Story and Poem of the Month

Our Story and Poem of the Month for July, very kindly chosen by Mark Say:

Picks of the Month July 2025

 
Poem

 
I wasn’t looking for it, but sadness seemed to be a strong theme in the stand-out poems this month,
and the efforts to convey more painful emotions touched me strongly.
For poem of the month I’ve opted for The Daughter-Wife by misskelizabeth. It conveys the pressures
of a tragic, grief affected childhood, with some short and powerful metaphors in concise and vivid
language. But it’s underpinned by a demonstration of strength which I found quite moving.
Altogether a tour de force.
ttps://www.abctales.com/story/misskelizabeth/daughter-wife
It was narrowly ahead of bmw by JupiterMoon, another example of how to use simple images to
convey a torrent of emotion, this time focused on the grief for an elderly parent who is slipping into
dementia. There’s a beautiful sadness in this.
https://www.abctales.com/story/jupitermoon/bmw
A couple of other stand-outs are: Hear the children cryin’ by Caldwell, the depiction of a dream that
conveys the emotional strain of watching the decline of a parent; and another – this one more
upbeat – from misskelizabeth, Cap and Crown, a declaration of determination in the face of a major
challenge in life.
https://www.abctales.com/story/caldwell/hear-children-cryin
https://www.abctales.com/story/misskelizabeth/cap-and-crown#comment-811855

 
Story
Story of the month was another close call between two very different stories. After some agonising
I’ve opted for The Watchers in the Walls by Jessiibear, an eerie story that moves into a murky
blending of the supernatural and paranoia about technology. It’s conveyed by brief memories and
stark images that leave the reader disoriented but has a powerful, chilling effect.
https://www.abctales.com/story/jessiibear/watchers-walls
And a close second is An Afternoon in Lausanne by Caldwell, a brief recollection of a short reunion
with someone from a relationship of years before. I like the way that it steers clear of any big drama
and just hints at the emotions involved, while conveying that they have had the power to linger in
the hearts of the characters.
https://www.abctales.com/story/caldwell/afternoon-lausanne
I’ll also give nods to a couple of two-parters: No Johnny No by Jolono, a hard hitting story about
male vulnerability sinking into violent despair; and Harmers by celticman a powerful tale about a
doctor confronted by a young woman with severe mental health issues, and obviously from a
poisonous environment.
https://www.abctales.com/story/jolono/no-jhnny-no-1-2
https://www.abctales.com/story/jolono/no-johnny-no-2-2
https://www.abctales.com/story/celticman/harmers

https://www.abctales.com/story/celticman/harmers-2