Daphnis is with his flock on the hills above Cefalù. He cannot see. He navigates by sound and touch. He hears pipes playing. Recognises the tone, the player. The tune is foot crushed thyme, cicadas and distant goat bells. This is Pan. The hillside itself. The tree beside you, the ground beneath your feet.

off season downpour
a man in the bus shelter
shifts up to make room

Paul Conneally
Cefalù, Sicily
October 2026