He remembered the clock had struck thirteen when he had scuttled in on all sixes. He had explored the cavernous space, his wiggling antennae providing him knowledge of the volume and shape of the room, position of doors, location of artefacts. His antennae had told him that the walls were coming closer, before they fell … Continue reading The elephant in the room
Exercise in voice
The thought of death, during those nights after my parents had turned out the hallway light, helped me to understand the meaning of the word dread. There is no escaping that switch, which turns one from a vital being with thoughts, things, connections, friends, into nothing. What happens to those thoughts and connections after the … Continue reading Exercise in voice
The Milonga
Maria’s heartbeat quickened as she climbed the stairs, the marble dented from the steps of dancers over hundreds of years about to make their entrance, the same as her. Through the red velvet curtains, one side of the host’s mouth curls in welcome, and he kisses her on the cheek. She follows him to her … Continue reading The Milonga
Waiting for the moon to rise
The breeze brings the smell of fresh oysters, as a celestial blue sky is glimpsed behind the clouds, white and dark grey, but breaking into tendrils, unthreatening. Sculptural cranes in the port to the north could be art, and the low tide reveals mudflats, driftwood wrapped in seaweed, sand caviar made by tiny crabs. A seagull … Continue reading Waiting for the moon to rise
The Bunya Tragedy
Their exciting, perfect, spontaneous day was starting to turn a little dark as they pulled into the lookout over the valley. It had started with a thrilling freedom to do whatever, and packing their car, Rose and George had thought they might head up, into mountains, to escape the humidity of the city. It was … Continue reading The Bunya Tragedy
My muse awakened me
For a long time, certainly months if not years, I have been sleeping poorly. I fall asleep easily, early, but wake up throughout the night, sometimes for hours. Sometimes I don't get back to sleep. I've put it down to worry, about my failed marriage, about my work, about my stresses. I've known it was … Continue reading My muse awakened me
Offspring
Here are my children whom I've been nurturing, waiting for, for 45 years. Now they emerge fully grown, some still immature. None of them worldly. These little beings I have been gestating in my mind will never cry all night, though they keep me awake and wake me early. My babies, conceived by all my … Continue reading Offspring
An invitation
The poet, Caresse, invited me to come into this. The this, so broad, so deep it has no horizon. Precious, priceless jewels so tiny they exist in theory, So vast they are incalculable. There is no longer any me in anything of value: The tiny being at the centre of my universe now has a … Continue reading An invitation
Home
Ada hums on the arm of the sofa eyes half closed, heavy from watching the steady sheeting of rain enveloping the house in pink noise, rising and falling lulling the cat to sleep.
Learning to sing
The first time I sang in a choir was at a festival with the Spooky Men's Chorale. In that space with hundreds of other people, we sang: "Stop scratching it. You're only making it worse." As silly as the lyrics are, it was like magic to walk into a room and ten minutes later, be a … Continue reading Learning to sing
Sarah Bonnar 