Mummy’s on the floor,

I shout with breath like marbles

rolling across the table.

There is a stone in my chest

A Lego under my foot

A box of crayons knocked over,

Flailing like sailors thrown

Overboard.

Sniff

Sniff

Smell fear

Smell panic

Smell death

Smell the smell of the smell of

The smell of

Gone.

I bite my lip,

Shocked like a TV frozen

On static.

My my my my my my my

Daughter my daughter.

R...

My mummy had let at five o’clock. She is going over to her friends house. Granny is looking after me while she is away.

Cas had texted me at six o’clock. It read, “ Hey Mum, I’m heading home soon. How’s Ellie? And Dax? See you soon.”

Old is over. I like when old is over. She gives me extra treats and puts gravy in my food.

It’s eight o’clock and mummy’s on her way home, she texted granny and sa...

Today I awoke to the scream from my kettle. Stream rolled out, like starving birds in winter. Droplets thrashed down into a sun blushed doily, before ambling away over the kitchen counter. I’ll try and move it later. Could that loathsome kettle actually be a fleeting distraction? In some awful way it was. So easily am I distracted from today’s mission. The big one. Opening that damn shoe box again...

As a child everyithing seemed bigger than it actually was. Even people looked like they were as tall as buildings! Or, well, maybe not quite as tall but almost! She wondered if her grandpa was thinking the same thing about her, because she was so small compared to all the people in the room. He was smiling and telling her a story about her daddy, when he was as small as she was now and she had to ...

The wool is soft beneath my fingers. My needles click together, looping the speckled blue. It won’t be long before my blanket is finished. Well, her blanket. Little Gina is only six, but she asks me questions that I can’t answer.

“Grandpa?” she begins in her angelic way, “why was I born this way?”

She never means it as a complaint- it’s always pure curiosity. While the other children run around...

Child: <cross between anger and a whine >”I didn’t spill the milk!”

Older: <amused>”Then who did?”

Pet: *I hope they don’t realize it was me* as he sheepishly rounds the end of the hallway leading out of the kitchen, with black tail tucked tightly between his legs.

Child: “I don’t know.” <with bottom lip polking out>

Older: “Since ‘I don’t know’ isn’t here right now, then you will have to clea...

Oh, no, the old man sees me.

I didn’t mean to throw the ball over the fence.

Spike and I were just playing fetch,

And I threw too hard.

He sees me out the window.

He’s going to yell at me.

I’m scared.

I should go inside.

That dang kid tossed his ball in my yard.

Probably playing with that stupid mutt.

I had a dog like that once.

But mine was trained!

It looks juts like my dog.

I played ball with...

I didn’t want to go to school today so I pretended to be sick. I poured the glass of four-day old milk on my carpet, in the toilet and a little bit on me. Now I just need to go and show my mummy and daddy.

Yayyy... they let me have the day off. I can now watch my tv and watch iCarly all day. I can’t wait for today and thank goodness it’s a Friday because it means I can have a three-day weekend. W...

My Great Aunt Violet loves to read me stories about dogs. She has two dogs and I love to play with them when I am at her house! We are on our way there now! They always are so happy to see me! We are here! We are here! The dogs are barking to let my Great Aunt know I am here! They like to jump and lick me! They are so much fun!

My Great Niece Morena is on her way. She is such a sweet, lo...

the world is ending

there is fire in the sky

acid pouring down

the roars of monsters echo

through the streets

and yet

everyone continues on

as if

we are not near the end

the world is ending

all is quiet

as it has been for a while

sound has long since left me

even still

it remains

i watch as my granddaughter

jumps in fright

as flashes of light

signal the booming sounds

it’s raining

or maybe it...