Category: Creativity

Short Story – ‘Magical Thinking’ for Bilby

Magical thinking

I come downstairs just as the girls are ready to go out – they had spent so much time getting ready and now I can see the end result of their ‘finery’ – their hair, the fake tan, the spiders’ legs coatings of mascara. All that time and money does not disguise their thickened waists. Rowena at 5’11” is taller than me, just, but in her 4” stiletto heels she towers above me, and Angelica is wearing thigh-high black boots and a very short leather skirt, of the type I have heard described as a pussy pelmet. I didn’t understand how Melinda could let them go out like that. Since I only assumed the role of step-father just as they were going into their teens I have never felt I have any authority over these girls and they treat me with disdain.

Melinda arrives in a gush of exuberant compliments.  She can’t wait to see her darlings before they go out and I can so clearly see the similarity between her and her daughters: the coarseness and petulance if everything doesn’t go their way. Of course in the early days I couldn’t see that, smitten as I was, still grieving for my first wife.

The girls call me Albert.

“Hey, Albert,” said Rowena, “What d’ew think?” She strikes a pose.

“Will you be warm enough?” I ask her, “without a coat?”

Three pairs of eyes are raised to the ceiling and I shrug as I pick up my newspaper. Continue reading “Short Story – ‘Magical Thinking’ for Bilby”

For art’s sake!

Sold: Edward Munch's impressionist masterpiece, The Scream, was put up for auction at Sotheby's in New York City this evening

The eye of the beholder and all that but could a cherished culturalist advise me what it is about this painting that makes it the most ‘remarkable’ ever? IMHO it is technically mediocre – more nightschool than old master and owes more to Roswell-type mythology than psychic revelations. But $120 million? Munch on that, all you aficionados!

A song for jubilee/olympic year

The English, the English, the English are best I wouldn’t give tuppence for all of the rest.
The rottenest bits of these islands of ours We’ve left in the hands of three unfriendly powers Examine the Irishman, Welshman or Scot You’ll find he’s a stinker, as likely as not.
Och aye, awa’ wi’ yon Edinburgh Festival Continue reading “A song for jubilee/olympic year”

The War of 1812

The nation plans to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, it seems that it has become a cause and has acquired the flavour of significance.

Apart from a couple of good songs and a pretty good flag I don’t see it.

This is my contribution to Mr. Mackie’s Poem contest and I shall post a link there.

Continue reading “The War of 1812”

April – a busy month

This month I have mainly been working (the paid variety) managing those about to take GCSE and A levels, gardening and trying to keep up with the challenge of writing a poem a day, among other things…. there’s a major garden project going on and normal life to keep up with…. a woman’s work is never done.

The blossoms are suffering from  the heavy rains and high winds….

Wet, windy weather
clusters of blossom blown down –
fragile button-holes

girls in dancing clothes
pick up the battered blossoms
to put in their hair

the cat, exhausted
from chasing whirlwind petals
lazily stretches

For the National Poetry Writing Month, NaPoWriMo, which you can find here

 

Now I see the photo competition is ‘growing’ I shall be getting the camera out in the next few days, given that we get some good light…..