I wish I had known...

by Philippa Ramsden

that you don’t need to understand
trigonometry and algorithms
to get by in life

that pillowcases and cotton trousers
do not need to be ironed
if the breeze is strong

that boilers and heaters
are not to be feared, I’m told
they don’t blow up these days

that if a Mongolian herder
learns it’s your birthday,
a horse is customarily gifted

that on the arid permafrost
of the Mongolian steppe,
my horse is galloping free

* * *

Following a career in international development, PHILIPPA RAMSDEN returned to Scotland somewhat adrift and has now settled in East Lothian. Her writing draws from life and work in Nepal, Mongolia, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Rwanda and her Scottish surroundings.

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