Alan West finds himself in a parallel universe It was the day after the day after Christmas, one of those nowhere in particular days when you feel you ought to be doing something but can’t. So we decided to walk to our nearby shops to stock up on eggs, indigestion remedies and other essentials. On the…
Tidings of comfort and joy
My wife and I are both atheists so it might seem odd that each year we send Christmas cards or perhaps more precisely, seasonal greetings cards. But it is an important part of our family life, as it was for my own parents, also atheists, although we send out only a fraction of the 400…
Sad song
At six I wake, roused by the crash of thunder I sneeze, I freeze, my dreams in disarray The rain beats down; I creep more warmly under My quilt, but frown: this cannot be my day At eight I rise, all hope of sleep forsaking Shaving, I cut my chin, but have no plaster…
Back from the war
Back from the war, why didn’t you say, No telegram. I would have expected that. That’s what anybody would expect Of their husband of twenty two years. Back from the war effort, more like. Our boy, gagging in a muddy trench In some corner of a foreign field And me, doing the…
Parental guidelines
The unspoken bond amongst parents was in evidence again last week when at the station I found myself moving back from the platform edge. I was daydreaming when I became aware of a conversation somewhere in the background. A young woman was explaining to her small son that when waiting on a platform one should…
Table talk
Our final topic was perhaps an odd one to tackle over mid-morning coffee and anyway, in the end, nothing was actually resolved. Frank and I had met for one of our occasional coffees, initially convened to review the progress of a project we were both involved in. That business done, it was on to more…
Sun flower
When I first heard it, Girasole Sunflower, the Italian word I formed an instant picture Girare to turn, sole in the sun. How aptly named The flower that turns heads And in turn, turns itself In the lazy heat of the day. How could you not notice? Field after field of…
Ghost train
I am not a man who is easily frightened. To be more precise, I have never been someone who suffers from classical phobias so have no concerns about being in open or closed spaces, nor am I made anxious by being in the company of spiders or mice. I don't get worried by dreamed-up fears,…