On the first day of March, it sounded as if the birds had knocked over a wheelie bin and were dragging it sideways across the roof. A starling came down the chimney. It perched on top of a kitchen cupboard for a moment.

Then, it took off. Full force towards a closed window. The thump of a beak on glass is a dreadful sound.

I picked up the bird, hoping that it was only stunned, but it was lifeless. The flop of its head told me that its neck was broken.

Later, I walked the length of the room to measure the distance. The bird had flown fourteen feet.

I felt bad that I had not reacted quickly enough. My beloved was at home. He heard me crying, and helped me to get out of the negative head spin. Still, I ended up in a slump for a few hours, stroking the starling’s iridescent feathers as I pondered life’s impermanence.

Eventually I threw a few things in a bag for my trip to Kilrush. The jaunt had been on my ‘to do’ list for months.

At Banner Books, Ciaran O’Driscoll read from his new novel. His sharing prompted much curiosity and chats. There was a cuppa and delicious home baking for everyone (thanks, Lily). I shared two of my poems, and enjoyed hearing different perspectives. It was a lovely evening.

Next day I went exploring, met more lovely people all over county Clare, and relished every moment of my mini-adventure.

Did you know that a sense of novelty has a direct impact on the brain? It activates our dopamine system.

-Kathryn.