He struggled to push the cart through the thick snow and cursed winter, the short days and the long nights. He leaned his ladder against a lamppost and climbed. The gas ignited and a shivering orange glow lit the white scene. White and red. The body lay under a nearby tree. He scared a fox … Continue reading THE LAMPLIGHTER
Can a person be kitsch? He's sweet, but he wears trouser braces with a garish shirt and hat and brightly coloured cords. I give him a chance, but then he invites me back to his and I see the living room... 1970s mustard-orange decor and chintzy lamps, and I'm out. 'I'll be off,' I say. … Continue reading KITSCH
I don't mean to interfere, but people tell me that I do. Frequently. It's just a habit, I guess. Sometimes it's just taking an interest or offering advice or offering an opinion. Other times I interfere more directly. Like when I saw that guy shouting abuse at his girlfriend in the street. Or when that … Continue reading CONSTRUCTIVE INTERFERENCE
They haven't gone, the Christmas Angels.They're hiding from me.Waiting. In the shadows.Ready to step out into the twinkling lights.Reflecting in the dirty puddles.Shimmering and blurred.Walking along the empty streets.The closed shops, the dead cafés.An open door.Please sir, can you help me?An inviting arm around my shoulder.The warmth of the hallway.Shut out the cold Eve.His smiling … Continue reading ALL GONE
The people burn. Bright flames of white heat in the darkness. They are everywhere, surrounding him, closing in. He shrinks back, covering his face with his hands, cowering in the depths of his own black mind. Make them stop. Make them stop. Faces crowd him. Searing orbs. Skulls with eyes of deep black emptiness. They … Continue reading BURN OUT
