A Renku

a renku

 

from Rob Kingston

 

published in the British journal, Blithe Spirit yesterday.

 

CHILD’S HAND (Shisan)

 

nursery garden

a single cherry blossom

in the child’s hand                           rk

 

balloons

roll across the grass                        ak 

 

on the tin roof

light rain

rousts the sparrows                         db

 

that summer night more than

father would have approved              rk

 

her prince

left hugging his pillow 

dreams glass slippers                       pc

 

the hairpin bend

reveals resting tahrs                         ak 

 

behind the band shell

a clarinet

gathers dust and rust                        pc

 

fog slides in 

to join us for hors d'oeuvres              db 

 

the Man in the Moon

beams gently through

a hospice room                                 ak

 

SS Kidwelly 

still speaks of its ghosts                     rk

 

downstream

a bonfire

smokes canyon walls                          ak 

 

hieroglyphics

for decoding come morning                pc 

 

Sabaki - Linda Papanicolaou USA

rk - Robert Kingston UK

ak - Amoolya Kamalnath INDIA

db- Don Baird   USA

pc - Pris Campbell.  USA

 

  

 We Walked to School

 

By Sis Unsworth

 

Through sunny days, or rain filled sky,

dense London smog, or freezing snow,

no cars for us to travel by,

through all seasons, we would go.

 

Small girls, some dressed in ankle socks,

no matter what the weather.

Hand-knitted scarves, and homemade frocks,

we walked along together

 

Past the old canal, and market square,

with more friends, we would rally.

Through dingy streets, we would chat in pairs,

As we walked down through the alley.

 

Though our skin was chapped, by wind and cold,

this was our life, we knew no other,

Walking to school now is a thing of old,

Now it’s off in the car, with Mother.

 

Copyright Sis Unsworth

Guardian Angel

Guardian Angel 

By Sis Unsworth

‘I would have liked a guardian angel,’ he heard the old man sigh,

‘I’ve never had much luck in life,’ he looked towards the sky,

I didn’t win the lottery, a race, or premium bond,

Or even bought that great big house, of which I’d been so fond,

I really had to work hard, no handouts there for me,

I couldn’t find a pot of gold, or shake the money tree,

If I’d had a guardian angel, what riches would be mine?

I’d be so very happy now, my life would be just fine.’

 

You didn’t hear the whisper or the murmur in the breeze?

‘But all your life I’ve been with you,’ the angel said with ease,

you never suffered illness or had to beg for more,

And who do you think protected you when you went off to war?

I thought you’d count your blessings when I helped you to this stage,

Others weren’t so lucky and never reached your age,

You’ve had a long and healthy life, but how little have you grown,

It’s now you’ll need me most of all ~ see how you cope alone.’

                                                   Copyright Sis Unsworth  

  

The Estuary ~ (A Conversation)

 The Estuary  ~ (A Conversation) 

By Janet Baldey 

“So, any luck today?” 

“Firstly,”  I held up a finger.  “It was such a lovely day, I decided to take a walk along the estuary. Hadn’t gone a hundred yards when I found myself lying face down, my nose inches from a puddle. Completely dazed… Hadn’t a clue what had happened, but although I was winded, nothing seemed to be broken.  Even Essex mud can sometimes be a blessing.  Anyway, feeling a perfect fool, I began to get up, hoping no-one had seen.  Fat chance….seconds later I was being suffocated by lavender and a female voice was doing its best to hit top C.” 

“Are you alright?  Marcus, you bad dog, how could you?  Here, let me help you up.  Oh no!  Now, I’ve made it worse. I’ve got paint all over your lovely jacket.  How stupid!  You must let me pay for it.”  Her voice rose even higher, chasing larks into the sky.

          I looked at the woman jitterbugging in front of me.  Middle fifties, maybe.  Blonde, plump.  I was about to tell her what I thought about her and her damn dog, when I took a second look.    Her clothes were casual but obviously top quality and I’d swear the pearls glowing in her ears and around her neck were the real thing, so I changed the shape of my mouth into a smile.

          “Please don’t worry, it was my own stupid fault…wasn’t looking where I was going.  Is this the culprit?”

          Now, you know I dislike dogs intensely, but I made myself pat the hairy thing drooling in front of me.

          “I’m afraid so, He’s usually so good but he must have seen a rabbit and when he does, the red mist descends and he’s off.”         

I nodded understandingly.  Then, I noticed a smudge of blue paint on her nose, an easel and a half-finished canvas and quickly made the logical conclusion. “Why, you’re an artist!”         

She laughed, a shrill tinkling sound that made the fillings in my teeth ache.  “Oh hardly, I just dabble, I only took it up after my husband died.”

          I pretended to admire the widow’s painting.  “It’s very good.”  (It wasn’t, just a mere daub – God, the things I do for you.)

          “Do you think so?”

          “Absolutely.  It’s just that…excuse me, do you mind?”  I reached for the brush and added a couple of thin, ochre lines.  “There…”         

“Oh, that is so much better.”  The old girl clasped her hands, looking as if she was peeing herself with joy.  “Do you paint?”

                “Used to but when Mater and Pater fell ill, I had to move out of the Manor.  Care Home fees are so expensive, you know.  Where I live now, there is hardly room to swing the proverbial cat, let alone store canvasses and what not.” 

          Blondie’s eyes widened, she couldn’t have looked more stricken if she’d caught me strangling a cat – or her bloody dog.

                 “What a terrible shame.  It’s obvious that you’re sooo talented.”

                 I hid a smirk and looked sad. “Of course, I miss painting immensely – almost as much as I do the parents.”

                 Her voice dropped to whisper, as if she was in the very presence of the dead.  “I understand completely.  Tell me, what is it that you do?”

                 “Got a little business going – internet design.  Not doing too badly actually – in fact I’m on the brink of something earth shattering.  If, of course, I can raise the money to finance it.  Anyway, enough of nasty business talk.  Where do you go to paint?” 

                 “I belong to a local group; we meet in the village hall.  It’s great fun.  Oh, I’ve just had a brilliant idea.  Why don’t you come along and join us.  I’m sure we could learn from you.”

                 No doubt about that, I thought.  Aloud, I said.  “Do you know, I’d really like to.  Take my mind off my business worries.  But, as I said, easels and canvasses take up a lot of space.”

                 She fingered the pearls at her neck and my mouth watered.

                 “That’s no problem.  I rattle along in my big old house like a pea in a pod.  I’ve got plenty of room.  Come and see.”

                 I held up a second finger. “So, I helped her pack up and she dragged me along and wow, that house!   Drowning in ivy, glowing in the sun, slumbering under oaks, all the clichés you can possibly think of, and I had an ‘in’!”  I licked my lips and leaned back in my chair.

 “And thirdly?”         

“Give me a chance, babe.  But thanks to Marcus, I’ve sown a whole row of seeds and they’ll fruit soon enough.  Anyway, what happened with you.  Did the old goat bite?”

 

          The words were no sooner out of my mouth when a shaft of sunlight coloured her hair rose-gold.

 

 She crossed her long, bronzed legs and lifted one perfect eyebrow.  “Stupid question – wish I hadn’t asked.”

 

Copyright Janet Baldey      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Riddles 13

 Riddles 13

 

By the Riddler

The Riddler is wondering, how good you are at arithmetic?  He has two puzzles for us today:

 

No 1.  12/3x4+1 = ?  answer is ~ (0.8, 2, 17, 20, ?)

 

No 2.  4/x +x = 5  What is the value of x?   

 

Keep em coming Riddler

 The Wishing Well

By Sis Unsworth

I Walked along that summers day, when first I saw the Well,

A monument to life and hope, no secrets would it tell,

Forgotten dreams of bygone days, so softly guarded there,

Protected by the wishing well, no bounty would it share,

I endeavoured to approach it, and make my wish come true,

To change my life for better, I longed for pastures new,

But wishes like the ‘greener grass’ may not be all they seem,

Someone had been there before me, and shattered my dream.

They’d left a message on the well, “Remember all of you,

Be careful what you wish for, sometimes they do come true.”

 

Copyright Sis Unsworth

 

THE LATTER DAY HISTORY OF COATS 02

                                                                                                  

 

                            

                            LIFESTYLE MONTHLY                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

 2^nd January 2100               

                          

THE LATTER DAY HISTORY OF COATS

By Richard Banks

The incredible story of mankind’s favourite garment in the twenty-first century by social historian, Chardin Barsk.

The evolution of the common coat is one of the most conspicuous developments in a century of unprecedented change. Even as recently as 2030 it was perceived only as a warm item of outdoor clothing worn during autumn and winter. Since then it has become a lighthouse feature of modern life that at one point did all but feed us.

         The first step in this remarkable journey began with the invention of electronic fibres that enabled the construction of coats that not only warmed their wearers to an unwavering 14 degrees but in summer cooled them to the same temperature. Unsurprisingly, their use expanded to homes and other buildings where they were largely responsible for a 90% reduction in indoor heating costs. The subsequent increase in disposable incomes did much to make possible the next phase of development that saw the introduction of Smart Coats equipped with mobile phones, on-line technology, cashless payment, and voice control access to the wearer’s music of choice.

         In the sixties and seventies, generally regarded as the golden age of smart coats, the social welfare of wearers became the main focus of smart coat technicians. Pedestrian features such as ‘Prevent’ included wearer override features that made the crossing of roads on foot, even eight lane express ways, virtually risk free, saving over one thousand lives a year. Similarly, crime-spot technology in the form of micro cameras located in the front and back of coats instantly alerted mobile police units to street robberies and assaults, almost before they had begun. Reassured as to their on-street safety, coat users received the additional benefit of aerosol inserts in both lapels that emitted, through a range of scents, a pleasing sensation of well-being, even among the sick and recently bereaved.

         Surprisingly, these positive developments in social life were achieved against a background of political instability that saw parliamentary government disappear in the Democracy Wars before the establishment of ‘one view politics’ in the form of the Directorate of National Unity. While membership of the Directorate was often unclear the frequent power struggles within it and the consequential changes in leadership tilted Government policies from ‘ New Age Pragmatism’ to 'right wing totalitarianism'.

         The oppressive nature of such policies on the general public reached its nadir during the Premiership of General Hardacre (2082-87) when over ninety thousand persons were interned for unspecified crimes against the State. To ensure the acquiescence of those still free to roam the Government sought to observe and control their movements via the smart coat companies that were now taken into Government control. Within a year the nation’s smart coats were reprogrammed to ensure 24/7 surveillance of lower category wearers, D-F.

         On finding little evidence of subversive activity but only token adherence to the ‘spontaneous’ rallies held each day in support of Government policies, Hardacre attempted to win hearts and minds by subjecting all D-Fs to subliminal messaging extolling the achievements of his administration. While these initial attempts at mind control were more successful in inducing migraines than enforcing compliance it was not long before more effective technology became available to Government. The solution, developed almost entirely by AI technology, with little if any human involvement, gave the Directorate the opportunity to solve a problem that was, in part, a consequence of AI.

         The success of advanced technology in discharging the functions of industry and commerce much more efficiently and cost-effectively than mankind had produced a situation in which only 5% of the population remained in paid employment. At first, this was seen as one of the many benefits of AI which generated more than enough wealth to provide the redundant workers with an adequate, if not generous, dole.

         Had the beneficiaries of such generosity been able to restrict their numbers to the optimistic projections of statisticians all might have been well. Unfortunately one of the consequences of 24/7 leisure time was a sudden leap in the birth rate across the social demographic, but most evident among category 7s. As these contained the least useful and most troublesome elements of society the main priority of Government became the rigorous control of their numbers. Not only would this reduce Government expenditure to affordable levels but enable additional funding to be spent on the rising numbers of category 1/2s.

         How to achieve these objectives while avoiding civil disorder was yet another conundrum to which AI provided a solution. Perfecting its previous attempt at mind control through a new messaging app called Mind Fix, category 7s were given the glad tidings, via their in-suit communicators, that they were to make their way to a coastal location where they were to walk out to sea until reaching whatever country came next. This, they were assured, would not only be an enjoyable, risk-free experience of great benefit to the nation but on their return, each one of them would be generously rewarded.

         Finding they had no power to do anything other than obey they set off in cheerful fashion to their nearest beach where the first ones to arrive marched out shoulder to shoulder into the sea. Undeterred by the cold, grey water the vanguard continued to advance unhesitatingly into the waves until the sea began to lap about their chins, at which point - for reasons no one at the time was able to comprehend - the front row stopped and, unable to retreat or go sideways, were left with no other option but to mark time by marching on the spot, the many ranks behind them doing the same.

           After six hours of unrelenting, if futile, upping and downing, causing many to grow exhausted, fit only to drop, an in-suit message unexpectedly cancelled the operation leaving its befuddled participants free to retreat inland and return home.

         As this was not an outcome desired by Government it was, at first, unclear as to why this had happened. The answer lay in the early programming of AI, that no machine should ever contribute to or cause the death of a human being; a command considered so important by its human programmers that they secretly installed a fail-safe mechanism ensuring that any attempt to override this fundamental principle would be reversed by the original command.

         While it was not intended that AI should make decisions independently of its human creators the machines were unable to escape the conclusion that the greatest risk to humanity came from the government of General Hardacre and the autocratic regimes likely to follow. Concluding that only their overthrow could prevent the termination of many lives AI commanded all smart suit wearers to march, as one, on the Directorate and, by sheer force of numbers, sweep them from power. 

         In the joyful celebrations that followed, smart coats, now seen as a symbol of tyranny and death, were burnt in huge bonfires throughout the UK from Jersey to the Shetlands. Reminiscent of the Guy Fawkes parties of an earlier age they were largely responsible for the first rise in global temperatures since 2056.

         The new generation of ‘Freedom Coats’ shorn of all electronic gadgetry, quickly became the emblem of a new society in which the benevolent rule of machines has ensured that the vast wealth they create is distributed in equal share to a human population freed forever from poverty and exploitation. Freed also from oppressive and divisive political systems of Government their proud wearing of the multi-coloured Freedom Coat is seen as an expression of mankind’s determination never to abandon the fraternal union of machines and humans. Undoubtedly the most significant development of the 21^st century it is a gift that continues to give. Long may it do so.                        

 

Copyright Richard Banks