....to bring us back to the truth, to a consciousness of what we need,
to those deep desires for justice and meaning, for respect and commonality,
for freedom from debt, from the monomaniacal ideology that creates
the plantation and calls it the world.
.
In Spring
Luciano has passed away – sign on the café door.
Don’t close your eyes in Spring, even for a second.
So much happens. Just for a day I missed
the ornamental cherry where the paths meet
and now the fat baubles of blossom are gone,
laying as petals at the crosspath like pink-tinged snow
on the long-trumpet daffodils.
In the café the gardeners have made a gift of primroses.
Every table has one. They are for Luciano.
At the Gaggia machine which makes too-strong coffee
Lydia sees primroses everywhere she looks.
Her sadness is unrelenting. The counter
is a barrier to holding her.
It makes me ashamed to be happy
in front of her and the primroses
when I remember that Luciano has gone.
At the table I am composing a letter
to Ali in Mosul. I am saying Yes. Spring.
The lesser celandine, now it’s everywhere,
the big-starred and the little-starred.
While I walked in the woods today
I sent thoughts to you of blackbirds and robins.
As they flitted from tree to tree I imagined
orange and yellow tracer fire across the path.
But it was quiet there, not like war at all, just as loud
as the fluttering wings of birds on branches.
I am writing at the café table. In my arms
is my sweet baby who took her first steps
when I was looking the other way. I missed them.
She has soft brown hair and the sweetest nature.
People looking at her almond eyes
ask if there is any Chinese in the family.
They crowd around us, cooing about life
in the shadow of Lydia’s grief. Oh Lydia,
keep your sweet faith. Don’t die inside.
..
Willesden Short Story Prize 2012: RESULTS by Steve Moran
(film recording from Katy Darby's You Tube channel)
The very affable and amiable Stephen Moran announces the winners of this
year's competition. Stephen is a great champion of the short story form and
through his founding of the competition, and via many other venues, he has
given great encouragement and support to many others, including myself.
Buy the book here
.
There is about half a white moon tonight
There is about half a white moon tonight
against that exquisite blue the colour
of bottled ink. It sits over the bus shelter
by the all-night shop where boys will fight
later over drugs or girls. In the early morning
the unremitting boldness of a few drops
of some fool’s blood pressed from his lips
by other lips, or by a fist without warning,
will look blue against the pavement stone,
and later as the sky lightens to its autumn white
some commuter may see these drops are shot
through like small red scattered leaves thrown
by an oracle from a cave, and that each leaf
is lettered with the story of itself.
I was lost in the sight of the moon.
The moon was beautiful, careless, and aloof.
…
Mikey Delgado
from the Pretend Genius Press anthology
Last Night’s Dream Corrected
...they tell me if I don’t show them how to link it up to the tv
they’re going to send my toes back to Danville in the box that
the highly durable, quality feel, sports attachments came in.
.
Stuck for Christmas / Hanukkah / birthday present ideas?

Amazon.co.uk £7.99, includes free delivery in the UK
The Book Depository £7.99, includes free delivery worldwide
laughing mushroom press
-------------
-----------
Works of art are of an infinite solitude, and no means of approach is so useless as criticism.
RM Rilke
----

Willesden Herald International Short Story Prize
Get your entries in, the deadline is approaching,
the trophy has been polished and shined and put on public display.
Closing date for entries : 16 Dec. 2011
"It's time to bring those wild stories down from the high mountain passes,
throw a bucket of water over them, and lead them into town for the annual
gala. They don't have to be wild horses, they might be butterflies or bottles
of moonshine - surprise us.
The judge for this year is the incomparable Roddy Doyle. So please let us have
your finest new short stories. Thanks."
-----
The woman skating reminds us of the white dust
somehow, of the powdered bones in the rutted field.
......

Willesden Herald
New Short Stories 5
For the price of 4 cups of London coffee, some longer lasting nourishment.
Buy via here
-------
Skanking to Captain Ska in the kettle.
via dvorakoa
-----
Original Captain Ska video and download links here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQFwxw57NBI
.
Gregory Isaacs, The Cool Ruler - R.I.P
Brixton Academy 1984
Front Door
----------
Slave Master
Everytime I hear the music and I make a dip........
(All 13 parts of this, from the late golden age of reggae,
are here in the uploads list - big up Betopoa09
http://www.youtube.com/user/BETOPOA09 )
.
Now Available -
order from Laughing Mushroom Press,
or via Amazon
or any good bookshop.

Life and War with Mikey Fatboy Delgado

Before Hutton, before Butler, before Chilcot,
Mikey Fatboy Delgado was looking into the matter...
In the spring of 2003 the Iraq war is underway and
Mikey is almost all in favour of it. It makes for good
television and is improving his sex life. If only the BBC
would sort out those green pictures of fighting in the
dark he might even be prepared to cough up for a licence.
And if only corrupt policing and the amount that Blair grins
weren't so unsettling he would be able to relax and enjoy
watching the highlights of the fighting more.
***************
“Saddam has bitten the kids and pissed on
the mat and eaten our ganja and he won’t
stop fucking barking, so bosh, ta-ta, thanks
for all the fish, and fucking goodnight Irene.
Your services are no longer required, Saddam.
You are going up the motorway, pal.”
“You’re a nasty fucker. We’re nasty fuckers.
We’ve got the big battalions, you’ve got fuck
all. Out you go. Goodnight Irene.”
***********************







































