The dog unleashed narrowly avoided being run over …. dead as a doornail … by the truck which was, as coincidence would have it, from the local dog pound. The driver was later quoted as saying: “I used to be a much better driver in my younger days…that dog was lucky.” Then he winked, smiled, and nodded his head, making it clear what his actual intentions were.   Anyway…that’s enough about that. Generally, I believe, being ‘unleashed’ is a really good thing to be: especially wh

Your truth is yet to be unleashed a mind, surrounded by stars, has a great way of tricking you, a people, Struggle on, pawing away at the shore, this lonely blue planet may go on without you.   There once was a story of a little girl, who collected moments by the shore, not all, but moments that glittered in the sunlight, the beach was just below the city. She found shrugs, sad faces, and old photographs. One day she found an old photograph of a woman who looked familiar, but

The heavy-duty tarpaulin I kept from a Jeep at a wreckers has turned into one of my most prized possessions. Heavy to carry on my nightly climb up into the mountains, but worth it. Bramble thickets are the best places to hide out in. I have several and use them in turn, so my movements won’t become too predictable. The tarpaulin makes things much more comfortable.   They said I was mad, coming up here, a tiny thing like me. What am I going to do? How do I expect to protect my

Standing at the 2-kilometre-high precipice he looks down at purple valleys.  Orange-blue clouds scatter below.  This tiny boy, sole survivor of the escape pod, stares at the two suns beaming like white and yellow balls near the horizon. Being a ‘space-baby’, this is the only world he will feel.  Other worlds are only video. He steps off the cliff and dives in a crux pose.  Holding the pose till air pins his arms along his torso.  Goggles dig into his face, mouth tight, eyes b

The sky was heavy and black, but it wasn’t night time. Everyone looked up at the ominous black clouds. BOOM, Crackle, SMASH! The lightning erupted over the houses. Mother Nature looked on and said to herself, “There’s a nice bit of entertainment for you mere immortals. Instead of watching your screens, look outside at the wonders I can create. You think you’re so clever with your mechanical and electrical inventions but they are nothing. You will never surpass me.” The mortal

Racing across the expansive skies, was it sound or light that reached us first? The 'jagged white' hit our old red river gum right at the hollow where the elders had taken a coolamon from the younger tree's yielding bark. We used that tray on our wedding for berries and so, too, have all our offspring on their weddings, one by one.  So frequently has it been oiled and cleaned and cherished that our care has imparted a soft, shiny tinge to its redness.   Now the old tree is sh

A voice exits sleep: "I had a bunch of flowers" I dreamed something else.

The candle store scents, They will last longer than life, if you're not careful.

‘You’re a bright spark’ he said nastily. ‘Am I?’ I said proudly ‘Dont be smart with me Missy!’ ‘But my name is Jodie, not Missy and I can’t help being smart.’ ‘I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU! How dare you question me and come up with ideas in front of the other people in the meeting.’ ‘But actually, you asked if anyone had any other ideas…and I did.’ ‘THAT WASN’T A QUESTION FOR PEOPLE TO ANSWER’ ‘Oh so it was rhetorical.’ ‘NO you idiot, it was just a question you ask but you don’t ne

Spider's cathedral: Rainbows unbent shaping light, Sparkled stigmata.

I’m staring out from my hidey hole. Leaves protect me. They can’t see me. Those great big fat black and white things. Munching non-stop on the leaves. My God there’ll be none left. No wonder they are soooo fat.   I look at the leaves hiding me. There are so many of them. I can’t believe they haven’t headed over to them and discovered me.   I look longingly at the leaves that are hiding me. I’ve eaten all the others around me. Time to start on these ones. It doesn’t matter if

‘I’ve tried to tell him’   ‘And what does he say?’   ‘He keeps telling me “In his experience”, if I hear that once more I’m going to stab him with my pencil in true John Wick fashion. He’s an idiot. I don’t trust him. Something is just not quite right.’   ‘Hmm I know what you mean. It’s as if he’s playing a part and saying sentences that he doesn’t understand or if he does he’s certainly not going to deliver on, but they sound impressive.’   ‘Yep, agree. He’s a Hollowman and

Exasperating, exacerbating milieu, tripping down or up.

I’m five years old and I know what I want. I want to be a ballerina. I love watching it on telly, twirling and jumping and looking ever so graceful. I’m five, I know I can do those fancy moves too and I want those pointe shoes. None of those ballet slippers for me, I know what I want.   I discussed this regularly with Mummy whilst we were watching TV, whilst she was cooking the dinner, whilst she was washing up, cleaning, ironing, cleaning the fish tank and mowing the lawn. I

I’ve been asked if I wanted some Kefir. I knew what it was, but I had no idea that you actually grew the stuff. I picked up my jar of Kefir without really noticing. I popped it into the car and drove home. When I got home, I walked into the kitchen and put it on the bench, and noticed with alarm that the glass jar was looking rather concerned. I looked closer at it and then noticed that the Kefir was looking out with evil intent…even though it doesn’t have a face. Every littl

Gemma and Michael are playing with a lemon in a sock.   When life gives you lemons make lemonade.   When life gives you trauma, become an...

“It’s such an easy subject—fruit—I mean there are so many all around us.  They even name record companies after them.  And that singer, you know, the one that got shot for crossing the road with the other band members.”   “A band member called Lemon???”   “Yeah, he was famous for staying in bed with his girlfriend who couldn’t sing, the Japanese one.  Had a son called Julie.  Even wrote a song about him, you know the one.  He owned a submarine the same colour and even had a d

‘You got yourself a right lemon there.’ He stood squinting at the aging Ford Focus in the driveway. ‘Look at that! Barely legal.’ He kicked at the front left.   ‘It seems OK, Dad. A few dings and bings, not a big deal. I checked the history.’   ‘Hmph.’ He makes a sound like a badger clearing its throat.   ‘Shall I take you for a spin?’ Mel Waves invitingly towards the passenger seat.   ‘Nah, might never make it out.’ He laughs in Superior Masculinity, and pats a corpulence of

“You can’t hang ten on a lemon.” This was an ad. I actually forget what for. Hang Ten may have been a T-shirt? Not sure. My good friend since primary school told me that ‘lemons’ were surfies. He was a surfie. Pretty sure the  last  type of individual ‘lemons’ referred to were surfies. The very  last. I think he was confused by the ‘hang ten’ allusion which has something to do with surfboards and waves…though maybe I am confusing that with Deltans masterpiece… Hanging Five… w