Tom Langlands Photography Blog

We all boarded the bus in the early morning sunshine: mums, dads, children and grandparents. The teenagers clambered to get upstairs first - freedom away from the prying eyes of their elders. The excitement was palpable, “Where do you think we will be going?” “I reckon the seaside,” said one mother, “It’s such a glorious day and the temperature is rising.” “Oh, I hope not,” exclaimed an older grandmother whose dry wrinkles reminded me of the ripples on the beach long after the tide had ebbed. “All that sand gets everywhere.” It seemed that although the bus was now full not everyone was embracing the concept of a mystery tour. “I’m only here because you thought it would be good if the whole family came along.” “That’s right,” replied the dad with the short-sleeved shirt, arms bristling with tattoos, “Stop your moanin’. It’ll be great for the kids. It’s not all about you, you know.”  The grandmother cast a disapproving glance and sat down, muttering, “I just like to know

When I was a student of architecture I came upon a book that would change my academic life and open my eyes to what architecture is truly all about. It was a catalogue of work by five emerging architects who practiced in and around New York. Opening that catalogue took me to New York and into some famous - and quite different - examples of domestic architecture and enabled me to meet some very interesting people. It sparked an interest as to how we interpret and understand architecture and it led me into the world of linguistics and semiotics - fields that still enthral me to this day. This poem is about that journey. The Unspoken Word there never was a New York Five only a catalogue architecture beyond the ramparts  of planners who never heard  Corbusier’s trumpet  or saw freedom when the walls of Maison Dom-ino fell black lines  on white paper that rose from the pages  of a closed book there is a clarity that emerges with the new like understandin

These five poems were written during self isolation brought about by the global pandemic of novel coronavirus. They reflect my emotions at different stages over the last few weeks - from anger to contemplation to hope. I would like to think that each offers a degree of hope in different ways in the midst of these long weeks. Self isolation will end but these last few weeks also afford us the opportunity to re-evaluate what is important in life.  Follow me at:-   www.tomlanglandsphotography.com Follow me at:-   www.facebook.com/TomLanglandsPhotography Follow me at:-   www.tomlphotography.blogspot.com Follow me at:-   www.twitter.com/tomlphotography Follow me at:-   www.flickr.com/photos/tom_langlands_photography Poetry and photography copyright of Tom Langlands