Lucky On Mother’s Day with the flowers, chocolates, breakfast in bed (or gin, manly hugs, and lunchtime pancakes this year), it’s easy to sugar coat the celebration. ‘Love you mummy,’ tiny wishes and the sharp, sharp pangs for the lost mums, the never-to-be children. Motherhood is hard and messy, and we know all about the […]
Cheers – 100 words
Cheers Warming glow spills across damp pavement, burps of laugher escape into the night. It’s warm in there and everyone belongs. I have belonged in several: The one by the sea, where the dog knew the way Those where every night brought possibility – endless evenings, life-changing encounters The tropical bar teetering above a lagoon […]
Tupperware – 100 words
Tupperware Immaculate and grown up. It starts as a solution. Cordoned off leftovers, egg and cress clicked for freshness. Matryoshka, BPA-free, a regiment of storage in a roomy billet moving up, always room for one more. Squares, rectangles, circular ones for cakes, clever closure tabs, Until the drawer pings open. More and more. Tubs […]
Grim Etymology – 100 words
Grim Etymology Humbert Humbert was a monster. Who’s he? He raped Dolores Haze when she was only 12. Horrible, but why are you telling me? You’ve heard of her. No, I haven’t. She’s Lolita, the victim of an evil abuser. Not Dolores? The rapist who pretended to be her daddy used that name. Oh. That’s […]
100 words for snow
100 words for snow It’s coming: tiny white asterisks on the forecast. Precipitation slithers from ‘now here’s the weather’ into a real news item. Tilting to lead skies optimistic. The way orange smoulders at the horizon. Fragile, original, flakes on my sleeve It’s not lying. Then the jolly dotty fluttering Hollywood puffs of flattering fluff […]