Not waiting for the 12th night It’s time to say goodbye: To the tinsel, too naff for the tree, too scratchy for the neck To the single cracker To the unsent cards, drawn by a six-year-old, sold by the PTA To the optimistic baubles, a new one every year To the Santa hat with […]
Aftermath – 105 words
Aftermath. They went back into their box, the shiny balls and sparkly strings, the lights, the red and green, and all the things no one believes in. Someone asked ‘Who made this one?’ A daubed reindeer, it’s glitter balding. It was a hopeful child, certain that He would bring the gifts and make the magic. […]
Postcards from Christmas in Norway
Airport anxiety. There’s a line of people, shuffling and peering forward. Is it the right queue? Where should I be? What’s happening? Bladders are full, bellies are empty, smokers need nicotine and children whinge. Not just children. We like our plans to unroll exactly as we, well, planned them. So then, why are we in […]
Christmas – back in the box
A year without signposts
In this year of strange, one of the most strange things has been the lack of ceremony. Normally we’re cartwheeled from New Year to Christmas via back to schools, end of terms, birthdays, annual thises and celebratory thats plus a host of other unavoidable calendar signposts. Without proper Halloween or the planning, packing, sunburn peeling […]