Boarding In her nineties she begins to daydream shrugging off the rug and velcroed slippers to dig her toes in the tumbled strandline of the residents’ lounge. Standing, she...

      The elephant in the room is an elephant. Far from ignoring it, we are trying to recall exactly how it snuck in here, how long we have before it strips the house-plants,...

    Counting Down 10 counting ten the last bus is empty she wants to stay at least the lights are friendly and she can talk to the driver 9 counting nine a dark street nothing can frighten...

Early Days Squeezing my eyes tight shut. The feel of my hands in prayer. Not being chosen. Collecting bus tickets. Black print on white paper, serrated edges. A row of numbers. If they added up to...

    Learning To Be I was not always like this; once, there was more of me; imagine this skeleton re-clothed, blackbird glossy, fleshy-plump. She, as I always think of my younger self, was...

      War Paint   A bonfire burns winter; the man standing and stoking the flames drinks from a flask.   The smoke is sweet and toxic in equal amounts. A woman watches from...

      Indian Lemonade   It was the coldest place I’d ever been; minus thirty as we slid down Garden Street; the Charles River, frozen marble-grey, so hard it might be safe to...

      Had my fill And, now, it’s time, he said and left home. Now, it’s time, he said and left his wife. Now, it’s time, he said and found another one. And, now, it’s time, he said...

      The Art of Push and Pull   “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” Joseph despairs. “Do you ever just, shut up?” Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. SLAM. His wife pulls away in the silver Audi....