Epitaph on a TyrantW. H. Auden, 1907 - 1973   Perfection, of a kind, was what he was after, And the poetry he invented was easy to understand; He knew human folly like the back of his hand, And was greatly interested in armies and fleets; When he laughed, respectable senators burst with laughter, And…Read more SUBSTANDARD


  He was of an age to remember when mention of the word would make him blush and titter and now, a distant memory, one flushed with nostalgia and regret. The youth today, he heard people complain, think it's a service you can dial like fast food delivery. The word? Lust.


  He tears the place apart. He feels drained and empty. She tells him he's selfish and pathetic. He refuses to believe her, dismisses her as a ranting, spiteful, jealous woman, bent on revenge. 'You can't feel anything," she screams. She's right, he knows, but his feelings aren't lost, they're hidden. Image: Addran - DeviantArt  …Read more HIDDEN

Donkey Race in Lixnaw

An old short story from Postcard from a Pigeon and Other Stories

Postcard from a Pigeon


I knew none of my companions before that evening. Yet here we were, all five of us, striding with intent, to our common destination.
A full moon swung in the air like a bare bulb in a dingy pub toilet. The path  was wet and slimy from that evening’s summer downpour,  slippy from the sodden daily grime of a country town’s streets, chip grease, spilt beer, puke and chewing gum. We trudged along purposefully and, it must be said, tipsily.
We were seeking arbitration and judgement on something that on a summer’s evening in a small town in north west Kerry raised issues as fundamental as birth and birthright.There was close to 750 Euro  in side bets involved too.
It’s amazing what a night of carousing can be had from a summer’s night in a country pub with a town festival and carnival in full swing. The posters we…

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How Cool Works in America Today

By David Brooks If you grew up in the 20th century, there’s a decent chance you wanted to be like Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Humphrey Bogart, Albert Camus, Audrey Hepburn, James Dean or Jimi Hendrix. In their own ways, these people defined cool. The cool person is stoical, emotionally controlled, never eager or needy, but instead…Read more How Cool Works in America Today