Waiting for Dad
The old man leans on the gate at the edge of the park. It is heavier than he remembers but then so are most things. Like his own stomach and the bag of weekly shopping. He sighs. If only he … Continue reading Waiting for Dad
Tag: hope
Other Mothers and the Kindness of Spring – Short Fiction for Mothers Day
The narrow blades knifing through earth showed no hint of bloom. Carly watched them, remembering the promise on the pack, Plant now, blooms for Mothers Day. She watered the pot before school, all anxious-eyed and pajama-ed, curtain of hair swinging onto cheeks … Continue reading Other Mothers and the Kindness of Spring – Short Fiction for Mothers Day
Tea and Other Transforming Things
I refuse to believe you get fussier as you get older more experienced (we’ve banned the “o” word in our house due to occasional bouts of melancholy). I mean it’s true that answering the question, “Can I get you a cup of … Continue reading Tea and Other Transforming Things
Bad Wrapping and the Gift of Hope
Sad fact – people have no inclination to open presents I’ve wrapped. This is because, instead of tantalising hints at treasure within, they give off an aura of utter tat, fallen from the back of a lorry or bought at … Continue reading Bad Wrapping and the Gift of Hope
One Moment One Christmas
It feels like it happened yesterday. Though in fact it’s fifty Christmases since we were in our little house by the sea. Funny how the intense impressions of youth are saved forever on your hard-drive, whereas why you came to … Continue reading One Moment One Christmas
A Breath or a Pause? Paris and beyond…
You know that thing when you open the dishwasher, and shove something in mid-cycle? Well, I do it really fast, before the dishwasher actually realises so there’s no pause in the cycle. Just a quick hiss of water, the clunk of … Continue reading A Breath or a Pause? Paris and beyond…
Empty nests and the unnecessary use of signage
I stare at the sign in amusement. Let’s all get home safely? What’s that all about? I know I don’t get out much and I haven’t, thankfully, been on the M1 for a while, but have I missed a sea change in … Continue reading Empty nests and the unnecessary use of signage
The Blessing of Good Signage
I’ve had a revelation. About signage. It happened the other day at a church in the middle of Derbyshire. Despite the cold, and slicing rain, the approach was beautiful – a thumb of stone, a fist of graves and beneath … Continue reading The Blessing of Good Signage
How to Age and the Joy of Nasal Flushing
I’m trying to decide how to age. Not on the outside – I have little choice about that and am coming to terms with veiny hands and neck wrinkles like the skin of a T Rex – but on the … Continue reading How to Age and the Joy of Nasal Flushing
The Olive Tree
When it was all over, she resigned her job, packed a case and flew to Montpellier. It was strange really. While it was all unravelling – thirty years of careful working life – she knew, at the end of it, … Continue reading The Olive Tree
