Grin and bear it

His owners named him Grin. They hoped that the name might influence the puppy to look a tad more cheery. They were the sort to believe that names had contained a power equivalent to a magic spell. Grin, much to their chagrin was immune to spells.  The cream coloured Boston Terrier’s muzzle hung heavy, with

Friends?

“You’re such a beauty.” Her fingers stroked through the stray’s tangled white fur.The doleful coffee-brown eyes lightened with a spark of joy. The stray whipped back its ears, the raggedy stump of a tail slapped against the ground in gratitude. “Woof. Woof.”Abigail laughed. She’d been overthinking alone on the bench with a despondent stare. However,

Aimless

The asphalt is awash with dwindling summer rain. Telephone lines sway against the dusky sky, people shuffle through the streets wending their way to tea stalls and eateries. Lively banter filters through the warm stifling interiors smelling of fried snacks and milky cardamom tea. The backstreet is lined with bikes. Under the canopy of a dripping

Labour Day

No one spared her a second glance when she trudged through the tall grass. Gwen undertook this journey in silence. Oft-mended sandals pulled over shabby socks. A scarf wrapped about her head. The old woman huffed balancing her burden on a broken branch crossed over her slouched back. Two plastic buckets sloshed with precious water gathered

Finifugal

She hung onto the edge of a precipice on a stone slab. The sea roiled below crashing onto oddly shaped boulders. Her heart drummed heavily within her chest like a thundercloud. She held on with all her might, dangling too close to the sea that reached out with hungry fingers. “Give me your hand!” The stranger’s voice cracked

Late Spring

Late Spring. The pale shy tender blooms of early spring pastel colours, soft tints hide themselves, as though they cannot stand the growing warmth of approaching summer. Bolder blooms peek their heads vibrantly carmine, fuschia, indigo and saffron. Ixoras, bouganvilliea, marigolds and geraniums a multitude of vividness devours the landscape. Welcoming the heat. They can

Are Humans Listening?

Man looks at the robot. Robot looks at man. The man’s eyes are a bright green behind his glasses. The robot’s are round polished glass and they swivel markedly on the subject.  It waits to see what the Man wants. Its little body is welded metal, steampunkish with screws, nuts and bolts.The inside is hardware while

She, The Poetess

I was a bird released from a glass jar. I took wing into the vast sky and twittered over the flowery boughs in spring. My song attracted many. A sweet bird that sings. That’s all I was to me. From where does the melody spring?Who gave you this gift of music? It was my mother.

Aposematism

As they trudge up the narrow hiking trail, curving around the ridges of the thickets in the mountain the two friends are certain they’ve lost their way. “This is your fault, you wanted to explore a lesser known trail!” The first one complains. The other friend grumbles. The two glance around, boots crunching over the

Rush Hour

Pop. Pop. Corn kernels split apart as the popcorn fluffs. Steamy, sweltering summer heat washes across the city. In the mass of heaving panting crowds desperate to get somewhere…the call of the metro train is what rules the denizens. If you miss the train, you’ll be late for your job. Tick Tock. The digital clock

Happiness

“I don’t know where I stashed it.”“Stashed what?” The youngster asked.  Grandfather gazed at him through the horn wood spectacles as the septuagenarian opened various drawers around the house. “Happiness.” The youngster was befuddled. Happiness? To his innocent eyes, happiness was everywhere.  It was in the smile that Papa flashed him when he did well