A Stillness comes

Peanut Butter

The peanut butter sandwich on soft white bread cut into the shape of a soccer ball flew into the air hitting the branches of roadside larches still in Ieaf despite the cold autumn snap; falling the slices, divided, peanut sides face up, flopping down on the boy’s now still body.

Mama Knows Best

Chocolate

Your problem child is you trying to hold him with a plain diet, all gruel and grits. Any man with fire going flicker on that. You want him looking for what else is cooking?

Oh no Mama

Hush, just get yourself chocolate and chilli and he’ll stick around for seconds.

A Dead Cert

Red Geraniums

I tell you the nag’s a long odds cert. I’ve a grand on. The horse is backward to keep the odds up so I’ll mint it. Your money in the bank.

It better.

Red Geraniums limped in last. Soon after, Big Tony went for a ride and long country rest.

Talks in the English Countryside

 Peppermint

We need a decision. So its no to A taste of French cheeses. 'I only stuck up for English Cheddar.'

'Yes, thanks, Marge'
'And, to Tom’s suggestion of Plymouth matches 1890-1939.'
'I could do it with slides'.
'We aired that Tom. So we are left with The Fun of Peppermint?'

Thoughts upon the London Poor

The Blue Lobster

My informant at the curiously named The Blue Lobster told me that when the Irish street-sellers quarrel “they’ll kick like devils, and scratch, and bite, like women or cats, instead of using their fists”. He wished “all the drunkards were teetotallers, if it were only to be rid of them.”

How long do I have to go?

A Postcrossing story for Helvi in Finland

It had been one hell of a day what with kids throwing up, parents getting all weepy and the first day prep talk from the Principal. Mary cracked open a bottle, thinking tomorrow will be worse.

Losing it, she screamed, “Mummy, I’ve done school, its boring, lets do something else

A Last Dance

I’m so

He came not wearing black but
dressed as lover’s
would; finery to pleasure.

My drought watered as on
a first lover’s glance
and kiss. Now my last.

He holds my hand while nurse
shakes me out of my
long sleep in the white night.

I’m so ready for our dance.