Story and Poem of the Month

Long-time, much respected, very valued ABCtales editor and professional writer Mark Say stepped in to scrutinise this months writing and his decision has just come in.  Here’s what he has to say:

Poem -

My Other Life Is – Philip Sidney

http://www.abctales.com/story/philip-sidney/my-other-life

This impressed me because it is simultaneously simple, clever and perceptive.  It uses a few well-chosen words to create a sense of contentment and then contrasts that sharply with a relentless series of frustrations, before finally resolving itself with a few words on how the narrator finds the balance between the two.  It conveys a lot about how people manage to carry on when life gets tough, and hints at an underlying optimism.

Story -

Another Baby - macmanaman

http://www.abctales.com/story/mcmanaman/another-baby-0

This does a great job in conveying the anticipation of an event that is both everyday and dramatic and how it can stir the emotions of people who are only briefly touched by it.  It's an intriguing snapshot of an event that adds a little to the richness of the lives of all the people in the pub; and it is true to life in showing that, very often, most people don't experience the conclusion of these little dramas.  Short, sharp and quite uplifting.