Story and Poem of the Month

September was a really great month on ABC Tales, with lots of new members and some fantastic work from both newcomers and regulars.  It's been a joy to go back and read so much good stuff, but choosing was very, very hard.
 
Story of the Month is Noo's brilliant three-parter 'Land and Water'.  The writing is exceptional, drawing the reader completely into this trio of moving stories, which are both intensely intimate and universal:
 
Honourable Mentions (and I started off with a list as long as my arm) go to Charlie77's 'Beauty'  and hudsonmoon's 'Life and Death Under The Hudson'.  You couldn't get a greater contrast.  'Beauty' is a genuinely chilling tale, but with the compassion and humanity found in all great horror stories.  'Life and Death...' is a warm, funny, generous slice of autobiography from one of our very best writers. Both have a lot to say about the human condition:
 
Poem of the Month goes to Philip Sidney's 'Talking To My Mother'.  It's beautifully written, and unerringly skewers the contradictions, conflicts and frustrations of our ongoing relationships with those we have lost:
 
Honourable Mentions (again, from a very long original list) go to onemorething's 'New World' and Di Hard's 'wings, late summer'.  'New World' captures the physical beauty of a sea voyage and uses it to explore the other, more personal voyages we all face and fear.  'wings, late summer' wheels and soars, offering clarity and perspective on what's going on below:
 
Thanks again to all our brilliant writers, and the brilliant readers whose comments and encouragement are the heart of ABC Tales.