So what can we do in the face of such travail?

One of my favourite snatches of poetry recalled is from Bertolt Brecht. 'Even anger against injustice makes the voice grow harsh.' I realise that my creating arguments is not only hard work but also gets in the way of  seeing things that aren't broken.

As I was constructing a letter to the editor of the Herald in my mind, I took some time to browse among my garden.

The fennel flowers (good for butterflies and collecting their seeds) are beautiful in their own right. The sea holly has now grown way beyond the bed where he was put temporaily some time ago. They are neighbours in my garden, so I put them together and brought them inside.  I think they look great and they smell wonderful, with the licorice-y scent of the fennel. Now I have to write that letter to the editor.