Late Spring, nearly Midsummer’s Day, in a rural area of Somerset.

Dominique made her way through the forest, seeking a quiet spot to enjoy “A Book of Verses underneath the Bough/ A jug of Wine, aLoaf of Bread – and Thou/ Beside me singing in the Wilderness – / O, Wilderness were Paradise enow!” Who would have ever thought that an ancient astronomer had written such words? Her rucksack also included some cheeses and charcuterie. Instead of the mysterious ‘Thou’, she carried a selection of ‘bodice-ripping’ romance novels.

She recalled a time of yesteryear, an occasion of aromantic tryst in Sylvan Glade; oh, heck, just call it what it was, a romp in the woods. Yes, Tom had certainly enjoyed caressing what he called her ‘tomatoes’. And another time, when ‘He who is called Phantom’ praised her ‘pomegranates’, prominent and proud, round and firm. Some people might call her promiscuous, but she was merely a woman who welcomed and enjoyed the company of men. She liked to think she resembled the unfortunate and unnamed daughter of Antiochus (from Pericles) – “So buxom, blithe, and full of face,/ As heaven had lent her all his grace.”

As she walked, she gathered blooms and blossoms and placed them in her bosom. Ah, such a heady aroma! Was she a California Flower Child?

She came upon a spot ‘underneath the bough’ which promised comfort, with soft grass and both shade and sun, ideal for a picnic and a steamy romance novel. What had she brought today? She rejected Pericles – far too many improbable events. Here is a modern retelling of the story of Princess Andromeda; no, wait! Look at the picture on the cover! She refused to read a story of bondage! Hey, a comedy could be fun! Oops, she hadn’t brought one.

She sipped her wine, then lay back on the grass, daydreaming in the sunshine. Hmm, this might be an ideal time to meditate. Another sip. Hmm. No, not ‘hmm’, but ‘om’. But, could she purposely meditate at a time when the wine clouded her brain? “Om mani padme hum”. She sat up and assumed the lotus position. Inner peace. Or was that the warmth of the wine? No, banish that thought. “Om”. Yes, yoga today in the sunshine; don’t wait until tomorrow. Should she get bare? Bare yoga! Yogi bear! Of course, she was smarter than the average bear! Never mind the bug bites on her bottom!

Om mani padme hum