January 18

Black lines like bars on the chapel window of St Ann’s Church. Beyond the window, the trunk and branches of a chestnut tree; yellow bark in the pale afternoon light. Beyond the tree, the light blue sky and clouds heaped like badly folded jumpers. Beyond the sky, God – so all the prayers and hymns and silent statues say.

But I just see only the black lines like bars, the trunk and branch of the chestnut tree, the clouds heaped like badly folded jumpers.