When She Breathes

The house heaves an audible sigh after their departure. Floorboards creak and groan under my weight as I close the front door, momentarily blinded by the evening sun catching the glass panes. They reflect a reassuring smile at my relief as I go to the front room, bare...
FIVE

FIVE

Five narrow openings Farzhana had carefully left when pulling the blue threads apart to make the embroidered mesh on her burkha. They are part of a glistening white, criss-crossed pattern of tiny apertures, better to shield her from the outside world. Or so she had...
Cows and Lambs

Cows and Lambs

Broken planks and withies lay scattered over the trampled grass. Nandi rubbed his eyes in disbelief then stared in dismay at the empty corral. Where had they gone? Cows weren’t in the habit of breaking out like that unless…a tiger? Had they been so terrified as to...
Ghost Ship

Ghost Ship

“How did you do this? Wonderful photo! It could be the Mary Rose framed in the archway outside. I can almost imagine her sailing by as I stand on the defence wall and look out over the harbour.” The enthusiastic exhibition visitor stood beside me, and I looked down on...
The Lesson in Dhansak

The Lesson in Dhansak

The Lesson in Dhansak Clip-clap, splosh and flop as my 1950’s Clarks shoes hit the cobbled street, trickling wet-grey with morning rain. We walk, all three. I swing in the middle, attached like an appendage to my Father and Uncle. I am that flesh-link between older...
Clickety-Click

Clickety-Click

The low clickety-click of the faulty carriage clock continues its muffled sound as it has done for generations. It was The Mother’s pride and joy. The brass mechanism’s carcass, an ugly beast of veined marble and gilt towering on the mantelpiece for as long as Marge...