 14, 2025 at 9:57 AM
clarebryden.bsky.social
Cleddon Falls not quite living up to its billing!
#WaterfallWednesday #WyeValley #Wales
Dry waterfall with tree Screenshot of website including a photo of the waterfall with a bit more water in it!
October 8, 2025 at 4:36 PM
clarebryden.bsky.social
Citizen science in #Cotehele orchard
Apple tree
October 7, 2025 at 11:54 AM
clarebryden.bsky.social
Something fun for #NationalPoetryDay2025 on its theme of #Play
A poem framed by two trees and a person reading in a hammock. “Let’s do something nice today” - - for David & Sue and all the others Let’s see a Mozart opera with post-performance chat, or watch a splendid sweary film and then go home and splat. We’ll patronise that café with the GIANT fresh cream teas, visit bluebell woods in spring and hug some well-loved trees, try catharsis in a chanting crowd no matter win or lose, snuggle in a sunny nook and write some (near) haikus, swing in dappled shade and read awhile and snooze awhile and read awhile and snooze awhile— Let’s talk big ideas and books over a bodged-together brunch, or find a pub with proper beer, have fish and chips for lunch, wander off the beaten track, watch a gameshow for the craic, let’s do something nice today and cut ourselves some slack! Clare Bryden
October 2, 2025 at 3:44 PM
clarebryden.bsky.social
My small offering, for Jyoti and the other peaceful protestors arrested under #Article13 of the #TACT2000, and for environmental campaigners willing to risk the same. Respect. This what it is coming to.

#Poetry #Poem

Numbers (522/532) and individuals taken from www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
522 When I first met Magna Carta I wept— for it was a weekend in Salisbury March 2014 and after annexing Crimea unmarked Russian soldiers were stirring up the Donbas in eastern Ukraine but in the UK there was peace and habeas corpus and access to Justice or Right by the Law of the land and it was in gratitude I wept. This weekend I wept— for Millicent Fawcett from her plinth in Parliament Square had witnessed 522 peaceful protestors carted off by the Met for the crime of free speech by means of placards in contravention of Article 13 of the Terrorism Act. Unlucky for some. Unlucky for the 50% over 60 or 70 or 80 years old and the 50% years from claiming their pensions. Unlucky for the roll call of the principled Sir former government advisor and the professor of poetry emerita and the son of a Holocaust survivor. Unlucky for the 2.1 starving millions disproportionately penned in Gaza. From her grave Hannah Arendt proclaims the banality of evil is again on the rise. The Met and soldiers and spies were only following orders. © Clare Bryden, 10 August 2025
August 10, 2025 at 8:43 PM
clarebryden.bsky.social
It's never too late to start —

Quotes brought to mind by one of the threads in this morning's sermon — with @mrjohnharvey.bsky.social at @exetercathedral.bsky.social

#Poetry #Poetry #MaryOliver #Life
Mary Oliver Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? — The Summer Day Ian Adams I laugh. I had tried to read the river. But the river read me, asking How will you live your mayfly life? — A Wild Swim with Mayflies Carol Ann Duffy What will you do now with the gift of your left life? — Snow
August 10, 2025 at 12:07 PM
clarebryden.bsky.social
“Where the bells of Urakami tolled
     a thousand penitents making their confession
          will be cindered again and again and again until—“

#NeverAgain #NoMoreNagasakis #Lakenheath #MAD #Disarmament #Peace
#Poem #Poetry for #VJ80 #VJDay #VJDay80 #VPDay #WW2
Alt text limited to 2,000 characters. Read the notes on this poem at https://clarebryden.co.uk/vj-day-2025/ VJ Day 2025 for Caroline and Michael And there was a great light, and their clothes became dazzling white and the appearance of their faces changed. And there was a cloud overshadowing them and they were terrified as they entered it. And they kept silent. - - - Behold the man! A shadow etched into a wall still. Stand to face his hypocentre. See the seared civilian flesh on his right hand and hear the hundreds of thousands of shadows prophesying an unpeopled future. Some have tried to lift their voices but what voices can be lifted when they have been silenced? Little boy and little girl fat man and thin woman— we the billions exist in spooked oblivion. Once a year or perhaps one day a decade our shadows tell us it is time to pay attention to the remnant on his left hand crying out crying for the rule of law and justice and peace! peace! peace! But they too have been silenced. There has been no peace no peace no peace for the shadows who cannot submit to such a hollow victory. Their broken hearts cannot be bound up. They were emptied out way back. Nor will the blinded recover their sight when the forces of evil must be unleashed to combat the forces of evil. And there will be no release for captives released to stumble their way back to an indeterminate existence remarking in their silence that war makes no heroes— heroes know only the shame shadowing them for pity’s sake! Where the bells of Urakami tolled a thousand penitents making their confession will be cindered again and again and again until— Be still. Listen. © Clare Bryden, 27 April 2025
August 9, 2025 at 10:51 AM
clarebryden.bsky.social
Just sitting on a rock* eating my lunch, and had some visitors

* Hookney Tor with a grand view of Grimspound that you'll just have to imagine #Dartmoor
Two ponies and two foals on the rocky sheep-eaten moor Dark-brown foal come to say hello, with paler mum(?) eating grass behind Paler foal with dark line down back standing patiently next to darker mum(?)
August 8, 2025 at 3:24 PM