They breed them in factories now, of course, hatch them in incubators in the rolling mills, and our young people would be shocked to ever come across one that could use its wings, or that was any bigger than, say, the house of a foundry manager or civil engineer along one of the tree-lined streets…
Tag: Magical Realism
The God of Goosemeadow Lane
Two storeys, upper-level balcony, separate entrances. He might have to do something about that, Harry realized. Bird Palace, the box read. The word palace had caught his attention. Surely this was what he needed. Plus it was only £29.95, which was a good deal. – The cashier grunted as he heaved the heavy cardboard box…
Nebula Girl Is Born
I light a firealthough it is no longer cold.I don’t even empty the gratebut push the ash aside, so the fire can breathe.I make a nest for anthracitewith twigs I have been dryingand, as the fire takes, I hear something – so I look. It’s getting hot and I can’t quite see– so, hand on…
Quicksand
I was on my way to the butcher’s when I stepped in quicksand. I hadn’t really thought about quicksand in years. Maybe Indiana Jones or one of those Humphrey Bogart movies where he’s a boatsman, and he wears a hat. I imagined the sand’s texture to resemble grape jelly. It’s actually more like the inside…
The Woman I Love
I can’t be certainBut I have a suspicionThat the woman I loveHas turned into a lizard.Last night in bedI brushed her thighAnd thought I feltA crinkled lizard’s hide.She had a crest instead of hair.A lizard’s tongue Darted from her mouth–It happened so quickly I barely spotted itBut I’m pretty sure it was there.I know it…
City of Glass
One morning we woke to find the citycomposed entirely of glass, prismaticin the low sun glancing off sharp edges.Not one object remained that had not bledits colour into the ground in the night.From the deep shock-proof shells of officesto the etched headlines on delicate sheetsof stacked papers, everything was washed clear.Only the pavements, foundations and…
Baby Talk
They look up and gurgle and coo. They are plump and wide-eyed and smiley. They stare at the bubbles that float by. They are hypnotised by the mobile that plays the Brahms Lullaby. They sleep deeply, dreaming of . . . what? The struggle to get here? The months trapped in the warm liquid? The…
The Axeman
At night, the Axeman comes. He enters her apartment silently, and stands over her bed, watching her sleep. He listens to her snores, her whimpers and her sighs. When she gets up in the middle of the night to pee, he follows behind her and from the darkened hallway watches as she pulls her lacy…
A Shallow Grave
Mildred decided that she wanted to be buried alive. The grave was shaped to her body, but just before getting in she had second thoughts and for one awful moment considered the possibility that she was making a big mistake. Nonetheless she lay down with her arms folded on her breast and closed her eyes,…