Sarah James/Leavesley

      The Half-a-man The giant statue in the main square is weeping sky-blue and sun-yellow tears. Later, leaf-green, then blood-red…soon a technicolour dreamcoat’s worth of crying. Only, this is real. Overnight, the statue loses a leg, next, a finger,...

Nina Parmenter

      I am Jealous of the Rain   smug smug rain has millennia to finish sculpting could take six lifetimes over the angle at the brink of a whorl smirking smug smug rain invites us to see its progress feels no need to grant us insight or god forbid ask...

Jane Aldous

      Carrie Silverwood They thought she looked familiar when she arrived at their door they’d met her before    somewhere she mentioned friends and places they knew she had fond memories    maybe they did too could she stay a week or two if they had...

Bismo Triastirtoaji

      Wishes that Became Small in The Hospital   There are other mosques where the prayers are thrown louder and prostrations stranded without limit There was a subtle, almost imperceptible fear about the ego that is often exchanged as well as desires...

Ruth Aylett

      Cleaning the cooker Dismantling the burners, part inside part. So many meals scorched onto them as dark fat, the week’s routine teatimes. Here someone’s spilt toffee sauce, now transformed to carbonised grit, here hard grains of uncooked rice from...

Patrick Williamson

      The 7.14 The 7.14, the train I always take, it arrives empty from the depot so I always get a seat, the interiors are Christian Lacroix and lights ambient lavender blue, just right for the not- morning person who looks at suburbs that roll by...