Life and soul When she lived with a drinker she learned to spot when their focus had shifted to an internal, eternal happy hour. All senses vigilant: smelling sour spilled stuff hearing a booze-fat tongue feeling the shame, inevitability of plans awry. Then, no point in making them in the first place. But still there […]
Forced adoption – 100 words
Forced adoption Imagine him saying ‘mama’ and fat fists reaching out, his stumbling steps, rushing through school gates ‘muum’ child’s voice lifting clear of the chorus – calling to you. Where is he? Who is kissing it better? Are they proud? Scan queues at the amusements, faces in the papers. You’d know him: you could […]
A bad taste – 100 words
Comfort break – 100 words
Comfort break Toilets are ONLY for the use of customers it says over there on the wall between the hand-knitted stag’s head and the Tuesday pub quiz notice. Outside heather and pine and the long, long road make a mood board of purple skies and moisture. There’s a hunched cottage and light glinting from railtracks […]
Infernal equinox – 100 words
Infernal equinox If your life had an equinox, what would you do? One foot in youth, the other in age, celebrate a mid-point, a half-life triumph or dread the downhill tumble to the grave? Does the equator of existence mean an end to learning, the start of teaching? Do you say ‘I’m half way through, […]