Anyone who knows anything about Flann O’Brien knows he was a man of many names. Flann O’Brien was the pen name for Brian O’Nolan, who wrote journalism under the pseudonym Myles na gCopaleen. He used different spellings of his names and most of the discussion and arguments on his Wikipedia page are about how his […]
Just Another False Alarm When the Mayan Long Count Calendar Dating centuries beetles to a close, Rumours run rife over earth That the end of the world is upon us. Apocalyptic forecasts spring up, old hat; Nostradamus freely dangled his doomsdays, And lesser renowned local seers year after year Deign to persuade with revelations of […]
The Tide Silver bodies float on the surface driftwood- reflecting sun. Soldiers fish with hand grenades as shadow birds cluster flying on white sands under water. I stand on the feet of my shadow arms outstretched – resting on a still sea, bearing no weapons, the tide is undecided. Identity disks hang from […]
One More Day 1. In the first album I am beautiful. My eyes dance. Instead of hanging, my hair whooshes. T-shirts hug my torso. I can’t face her, that woman with my name. Her clothes no longer fit. They cringe at my touch. The blouses rustle: only a whisper of femininity left. There’s a […]
“Hey…mum…I’ve got a Ferrari Spider.” Nathan bounded up the stairs. “What’s a Ferrari Spider? I don’t want no creepy-crawlies in my house!” “Mum… Oh…..mum……..you don’t know what a Ferrari is?……..” “No! What is it?”. “It’s a super-car, mum! It’s great! Come and see it! I’ll take you for a ride! Come on, mum…..come on…” “I’m […]
They’re looking for meat deboners at the processing site in Paull, a coastal village ringed by chemical plants and vacancies, so I fill in my slip and waft it towards the receptionist at my agency. She puts it in her out-tray without looking and without raising her head, and she doesn’t smile. “You’ll not need […]
Child of Industry Am I here now, reclining or back? Coke can cup in the cul-de-sac Cold fog, January smog, cough at the door Mum watching the clock, curfew at four Full of industry we eye the estate Send word back to cool the plate It’s early yet for mince and lies Let’s scale […]
Opportunistic (in homage to Ozymandias by Shelley) I met a president from a defunct bank Who cried: “Two smashed and roofless blocks of shops Stand in the suburbs. Near them old and dank, Half built, a parking structure squats, its frame and crumbling top and sides of cold concrete tell that its builder ill these […]
For six weeks, now, Daniel has been keeping a close eye on them, from behind the curtain at the back room window. Several times a day he has come to check on them, to see what they are doing and how much they are advancing. There are four of them. They arrive every day at […]