Prose ‘Tony’ is a snapshot of a working class Catholic life in 1960s Northern Ireland. Told from the perspective of the title character, the story offers a sensitive unpacking of day-to-day existence amid a climate of anxiety and religious persecution. Tony sat at the kitchen table, his blank homework sheet out in front of him. …
Prose Reflecting on formative school years, Kirsty Lawie’s ‘Onions’ navigates the labyrinths of memory, identity, and womanhood through the troubles of adolescent life. It’s been a year, maybe, since I was last in here, and that was the first time in a few years. It has been even longer since I would have last been …
Poetry A short poem from Judith Taylor revels in the fleeting moment of personal interactions where rude behaviour turns into a moment of shame. Blink and you’ll miss it: that fleeting moment of regret, when it dawns on Schrodinger’s Asshole that no-one’s laughing and they’re going to have to work a little on …
Poetry Starting with the destruction of a tree Lucy Wiggins’ poem laments the loss of the natural environment and asks us to imagine a world before. Today I saw a video of a tree getting cut down, It screamed and trashed as the ground destroyed its crown, Its rings of age exposed to the air, …
Poetry RS Kendle poetically examines the figurative and literal landscape of the north of Scotland, tracking a return home along the iconic A96. The driver scowls at my ticket, “A return to Aberdeen? You’re far from home.” I look out at the unfamiliar landscape, a mosaic of sandstone and ponderous clouds. “Yes. Yes I …
Poetry Blending emotional experience and political analysis, Or Just Standing? is a howl against racial an economic oppression in modern America. All the truth comes storming outOf candle lit backroomsLighting them one by oneCandle by candle Of throttlingsShootingsGassingsThrashings LynchingsForget about that just go back to work. Lucky you still have a job And lootingsWhat of …
Poetry Turning away from her characteristic use of Shetland dialect, Hannah Nicholson likens the experience of depression to a leech. A popular term for depression Is ‘the black dog’, and sufferers Are described as ‘dancing with it’. While that comparison works well, I find it to be more like a leech, And a particularly greedy …
Prose Presenting a window into life with autism Daniel Kearns’ short fiction ‘ Phone Call’ offers sensitive insight into neuro-divergent experience. CW: Neurodiversity (autistic character featured) The day was bright and sunny, a few small clouds dotting an otherwise clear blue sky, a fewbirds flying past while singing to one another. A cool, subtle breeze …
Poetry Turning her usually anthropocentric eye towards nature’s glory, Hannah Nicholson renders a calm, dewy morning with bright air and Girse. Hit’s a cöl, bright voar moarnin’ Whan I step oot intae da back green Wearin’ juist me night claes An’ me bare feet. Da sun hings idda sky Bright an’ shinin’ abön me, An’ …
Poetry In a poetic rendering of her native Shetlandic dialect Hannah Nicholson muses on the importance of Brae – a village on the Shetland mainland. Hit’s fairly grown an’ cheenged ower da years But den so am I, so ir we aa’. Whin I wis peerie, da neebirs wir fine, Da skule wis full, an’ …
