Poetry
The Year of Silent Healing
By Christine Lawrence Exactly when did this happen? We ask ourselves today when we wake up to each morning, the year has slipped away. The good times passed us by and still outside the birds [… read more ]
pandemic
Poetry
Sky Train / Possessions
A poem by Bruce Parry, accompanied by a piece by his late father, Emlyn, and a painting by his mother, June. Sky Train by Bruce Parry There is a feeling of release and freedom inside [… read more ]
Fiction
Dowdy Street
By Sue Shipp Dowdy – that’s what they call me. Dowdy! They can’t be bothered to give me my full name – James Dowdy Street. No. All I hear is: cut through Dowdy, turn left [… read more ]
Poetry
Two Gardens
By Richard Williams How many mornings slid one into another, under the pergola of a lockdown garden, a mug of black coffee as shadows swung by, waiting for the page to turn. A book [… read more ]
Poetry
The Rainbow on the Wall
By Linda Hilborne Lying back on the sofa. It was so exhausting to be ill without that extra worry: will I get pneumonia next week? Millions of other people painfully processing that same fear. [… read more ]
Culture
This Must Be the Place: The Unexpected Intruder
Writer and music blogger Doug Hamilton was born and raised in America, moved to Canada in the early 2000s, and relocated again with his British-born spouse to Portsmouth. In the latest part of his series exploring [… read more ]
Poetry
Common Things
By Barbara Claridge today by the underpass the jackdaw jabs criss-cross the openfield square by square like police finger tips search long grass juicy with sap between silk stems and butter cups his grey [… read more ]
Poetry
Crisis
By Diana Ashman Pandemic, a crisis planet lockdown, no autonomy or freedom of choice, people frown, authorities put rules into place, isolation, social distancing, life slows to a pace. As the weeks pass by, [… read more ]
Fiction
Bun Penny
By Margaret Jennings When I was a child, my mother gave me a bun penny and told me that whenever I found myself in trouble I should ask Queen Victoria what to do and she [… read more ]
Poetry
Nigra Bamboo
By Maggie Sawkins We thought the planting of it would enhance our patio garden, but its stems hardened. Now after four years it has obscured the view from the bedroom window. We have [… read more ]