2024-02-18 22:34
It’s always difficult knowing where to start a piece of writing, particularly a novel. They say you should start in the middle. Here’s the opening section to my novel, When t… Read More
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The Purple Hermit Blog
purplehermit.com
A personal blog about solitude, art and poetry in the wilds of Scotland. How to survive and thrive in a weird world.
2023-09-12 22:53
This is the cat who enjoys terrorising my own gentle feline. We both dread his violent visits. But the other evening he posed for me while I was outside painting so this picture is a tribut… Read More
2023-09-12 18:58
Here in northern Scotland the weather has been exceptionally warm for September. On Friday temperatures rose over 25 deg Celsius for the first time in 60 years. Wind-swept northerners are… Read More
2023-07-16 15:23
There has been a long period of silence. My last post was written when I was still in hospital. I have been home now for six months and trying to rebuild my life after six months of incarce… Read More
2022-10-28 16:48
25 images from Series 1 of my hospital doodles have been sent to England where they will be exhibited at Newcastle College. The show is called ‘A Thing With Feathers’ – a q… Read More
2022-10-15 11:18
I’ve had great news – an offer of an exhibition of my hospital doodles in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It feels surreal to have my artwork displayed while I am still incarcerat… Read More
2022-10-12 14:26
Hospital doodle #20
Image by the author Read More
2022-10-09 12:28
Hospital doodle #18 – a mix of graphite, coloured pencil, oil pastels and marker pen on paper.
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2022-10-09 03:48
Doodle #17. My hospital window overlooks a flat rooftop where seagulls, wagtails, pigeons and crows congregate. There is a constant chitter chatter of birds and bird imagery is appearing in… Read More
2022-10-08 17:07
Hospital Doodle #16. Marker pen and coloured pencil on paper.
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2022-10-07 17:43
Hospital doodle #15
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2022-10-06 11:18
Hospital doodle #14
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2022-10-05 14:49
Hospital doodle #13
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2022-10-04 19:43
Hospital doodle #11Oil pastels, marker pen and watercolour pencil on paper.
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2022-10-03 21:23
The seagulls on the rooftop outside my hospital window were squabbling this morning so I have birds on the brain for today’s doodle.
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2022-10-03 12:07
Hospital doodle #10. Oil pastels, watercolour pencils and marker pen on paper.
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2022-10-02 10:17
When I was a young girl I had a terror of snakes. After watching a movie about a snake venom farm this evolved into fascination. I had a beautiful silver snake bracelet that I thought brough… Read More
2022-10-02 08:03
Hospital doodle #9 – drawn after the weekly ward round.
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2022-10-01 22:52
Hospital doodle number 7. There are a family of seagulls nesting on the rooftop outside my window; Sam, Silver who has a limp and Claude who is still a youngster. They peer through my windo… Read More
2022-10-01 16:59
After ten weeks in hospital due to post Covid complications I’m waiting for a second operation. The last one was done while I was fully conscious which was not fun. This time they will… Read More
2022-10-01 08:44
Here’s another one of my hospital drawings, watercolour pencil and marker pen on paper. I don’t have a title for this one yet. I think it has a fairytale quality. Apples are pow… Read More
2022-09-30 12:07
Here’s another one of my hospital drawings. Making art is a wonderful pain reliever! Better than drugs.
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2022-09-30 11:06
Another one of my hospital drawings- I have family in Ukraine so the war is very personal to me. This drawing using oil pastels and marker pens is called Path in Poltava Oblast, Central Ukra… Read More
2022-09-29 20:30
Here’s another hospital doodle – oil pastel and pencil on paper.
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2022-09-29 17:15
Produced in my hospital bed a couple of days ago. No title for this image yet. Feedback very welcome.
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2022-09-29 16:59
I’ve had a very long absence from WordPress ever since I was admitted to hospital with complications due to long Covid. Ten weeks on and I’m still incarcerated. I have no poems… Read More
2022-07-22 02:14
&nbs&hell…Read More
2022-07-17 16:34
I remember the first time I was stung by a bee. I was six. It was my Russian cousin Olga’s birthday party. Suspended
in the airless dark we waited for her to blow the… Read More
2022-07-10 17:25
I’m supposed to be dead”, Amy would say to the visitors wearing plastic smiles as they edged around the door into Room 1, Ward 5. It was gratifying to see them squirm at the ment… Read More
2022-07-03 15:34
Together with art, poetry and ceramics one of my great passions is textiles. I just love, love, love fabric and my idea of heaven would be the haberdashery department of John Lewis. All thos… Read More
2022-06-29 17:30
The existentialist philosopher Jean Paul Sartre famously said ‘Hell is other people’. The quote originated in his play No Exit with the scenario of hell being trapped in a room w… Read More
2022-06-24 00:44
The cries of curlewshang silver in the morninglight my heart glides
Each year we have curlews nesting on the ground in the back field where cattle graze. Each year chicks ar… Read More
2022-06-10 17:23
She longs for the refuge of dark interiors.The Tiffany lamps and plush burgundyof city bars, torn between Aqua Velvaand a Dirty Martini. In the gloom, eyesgleam and lies bloom unseen on dry… Read More
2022-06-05 18:34
This weekend I discovered the most marvellous novel that I’d never heard of before. Its called The Wall by the Austrian writer Marlen Haushofer, first published in 1968. Although class… Read More
2022-05-19 20:29
A metaphor for life?
Do you ever wonder why some people seem to lead charmed lives whereas others, no matter how hard they try have nothing but bad luck? Some say we make our own luck… Read More
2022-05-17 16:05
I was whisking up eggs, sugar and cottage cheese last night to make Syrniki (a type of Ukrainian cheesy pancake) and suddenly realised the rotary whisk I was using must be nearly as old as m… Read More
2022-05-10 18:51
Poor Queen of Coins has ageing bones.She enjoys many thrones, crimson velvetand gold with roses, shamrock, thistles,acanthus, oak leaves but none have wheels.
It doesn’t do to be se… Read More
2022-04-30 20:17
Love is a bee dressed as a butterflyLove warms the cockles but leaves you hungry
Patience wins the mouse but loses the birdA starling in the belly is worth three in a tree
A clean… Read More
2022-04-17 18:09
Easter is my favourite festival. As a natural born pagan I love the nature symbolism and message of renewal and rebirth. Those of us lucky enough to be not living in a war zone are able to c… Read More
2022-03-22 15:57
Blue shadows of birdsskim over Mariupol – speed west to the sun
Wild easterly windsbuckle and twist willow trees – branches fall to ground
I hear frai… Read More
2022-02-24 20:33
For the last few nights I have jolted awake every hour or so in panic and anxiety about the situation in Ukraine. My parents were Ukrainian refugees during the second World War and I grew… Read More
2022-02-13 17:57
The Scaraben Writer’s Group is looking for new members who want to share work and ideas in a mutually supportive atmosphere. We are a small, friendly group who meet online via Zoom on… Read More
2022-02-03 22:51
I woke up crimsonautumn to gypsy clouds a home not my own.
Bonfires warm the cocklessaid my neighbour as flames split the dark.
I stirred wrathfulwinter to treesstripped… Read More
2021-12-03 15:29
God is the fizz/pop of a failing light bulb.God is Wagner’s Götterdämmerung.God is a warning sign on a sharp bend.God is a shoe salesman in a designer shopor an invisible spl… Read More
2021-11-12 00:12
The hazel dormouseis in danger small countriesmake big beautiful
You are the sanestbubble ideas petitionstart a fundraiser
Translating fine wordsfull of plastic takes lifetimesdr… Read More
2021-10-29 18:56
WELCOME TO THE HAAR
a bijou creative arts e-zine named after the Scottish sea mist
Photograph of Cromarty by Martin Russell
Martin Russell writes:-
Cromarty was always… Read More
2021-09-28 14:44
Every time I stop at a petrol station I ask myself the same question; how can an entire modern civilisation be built on a finite, flammable liquid that relatively few people control and tha… Read More
2021-09-02 14:33
The autumn issue of The Haar creative arts e-zine is now open to submissions from writers and artists on the theme of ROOTS. Like trees we are sustained by our roots. Although invisible ou… Read More
2021-08-22 14:43
“Time spent with cats is never wasted” – Sigmund Freud
Lucky black cat design taken from vintage Japanese matchbox label Read More
2021-08-21 23:08
There is not love of life without despair about life.” ― Albert Camus.
Image by the author Read More
2021-08-09 19:56
Photo by the author
The dazzling and bold Rush of Lava Flowers by Lydia Popowich can be bought here: Read More
2021-07-31 16:08
If you have enjoyed the poems on this blog then you will love The Rush of Lava Flowers by Lydia Popowich. Her poetry collection explores the subjects of migration, family and hered… Read More
2021-06-12 13:36
The second issue of The Haar creative arts e-zine is coming soon on this blog featuring an exclusive interview with screenwriter Martyn Hesford, new work from George Gunn, Tom Murray, Mandy… Read More
2021-05-21 22:23
My day begins pixelated.Needle sharp shards of lightrefract like monsoon rainin tropical forest, bendingbreaking leaves out of shapewith the violence of descent.Little red icons beckon.Visio… Read More
2021-05-09 19:03
Shadows rooted in the sourgrooves that framedher mouth. Invisible at first,they bloomed in the livingmap of her face, festeredin the lines on her brow,in the web of crow’s feetperc… Read More
2021-05-01 17:21
The Haar is on the horizon again! After a successful launch last month The Purple Hermit’s creative arts e-zine will be back in June and is now seeking contributions from writers, arti… Read More
2021-04-27 13:42
Spheres of eau de nil slip through, careless.The island glimmers like crushed glass.
She doesn’t look up when I speakthe sound of silence spiked with roses.
She is wearing a wolf… Read More
2021-04-23 20:29
The creative arts magazine, The Haar, here at The Purple Hermit is launching a photography competition. The best photographs of sea mist or fog, either misty landscapes or street scenes will… Read More
2021-04-22 19:31
Today I hung a silk ribbon on my favourite tree, an alder, to commemorate World Earth Day. My beloved ginger and white cat is buried underneath and his claw marks are still visible on the t… Read More
2021-04-21 16:05
the caves of the moon
hide the secrets of the sun
where lizards gather
Image and haiku by Nikita Shackleton Read More
2021-04-18 16:12
Welcome to
a bijou creative arts e-zine named after the Scottish sea mist
Sea Haar, Scarfe Rock, Lybster, Caithness.Peat ash, carbon and pastel drawing by Magi Sinclair http://… Read More
2021-04-07 20:59
Welcome to
a bijou creative arts e-zine named after the Scottish sea mist
Sea Haar, Scarfe Rock, Lybster, Caithness.Peat ash, carbon and pastel drawing by Magi Sinclair http://… Read More
2021-04-03 00:58
The Northern Crack 1st April, 2021.Exclusive Interview Reveals All:Were they really Sirens?
I was driving home after night shift at Wick General.The sun was rising and it was… Read More
2021-03-22 17:19
The Haar is the name for my new bimonthly magazine slot. I’m inviting writers, poets, artists, photographers, cartoonists or anyone with something different to say to se… Read More
2021-03-21 18:54
It is highly likely your missiles will fly.It is highly likely innocents will die.It is highly likely children will cry.It is highly likely your lips will lie.
Repeating a lie does no… Read More
2021-03-11 20:17
I probably inherited the creative gene from my maternal grandfather. He was a writer, photographer and political dissident in the former Soviet Union. He wrote for an underground newspaper a… Read More
2021-03-05 17:41
Even on the sunniest Scottish day, the Haar can come in out of nowhere. For those who don’t know: Haar is a special type of fog that rolls in from the sea transforming the world into a… Read More
2021-03-02 19:58
Discuss…
“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” – Desmond Tutu
“I think it’s a mistake to ever look for hope… Read More
2021-02-20 17:37
Part one
The smell hit her the instant she opened the door. A mix of cats, geraniums and cigarettes. Isabel hated smoking and potted geraniums in equal measure. She didn’t own a ca… Read More
2021-02-14 13:48
…of love and friendship.
Happy Valentines Day to all my followers and friends.
Photo by the author Read More
2021-02-11 13:57
Calling for submissions
Makarelle is a new literary magazine, offering a platform for writers and visual artists.
For our Spring 2021 issue, on the theme of ‘Coming Unravell… Read More
2021-02-10 00:36
A dark tale from the mysterious peatlands of Scotland….
A small man wearing a hard hat waited at the side of the road just before the bend. Behind him a Toyota pick-up loaded w… Read More
2021-02-06 15:45
My third and final guest poet is Mandy Beattie. Here is her mysterious poem inspired by a local Scottish landmark of standing stones.
A pantry of organic nettle teaand skeins of wild… Read More
2021-01-29 17:55
Here’s a sultry, sensuous poem from my guest poet for this post, the talented Meg Macleod.
I remember braiding her hair,the woman who shared her island with me.“I can&rsqu&hell…Read More
2021-01-24 20:11
Taken during light snow fall at midnight.
photo created by the author Read More
2021-01-22 20:50
For the first time on the Purple Hermit we have a poem from a guest poet, fellow Scottish writer and friend, Alastair Simmons. Enjoy!
Blue Poppies (In memory of Esther)
She to… Read More
2021-01-19 21:29
YOUR body – YOU decide… Read More
2021-01-13 19:18
Instead of writing my novel I am staring at a bunch of bananas, or more precisely at the juxtaposition of the fruit with a box of Gourmet cat food, a calendar, jars of pasta, a face flannel… Read More
2021-01-09 19:49
Self portrait after ten months of shielding and UK Covid daily death toll exceeds 1,300.
Photo by the author Read More
2021-01-06 14:21
There are times when it’s hard to spot the signs of hope hidden amongst the negativity and gloom that surrounds us at present. As UK appears to sink beneath another wave of a more viru… Read More
2020-12-27 21:27
However you chose to spend Christmas I hope you had a peaceful time. I enjoyed an alternative solitary Christmas with my cat…no tree, decorations or turkey but Moroccan Chicken with c… Read More
2020-12-21 22:21
As Britain spins in a maelstrom of Covid mutations and Brexit insanity I realise that the mega-hours I spent watching post-apocalyptic/survival/science fiction/disaster/horror/zombie movies… Read More
2020-12-17 21:46
Another piece of flash fiction mined from an old notebook. I wrote this just after my relocation to the Far North of Scotland fifteen years ago.
Tuesday morningSeagulls wail the sound… Read More
2020-12-10 14:47
Anyone else having trouble sleeping?
1.37am
3.13am
4.23am
6.08amAll photographs by the author Read More
2020-12-03 17:13
Winter’s here – minus four degrees last night and interesting ice crystals formation on the garden pond today.
Photo by the author
Photo by the author Read More
2020-11-26 18:51
Unmute yourself in 2021 by joining The Buzzing Book Club. Meetings will take place via Zoom on the first Thursday of every month at 7pm (GMT). The first meeting is on 7th January and the bo… Read More
2020-11-18 13:15
This post is a little different – not poetry but the first short story I’ve written for a long time. It’s loosely based on my family history. Any feedback or comments would… Read More
2020-11-04 11:59
I am squeezing my Self into an empty crispbox. Guards wearing smiley masks watchfrom three rifles distance. Muted comradesobserve from a raised perspex Zoom
box. Guards wearing smiley mas… Read More
2020-10-19 23:17
Dutifully muted we wait in our bubbles, lookingat ourselves looking at ourselves smiling, lookingfor clues in book shelves, potted plants, interiors.
Sid’s iPad is a shadow. Patrick… Read More
2020-10-17 01:14
Something is wrong. A grey fogstinking of wet wool hoversabove my bed when I wake.I hit reset and instantly a citrusglow permeates the Sense-o-Net.Lemon scent cuts through the fug.Bitter-swe… Read More
2020-10-13 21:16
What if each breathwas a cloud, each tear-drop a rainstorm,each word forked lightning and eyelidsconjured hurricanes,would your world bedesert or ocean?
Image created by the auth… Read More
2020-10-12 21:42
Like many others stuck at home since the start of the Covid Pandemic I have taken comfort from my garden. There’s a special healing energy in the natural world which we all need at the… Read More
2020-10-11 03:14
“The poet’s job is to translate unspeakable things on to the page…”
“Poets don’t get into poetry for money, they do it for vocation – I fe… Read More
2020-10-07 22:18
She has never seen so many of them, divingin ribbons, mercury in the heart of the virgin.She opens her mouth to cry out, joyful her hot mouth expects a fierce Atlantic roar.
She taps an… Read More
2020-10-05 22:35
My therapist’s room has lofty ceilingsand a view across rooftops to the sea.A row of potted geraniums line the silland a tribal mask hangs over his desk.My therapist says I must rememb… Read More
2020-10-03 02:01
We follow the signs, white on blueautumn clouds shifting. Slings and arrows show one way to exit.We follow the twisted pitted roaddown the line. We avoid potholes,broken tarmac, pines felled… Read More
2020-09-27 16:16
rose from the sea at dawn as sunfunnelled across Burrigill Bay.Her long black hair trailed a seine netslack from her fisherman’s cap.In the shadows of the stacksshe bore… Read More
2020-09-22 23:41
Galloping skies for the autumn equinox in Northern Scotland.
photo by the author Read More
2020-09-20 14:52
Wild Rose with departing bee (if you can spot it!)
Bog weed cutting dramatic shapes against the sky
Photos by the author Read More
2020-09-17 21:12
(This poem was published in Northwords Now some time ago.)
It can take most of your life to seethe large car park at the end of the line.There are no instructions on arrival.You circulate… Read More
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