Samantha screamed. I followed her gaze towards this entity the sea, so alien to me. Mighty waves rose sucked by the moon arching high into the sky racing to the shore. Crashing onto pale dry shells. the liquid beast then sucked back from the sand. Saline liquid rose ten feet into the air a huge rolling swell; stretched forth down the coast. Strong sunlight on mountains of green and blue waves, tipped with white foam, ro...

I knew the keys for my future happiness would be forgiveness; closure. I prepared a pyre, then gazing at the flames meditating on purifying, transforming through fire. burning the cause of my pain; the letters, one by one. First one lit; an heirloom of Mother’s naivety? Stupidity? Irresponsibility? Telling my father in law I put my daughter In your hands. Looking at me over the letter he mockingly said What a foolish woma...

I came down from my bedroom hideaway one Saturday morning; a week after I had been up rooted from my school and friends in Haslemere. I had been having trouble making friends in my new school in Kingston and I was sulking. My mum and dad were waiting to surprise me. A small puppy sat on the tiled floor wagging his tail with excitement. He had shiny eyes, a dark brown coat and a white furry chest. I knelt down and stroked...

The merciless heat turned the earth to dust, kicked up by the horses and mingled with the sweat of his audience, men increasingly inebriated. He approached the bare backed stallion which kicked and flailed around. The smells around me overpowered; roasting chilies and garlic, manure and tequila. In the distance, I could hear stray dogs barking; the tinny sound of a band playing on rudimentary guitars and flutes, bulls sno...

Four years old; I stepped into my place of mystery; of escape and refuge from an angry mother, and passed from a world of concrete and buildings to walk on earthy, soft, wild walkways between bushes and trees. There were nettles that stung you and dock leaves to wind round your wound to soothe it. There were blackberries to pick and eat at leisure and thorns on the branches to prick you. There were bushes to hide in and b...

Hi, so what happened didn’t I tell you to avoid this? How could you even begin to do this to your family, all our resolutions, out of the window. Standing on the edge of the shower tray I find myself staring into the falling water; and dissolving away rapidly was the sugar reindeer I had made for Christmas.

How fragile is life not seen but listened to and felt. A delicate screw, that held my right eye lens, fell onto the tiles. Feeling my way with my feet, I saw the world through a blur. Weightless for one second, falling, I did not see the opticians’ notice; Caution, mind the step.

It was the exhilarating time when the clouds were billowing and gathering for the storm, the trees swayed in the eerie wind and the air was fresh and cool; just like the weather I was used to in England. It was such a relief after the Mexican dry season. I twirled my platinum wedding ring, an heirloom from my grandmother’s era, around my finger and gave thanks for the gift that was Jago, who had come laughing into my life...

At my mother ’s bed an apparition of a swirling, unending, conduit of time containing the moment each daughter of my ancesters, kissed their dying mothers, in succession enveloped me and feeling embraced by these ancient sisters I received the courage to kiss my mother and say goodbye.

I flew to Mexico. Better a path raw and new than loosing the chance to find a life I stepped out of the pristine airport into cicadas screaming Crows cawing Street venders shouting out green mangos. Short square Indians with embroidered dresses Serapes to protect themselves from the chill Of a city 2,500 meters into the sky “So this is my new daughter in law,” he said giving a high pitched thin laugh.

  I walked along the banks of Loch Erne and sat down under the shadow of an Alder tree, to look at the sunset over Fermanagh mountains and islands and meditate. Jacques Jardel sat beside me on a fallen tree trunk, philosopher; we felt the same sadness of the soul, now almost a shadow of the intensity of years ago, surrounded by the relentless rain, and bogs of Ireland This Loch still had small fish, hard to see, but glitt...

REVISED -A conversation with myself one week in the future. But, hark, what is that clay upon your shoe? It is the clay of the graveyard where my love has ventured. Which loved one? Tell me While I tremble with fear that my life is possibly ending? It is my beloved teddy bear. These past fifty years have had their toll and now has come the time to say good by and bury my heart and soul. When I was a child so lonely. he ga...

Spittle falls Mother, you screamed And raged And spit fell From your lips I cowered before you helpless And afraid I could not run. One day you might transform my fragile stability by some miracle. And I would love you.

New beginnings On the brink of the future I tentatively make a print on unsullied white virgin snow. Will I be able to take a clean, sharp, tidy route? No messy scuttles. No smudges or side steps. Straight onwards to the shining new future. What will it hold? Living every second on the edge of Time I remember, in childhood, thinking each new day took me closer to the day I would die. Now I can treasure each moment and ope...

Ooh ooh bugaloo I got to do some cooking And you have too. Ooh ooh bugaloo Stockings hanging For presents from who? Ooh ooh, bugaloo Somethings burning And its not cooked through. Ooh, ooh, bugaloo missing the garbageman who wants his bonus too. Ooh, ooh, bugaloo, Where is the marzipan? Its on my shoe. Ooh, ooh bugaloo, My son is flying here, Will I be in the queue? Ooh, ooh bugaloo I have to wait to hug him until his sis...