by Helen Ivory | Jul 31, 2023 | Featured, Poetry
The Gamekeeper’s Son Unfortunately, Julian, you’ve missed the First World War. His history teacher, Mr. Perks, owlish, gentle, self-contained, welcomes him back from his illness. The boy’s attention has to leap from Sarajevo to the armistice. But...
by Helen Ivory | Jul 28, 2023 | Featured, Poetry
Climbing the Cage We climb the wire, one leg over the flash of a ‘Hazard’ sign, hide nothing but mums’ words: ‘If police get you, don’t call us.’ Portakabin opens with a chisel. The scatter of drill-bits by the on- switch, squeals of laughter,...
by Helen Ivory | Jul 27, 2023 | Featured, Poetry
Pleasant Valley Sunday She’s a breeze beyond my white fence pastel-colored kite tailing behind, a blur of pinks & peaches & as she & her mom pass: we wave like neighbors who don’t know each other’s names. This little girl is six, maybe seven,...
by Helen Ivory | Jul 26, 2023 | Featured, Prose
The Holding The mute manager at the call centre where the operators sell lies sees a woman on Talbot Street sleeping on her tiptoes. She is arabesque, alert. He tells her all about the missold PPI, how she reminds him of the music box heroine from...
by Helen Ivory | Jul 25, 2023 | Featured, Poetry
The Anniversary Every February I remember. I have it marked in my diary and sometimes I take annual leave but that’s not to say I don’t remember at other times – like when a song comes on or I’m buying magazines in the Co op and I’m back in...
