Comfit Comforts – The sweetness of a black tongue
1963 and five-year-old me. The Beatles had released their first 2 albums, and their first 2 singles had reached first place in the UK music charts. Doctor Who and The Daleks made their first appearance on TV screens. These things penetrated into my little brain, but the John F Kennedy assassination, Harold Wilson becoming leader […]
Ruby’s Prompts 2024 Week One Prompt one — ‘Read or Die’
Brewed in the land of Macbeth, Fraser’s form slid from the cauldron, a messy mixture, at best. Trying to describe it, takes some moxie, but I’ll give it a go… Inside the head, there is a jungle of twisted leaves and thorns, signs of ‘No Trespassing’, and dangerous swamps and traps. Hidden under the skin […]
Thinking About Writing for Wellbeing – And what it means to me
Wellbeing is something that can be difficult to define exactly as it is so subjective, but I think it is safe to say that it revolves somewhere around the ideas that any individual might have relating to their best possible health and contentment at any given point in time. In itself, that is a bit […]
Moving Forward – And feeling very positive
I know that many people can find January a bit dismal and disappointing after being very active and celebrating during the winter break, and others may be struggling a little to get back into a normal routine of working, and maybe cutting back on food, drink, finances. If you are in these positions, I wish you well, […]
Pondering Life – And how it relates to ongoing reading and writing in 2024
First and foremost: Happy New Year to all of you finding this little bit of prose. I hope you all have a great year ahead of you generally, and more especially if you are a reader or writer (or both) on Medium. I aim to be busy reading and writing this year, and hopefully that […]
Island of Silence – Tranquil existence
Listen! Nothing! I live in the middle of the city, and I have my windows open on this beautiful day, despite the cold. If I listen harder, it’s still nothing, not even the resident magpies in the trees, for now. Oh there, the vague sound of a train, and now, the hospital helicopter in the […]
The Day Efter The Morra – A poem in Scots
Aye!gonnae no’ dae thatah wish ye widnaeit’s affy annoyin’like ye ken richt wellwhit effect ye wannae huv it’s aye bettertae laugh like a loonor gie it laldyin a’ that ye daeinsteed o’ bein’ a scunnerjist dinnae fash yer heid or jist gie’s a wee smilewithoot a’ the crabbit stuffor if yer doon in the moothjist […]
Glaikit – Or embracing the slow life
“Where am I?” This is my rallying cry as I grow into the third age. It is not about being physically lost. It is more about needing an assessment of progress on thinking journeys. I take my thinking for a walk most days, living alone allowing me to do that without derogatory comments coming my […]
In My Garden There Is A Tree – Full of red berries
I live in a place where the interior can often be disappointing, but the exterior performs so much better in the shape of the plants, shrubs, lawns and magnificent, mature trees contained within the gardens. One of those trees is looking particularly magnificent right now. It is a holly tree, or some kind of hybrid, […]
Coming Up For Breath – Fresh perspectives are a bonus
Having spent my first 3 weeks on my university course, and working with new people, re-establishing a regular writing practice (albeit for university purposes), I am already beginning to make decisions, at least in my head, about where I want to take my writing, both within the course, and after (hopefully) completing the course in […]