It’s always interesting to discover new words – their meaning, heritage and root.

I often struggle to find the right words to express the poetic feelings I have as a writer and usually find that the expression I want is alive in another culture and realisation comes to me as a reward for the journey into consciousness.

This week I stumbled upon the Scottish word ‘smooring‘ and I felt closer to understanding the position of my hero in The Wilderness Diary as he tries to keep the light inside himself alive as he is buried beneath his Falling Tower.

In some ways he is smothered and extinguished by the process of grief, yet in other ways he is banked with ashes awaiting the rekindling of his morning.

Perhaps that is why Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth, made her way into the book. The challenge and complexity of The Wilderness Diary continues to reveal many an ancient mystery, but for me was only one half of the journey.

It is the Yin to the Yang, the Oyster to the Pearl, that continues its threads through Popcorn, Parasites, Precious & Pearls.

Now the companions can rest side by side leaving me with much to reflect on in the deep, quiet beauty of December.