He might have been friendly. On a different day, with a different breakfast, that is. But today the coffee had run out, and all sentences were ending with a light inflection of flame. “Call this a large?” he accused the waitress, “Lucy” we see from her nametag. She side-stepped the little curl of flame falling … Continue reading Fries with that?
Tag: Exercises
Names I have known
She was first violinist in the National Symphony. He was first trombonist. I, their first born, was Allegra. The priest's Southern accent saw my vowels elongated and a little of his spittle hit my forehead with the baptismal water. An active child with no discernible musical talent, at primary school I started answering to Leggy, … Continue reading Names I have known
Three Davids
David arrived at the school gate, brown leather sandals and satchel unmarked, marking him as the new kid. Three boys approached. In a line they stood. A line of boys each called David. The first David stepped forward, all scabby knees and dirt scuffed face. He slapped the new David on the back and said … Continue reading Three Davids
Heed (chapter 1)
Melanie rose from the water and took a moment to consider what she saw. The last thing she remembered before the blackness was the traffic light change from orange to red. The morning had started like most mornings of the last year in alarm screaming darkness. Pulling herself from her cocoon she had stabbed the … Continue reading Heed (chapter 1)
It was a hot and grumpy day
The grump flowed across the page with a sour sigh. Issues and elements and people mixed up in a gelatinous mass. Brown with hints of green problems, still not properly digested. It all came out, across the page and over the edge of the table where it dripped to the once pretty pink carpet. The … Continue reading It was a hot and grumpy day
Norma/n the Heroic Worm
Norma/n was an ordinary child. An ordinary worm child. She had a mother/father and a father/mother. Like most normal worm children she never met them. She started life with her worm siblings, happy in the warm soil, learning how to be a good worm. But in some ways Norma/n was a most abnormal worm. One … Continue reading Norma/n the Heroic Worm
Lemonade for all
“You can fill it all the way” piped up the hopeful voice behind the bar. “I’m allowed.” He moved towards me, glass in hand, smiling his missing middle tooth with pride. “Did you mother say yes?” I looked around the room for an owner for the little one before me. “Yes. She said I could … Continue reading Lemonade for all
The Library
The children were making too much noise. One of them had even just run past him. The child had been singing. Singing for goodness sakes. When did this start being allowed? When did the hallowed halls of his childhood become this romper room games session? Once you would walk in here under the gimlet eye … Continue reading The Library
Joining the kitchen gang
A childhood recollection of the “correct” way of doing the dishes. One sink of warm soapy, one sink of water as hot as you could stand. A designated washer, a designated dryer, and a “putter awayer”. And adults of the house in the furthest room to ignore the arguments. “There’s still dirt on this fork” … Continue reading Joining the kitchen gang
Ursula Hoult 