Tag: war
-
CULLODEN
Through hard-falling rain a bird, black from beak to tail-tip, swoops and glides, buffeted by wind that swirls around the surrounding mountains. From the elevated height, black beady eyes see across the flat, windswept moor of the valley. In amongst the heather and wild grass the eyes see something unfamiliar. Wings angled to ride on…
-
PRELUDE TO BATTLE
Titus Valerius looked out over the grey water of the Adriatic Sea. The view was as bleak as his prospects. It had been a year since he had seen Rome and his beloved Domitilla. When he had joined the army he had dreamed of travelling the world, amassing victories and returning home triumphant. With the…
-
THE BURNING MONK
Sayadaw Ashin Nanda bowed his head. A steady stream of vehicles passed by. Drivers stared at the monk. Fingering his prayer beads, he asked for answers. The noise of the city faded into the background. He tried to recall what the scene would have looked like fifty years ago. *** Thích Quảng Đức, the Vietnamese…
-
THE PRICE OF TREASON
A beautiful day in the Old Town, or what remained of it. The buildings that had stood for centuries were now reduced to rubble. As Farouk walked through the cluttered streets there were signs of life re-emerging. Children’s voices could be heard. Groups of people gathered and gossiped as they had done before the war.…
-
GRANDPA’S LUCKY SHOES
The black leather gleamed. It had taken a lot of scrubbing and polishing to restore them to this state. The nest of spiders in the toe of the right shoe was a nasty surprise. They slipped onto the withered feet with ease. ‘Why the old shoes?’ the undertaker’s assistant asked. ‘Family request. Apparently they were…
Iain Kelly 