Apr 27, 2021Her mother, then.Her mother was 11 years younger than her father. So whilst he was flying spitfires, she was attempting an education. Her mother’s father had been conscripted and was stationed in Africa. In the north of Africa. The few pictures of him at that time showed him to have the kind…6 min read6 min read
Apr 27, 2021Their father, the priest.They had always known that their father had been a Roman Catholic priest. She and her sister. They couldn’t remember a time when they hadn’t known. It was good that they had always known. Children must know all that which might become dangerously secretive before it does so. …8 min read8 min read
Jan 6, 2021ABCNew year quiz! Do you have a child who is great mates with one or both of my wondrous daughters? You do? Congratulations, you may have them to stay in your house whenever you wish! Night after night if that works. Has your daughter only just befriended mine? Doesn’t matter…Parental Alienation4 min readParental Alienation4 min read
Jan 3, 2021SS was a terrible person. She was smug and selfish and self-satisfied. Superior, sneery, snobby. She showed no sympathy for she felt no empathy. She was not the person one might choose to be one’s sister-in-law. But these things are not choices. So S was hers. S had once, long…Family6 min readFamily6 min read
Sep 22, 2020Conceivin’…a short story thereofThere was once a woman, in her mid 30s, married to a slightly younger man (oooh) who was struggling to conceive. As all she had ever conceived of was conceiving and being a mother this was very bad news indeed. Tests were carried out. Oh so many tests. And yes…Infertility2 min readInfertility2 min read
Jul 26, 2020Member-only…but not forgottenA telephone ringing at 7am can never bring good news. It is a studied time to call. The caller has waited until they can wait no longer, horribly aware that a phone ringing at 3am induces instant panic and dread. That call can only be awful. Worse. The 7am call…Death8 min readDeath8 min read
Nov 16, 2019I don’t know (a short story about parental alienation)I don’t know if they still get carsick I don’t know if they’re “morning people” I don’t know how much pocket money they’re given I don’t know their friends. I don’t know if they load the dishwasher I don’t know where they are I don’t know if they can swallow…Life2 min readLife2 min read
Published inHuman Parts·Nov 5, 2019Member-onlyA Portrait of DeceitWe give ourselves away with our smallest, most innocuous actions — I once knew a man who insisted on serving his family their food at every mealtime, for 40 years or more, so that he could ensure the best, largest, and rarest portion for himself. And, having served everyone else their allowance of meat and two roast potatoes per capita, he…Family9 min readFamily9 min read
Aug 28, 2019Mother daysThe needles the jabbings and the finding of veins and removing of blood, the inserted cameras and tubes and laboratories and breakable fallible glass dishes (fallible everything) and the disembodied moving images on dark screens and foreign language and the disconnectedness. …Fiction4 min readFiction4 min read
Apr 18, 2019JoeAnd you were this and he was YES And he was this and you were yes And he was this and you were yes And you were this and he was YES And he was this and you were oh I see now I see He was I got you…Love1 min readLove1 min read
