[And isn’t everything risk?] And isn’t everything risk? // The beloved lives / Then dies, / Then (if we’re lucky)

poets.org/poem/and-isn...

Big Oil Breaks Everything The planet, our democracy, our courts...

Brilliant evisceration by @billmckibben.bsky.social of the corruption caused by the fossil fuel companies over decades.

When historians write about this period, they will be aghast at the evil decisions made by those companies and their facilitators.
billmckibben.substack.com/p/big-oil-br...

‘It just really rocked me... [and] changed how I viewed my friendships’

📝 Toheeb's reading recommendations:
The Famous Five & The Secret Seven by Enid Blyton
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
No God But God by Reza Aslan

Craigmillar castle looking mighty fine in the April sunshine #scotland @historicscotland.bsky.social

900lb crates full of onions in a field

The Coachella music festival is in the news with the minimum price of sold out 3-day ticket costing $549. Contrast that with "Nicolas" who is currently harvesting onions in the Coachella area and getting paid $22 for a $900lb crate. #WeFeedYou #coachella2026

So nice to have the leaves back!!! #NatureIsNurture

Explore the Friendship Anthology A new collection of poetry, stories, reflections and visual art created by care experienced people across Scotland.

I am so proud to share this work with you. Let’s keep the conversation about friendship and care experience going. Please share widely.

Explore the Friendship Anthology www.staf.scot/blog/explore...

Five Essential Iranian Poets And some great moderns to check out too. By James Hartley.

open.substack.com/pub/themadri...
#iran #Persian #Persia #Iran #poetry #history #culture

How South Korea plans to use the Iran crisis to spur a renewables revolution Energy crisis unfolding in Middle East has added political urgency, and more funding, to transform the solar industry in particular

This village uses its solar income on free communal lunches, buses and other communal efforts.“If you divide money as individual income, people feel disconnected. People who didn’t know each other for years now get to know each other within days”

I love everything about this.

Purple healing #NatureIsNurture

This beautiful short poem by Jennifer Wong does so much work - thinking of all those women caring for the children of others - separated from their own children by economic necessity or violence. #motherhood #empathy #PoetryHelps

A loud speaker announcing a launch event for the Talking Mats Spirituality resource on 7th May 1-2 pm with link to booking page

Interested in exploring views on #spirituality ? This new Talking Mats resource was developed in partnership with people from different faiths. It helps people reflect and express views on spiritual practice, their faith communities and beliefs. Book a place on our free online launch event 7th May

Rehabilitation of the Dandelion!
No other plant in the Netherlands attracts as many bee species: 107. In early spring, when nothing else is blooming, it is simply there. Meadow bird chicks that have just hatched depend on the insects that are drawn to dandelions. No dandelion, no insect, no chick.

Back in bonnie Scotland ❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

A phrase to embrace...

👏👏👏👏

Stig Eklund (1978-) Norwegian
"Where the River Narrows " 2023
Photographic print on paper

This is really important research - another way in which unmet needs increase chances of criminalisation

‘The trees are coming into leaf
Like something almost being said’

Perfect for this time of year -
The Trees by Philip Larkin
#PoetryHelps

Beautiful last day in Krakow - went to the National Museum in Krakow - many wonderful pieces but thought I would share this one Madonna by Włodzimierz Konieczny mnk.pl/oddzial/mnk-...

Britain's shadow workforce is paid as little as 65p an hour. Who cares for the carers? | Frances Ryan Carer’s allowance turns 50 this year, but it’s no reflection of the labour of the millions who cook, clean and nurse behind closed doors, says Guardian columnist Frances Ryan

“Meet the nation’s ghost workforce: a growing army of unpaid cooks, nurses, cleaners and physios who slog away day and night, out of sight behind their front doors.”

Today’s column is on the UK’s 6 million unpaid carers propping up the broken social care system. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Apologies to my veggie and vegan friends - I have been back to veggie for the last three months (and plan to continue that way) but with the kielbasa is this good today I could not walk away. 😋 🇵🇱

“the thinker of tender thoughts”
by shel silverstein

Another object I loved is this box of puppets used by travelling storytellers moving from village to village across Poland.

Today we visited the Ethnographic Museum of Krakow. It was a treasure trove of everyday objects, tools, fabric and art. One of my favourite things was this tree stump bee hive for cultivating honey- decorated with a bee. etnomuzeum.eu

‘A day so happy.
Fog lifted early, I worked in the garden.
Hummingbirds were stopping over honeysuckle flowers.
There was no thing on earth I wanted to possess.’ - Czesław Miłosz #polishpoets #PoetryHelps
www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/gift-0/

Monochrome photograph featuring a large cactus plant in a desert landscape with birds flying

Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide, Desert, Mexico,1979 #WomensArt

In Krakow with the family and visited MOKA today - very challenging Ewa Partum exhibition on just now. Had some very interesting chats with my girls about female bodies in art, feminism and what makes ‘good art.’

Absolutely love her

A snowy little Easter here in Edinburgh ❄️🌼