STORY AND POEM OF THE MONTH

Our Story and Poem for the month of April has very kindly been selected by Parson Thru:

Poem:

 

Pick of the Month, Di_Hard hits the nail on the head https://www.abctales.com/story/dihard/change-address digging into our attachment to bricks and mortar - spiritual, rather than the more usual financial.  Her well-chosen metaphor strikes a chord with many.

 

seafret https://www.abctales.com/story/seafret/platform-remembering produces a crisp piece with a lingering image.  A perfect setting for the encounter.  Well rendered.

 

londoncalling74's poem https://www.abctales.com/story/londoncalling79/wear-and-tear-ip really gets under one's skin and hints at a great sadness and finding one's way.

 

scorpio88 strikes a productive seam https://www.abctales.com/story/scorpio88/misophonia using a poetic style to voice the horror of those small but sickening sounds and teaching me something I didn't know about myself.

 

Prose:

 

Pick of the Month: TJW.  On a personal level, I tend to recoil from this genre these days, but I've chosen this piece https://www.abctales.com/story/tjw/frailtywhich is written with great sensitivity.  It caught me early with the thoughtfully deployed Steinbeck quote.  The language of military action shouldn't scare anyone away, but invite them in to take a closer look.  We, after all, are the public who delegate the fight to TJW's protagonists.  We are equally happy to forget about them when they return.  TJW brings them back into our field of vision.  Forget "heroes".  It's just the everyday.  The commonplace.  Doing their job.  TJW has that down to a "t" in this piece.

 

Schubert's part 1 https://www.abctales.com/story/schubert/gladsheim-part1 is a delightful insight into group dynamics and the world of the residential event for those of us who might never experience it and, equally, those who have.  I love the image of the powerful Nordic icebreakers.  Who wouldn't?  Schubert obviously knows the territory.  Great hook into part 2.

 

fatboy74's cheeky dystopianism https://www.abctales.com/story/fatboy74/spank-monkey might set your teeth on edge, but why should it?  Awful, yet familiar.  Like all readable future fiction, there's something worryingly feasible in this tale.

 

alexislebaroudeur's piece https://www.abctales.com/story/alexislebaroudeur/misery-flight is the first part in a series that promises much in its telling and imagery.  Nicely shared through the observant innocence of a child.

 

airyfairy's tale https://www.abctales.com/story/airyfairy/tower-strength-ip-part-4-4is another peek into a viable future proposition.  Her "Fat Rascal" rings a bell.  Great Peter, maybe.