Emotions 02

Emotions 02 

Barbara Thomas 

When you are young, growing up, there could be a mixture of emotions.

Not wanting to go to school in case the bully is there today, emotion fear.

Teenage years, 1st boyfriend, girlfriend, finding out that person doesn’t want to see you anymore for a girl tears, for a boy hidden tears materializing in anger.

That’s what emotions are to so many people: 

Happy

Sad

Depressed

In love

Out of love

Bewildered

Marriage

Birth of a child

Menopause

Birth of grandchildren and great grandchildren.

End of a relationship

Divorce

Loss of a partner

Grieving

 

As you grow up you try to come to terms with all your emotions good/bad.

We live in a country that doesn’t encourage Emotions; best keep a stiff upper lip, in case you offend. 

As old age creeps up on you the Emotions felt are overwhelming, loss of partner, siblings, family friends.

But on a happier note the birth of your grandchildren and their children, your great grandchildren. 

It’s a battle with a world that has no place for emotions and when you reach a certain age then you become invisible.

Barbara Thomas

 Sarah’s Marathon 

By Sis Unsworth 

Sara often did recall, the Marathon she’d run

The first they held in London in 1981

Had she run from Blackheath, to Constitution Hill?

She must confess the memory, still gave her quite a thrill.

The 29^th of March, began the great tradition,

Where many like her, would complete a life’s ambition.

Although the years have quickly passed, it often brings a smile,

She even joined a running club, and stayed there for a while.

But time brought on changes, from what she’d done before

With age something you loved, can turn into a chore.

So Sarah moved her goalposts in, and joined a walking club,

They all meet up on Saturdays, and walk down to the Pub.

 

Copyright Sis Unsworth

                               

ABORTED CALL

Peter Woodgate

It’s like this officer

I’ve found my wife in bed

With all this red stuff over her

I think she may be dead.

I don’t think she is breathing

Sometimes it’s hard to tell

She doesn’t often get aroused

And just makes my life Hell.

She says she might well have sex

With a robot or a dummy

And when I tell the blokes at work

They think it’s bloody funny.

But it’s not, I’m telling you

Cos she just sends me packing

I’m pretty good at foreplay

It’s after that I’m lacking.

What’s that you say , feel for her pulse,

Ok I’ll see if I can

This red stuff It’s all sticky

Hang on I think it’s jam.

Good God her eyes have opened

Sorry what did you say?

No officer ignore this call

I forgot it’s my BIRTHDAY.

Copyright Peter Woodgate

Emotions 01 ~ homework (Flash fiction 600 words)

 Emotions  ~ homework (Flash fiction 600 words)

By Len Morgan 

I saw Michelle in Tesco’s today.  I thought I’d put all of that behind me.  I thought I was free of her; I’d cried until I was all drained out; I felt empty, yet every time I thought of her, tears leaked from my eyes again, and my brain became overwhelmed by the hurt and anger. After ten months, I thought she couldn’t possibly hurt me any more. But, the pain still returns every time I think of her, thoughts and memories are things I now have to guard against. 

   Then in Tesco’s she looked directly at me, her expression was blank, there was no recognition in her eyes.  We’d been a couple for two years, then she met her Ex, Bruce, and it was as if we’d never met, never shared our private secrets, never shared intimate moments of love.  

   She didn’t tell me she was breaking up with me, she just stopped answering my calls, never explained that I was just an infatuation, just cut me off!  Pictures of us together were deleted from her ‘Face Book Page’ replaced by pictures of her, Bruce, and their child. That was before she blocked me completely from her face book.  I watched her as she left the store; Bruce was outside with the baby in a buggy. 

   After nine months, in limbo I thought I was over her.  I even believed I could start dating someone else, but now I’m crying myself to sleep again.  It didn’t help when I met her friend Valerie who mentioned that she’d met Michelle in the high street.  She said Michelle had a baby in a buggy, she looked pale and had a bruise on her cheek. Then Valerie delivered the killer blow, she said the baby was the spitting image of me…

 

Copyright Len Morgan

PLEASE, SHOW ME YOUR GLORY

 PLEASE, SHOW ME YOUR GLORY    

By Jeffrey Porter 

I saw Moses, beckoning to me,

Asking if I would like to stand beside him

On the rock where he stood.   

Abandoning my fear of height, I began climbing.

I never saw rock climbing as a sport,

Moses kept shouting to me climbing techniques.

 

Indefatigably, my strength, endurance, agility, and Balance were severely tested;

Climbing over gigantic shelves of rocks,

Like a small penguin on a cliff

I have become a rockhopper.

 

I am perched on one of the sharpest of these rocks;

Exasperatingly, I am panting and grunting

With exhaustion.

 

It was a supernatural feat.

Exhilaratingly, I finally reached the summit -

Outstripping the range of mortal sight

Standing beside Moses.

I always wanted to stand on the rock where Moses Stood.

The scenery was picturesque; breathtaking, it was a Stunning panoramic view.  

I saw a magical array of thousands and tens of thousands

Of tiny, twinkling lights

I spoke with Moses for a moment

I saw the Phoenix rising from the ashes

I saw fields and fields of scarlet roses

And romancing eagles. 

Moses had a longing for the promised land

Where he belonged.

Copyright Geoffrey Porter

 

Note:

In Greek mythology the phoenix is an indomitable bird that was said to burn itself to death in a fire every five or six centuries and be born again rising from the ashes.  

 

 

The best laid plans

 The best laid plans

By Christopher Mathews

 

The best laid plans of mice and men often fail and fail again.

They come to naught or grief or pain - but the world goes round and round the same

 

Such is all their worth

 

The fieldmouse builds her home in vain, just before the ploughman came

to strip the soil, her straw built shed and leave her tiny offspring dead.

 

Beneath the naked earth

 

‘House for sale, with mountain scenes, on the shores of Tyrrhenian Seas.

Herculaneum, a seaside town’ - built on hubris - that deadly ground.

 

A city built on mirth

 

Fool! the man who builds on sand and takes not heed for how he plans

Come soon or late, our end will come and what is left of all we’ve done?

 

Unless you have new birth

 

-o0o-

The above was inspired by the Robert Burns poem, To a Mouse.)

 

Copyright Christopher Mathews, June 2026

THE EVICTION

THE EVICTION 

By Peter Woodgate

 

Whilst dozing by the telly and well into a dream

Tranquility was shattered by a piercing scream

It seems Jo’s mum telephoned to say she’d seen a mouse

She wasn’t going to sleep a wink what’s more she’d sell the house.

When Jo regained composure she said don’t worry mum

Pete will come right over armed with torch and gun.

So, off I go to Tallow Gate to exorcise the beast

Being told it was quite big, two foot six at least.

When I get there Mum’s in the chair her skirt up to the light

“Can you see it?” She remarks, not a pretty sight.

“It went into the hall,” she says, as big as a bloody cat.

“Where did it come from? Where’s it gone? Do you think it is a rat?

And so with torch in hand I search each darkened place

And then inside the bathroom I see a tiny face

It’s poking out beside the bin, I have him now, I think

But out the little bleeder shoots, he’s quicker than a blink.

Down the hall and round the bend and into mums bedroom

I’ll never get him now, I’m sure, that’s what I assume

But just in time, help arrives, and Tony’s there on cue

“Well, what’s the score, how big is it and what is there to do?”

I saw that Tony came prepared and ready for the crunch

But with gloves and tea-towel I thought it more like lunch.

The tea-towel proved a master stroke and we cornered him at last

Pity that we wrecked the room and smashed a pane of glass.

We wrapped him in that tea-towel that scared and lonely mouse

And Tony set him free outside evicted from Big Momma’s house.

So in future if you see a rat or tiny mouse

Just call out catchers Pete and Tone no need then to grouse.

 

Copyright Peter Woodgate