marandina

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I have 212 stories published in 27 collections on the site.
My stories have been read 445967 times and 284 of my stories have been cherry picked.
1313 of my 4,282 comments have been voted Great Feedback with a total of 1328 votes

Trusted critic
marandina's picture
Paul

I am a Brummie living in Northampton who loves to write but gets distracted with other things. I enjoy horror/fantasy and anything that provokes original thought.

My literary heroes are Clive Barker, Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe and HP Lovecraft. Everyone should read George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-four .

I have work published by AlienBuddha Press, Loft Books, BlackBough Poems, DarkWinter Literary Magazine and Paragraph Planet.

You can find me on SoundCloud at https://soundcloud.com/user-62051685

on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BeeRummie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beerummie/

at Bluesky @marandina.bsky.social

and at Threads https://www.threads.net/@beerummie

 

My stories

Cherry

Black Holes and Revelations

Virgin light skimmed a newborn sky, shards shimmered, brokered a diurnal vista, an eternal journey fired once more, beatific beams embarked on their...
Cherry

New Amsterdam

Our electric train glided to a stop, humanity spilled onto waiting platforms, worn stairs signposted sidewalk Heaven, steam rose from polluted Subway...
Cherry

Forgotten Souls

I see you late at night, as daylight’s candle flickers out, empyrean canvas painted black, stars of alabaster speak in hushed tones. Moonlight beams...
Cherry

Corinne of the School Disco

Steve “Stevo” Mason looked at his watch. He was always checking the time like it might go faster through the power of his gaze. He knew the bell was...

The Banquet (Competition entry max 1,000 words)

I live in a mansion in the country. This is no ordinary mansion; it’s an M&S mansion. Well, it’s not actually but it does house a library of...

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1313 of my comments have received 1328 Great Feedback votes

1 Vote

Nicely done with a subtle

Posted on Sat, 12 Aug 2023

Nicely done with a subtle twist at the end. The dialogue is great blended in with the observations. Another deft tale that's so readable

[Should that say "Last week I took all my courage..."?] 

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Posted in A confession

1 Vote

"... that stand madonna

Posted on Fri, 11 Aug 2023

"... that stand madonna serene in the muddy mess.."

 

Holy cows, for sure. Revered in India and allowed to roam where ever and whenever they want. You are right, we owe them so much. Really enjoyed your poem :) 

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Posted in Holy Cows

1 Vote

"... weedkiller smell hangs

Posted on Thu, 10 Aug 2023

"... weedkiller smell hangs in humid air

a shroud..."

 

The desecration of nature. Beautifully articulated, of course. And moving. The bumblebee sums up so much about what's fragile in the natural world. Paul 

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Posted in begone

1 Vote

I agree that decaf wine is a

Posted on Wed, 09 Aug 2023

I agree that decaf wine is a crime against humanity. Coffee is an interesting one. My son adores his coffee and makes the proper stuff every day with his special machine that makes all those whirring noises as it does its thing in the kitchen. Me...

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Posted in Scorn Not His Djezve

1 Vote

"Because I'm eighty-eight

Posted on Wed, 09 Aug 2023

"Because I'm eighty-eight
they call me an old geezer
but I'm not as ancient
as the Tower of Pisa..."

 

What a wonderful, opening stanza Luigi. Adroitly done with your customary humour and talent for poetry. Enjoy...

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Posted in A Precarious Situation

1 Vote

"...a place where the

Posted on Wed, 09 Aug 2023

"...a place where the elemental 

is welcome, willing familiars

that bring so many blessings;"

 

Another dreamy, journey into nature with Jenny. Very lovely, of course. And an adorable pic. Paul :)

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Posted in Shelter For The Weary

1 Vote

Juggling so many characters

Posted on Tue, 08 Aug 2023

Juggling so many characters with believable dialogue is no mean feat. You do that really well which makes this so readable. I know it's a story that's been going for a while. Keep going. Paul 

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Posted in Ain't Nobody (Bring Out Your Dead series - Part 29)

1 Vote

"further down the beach

Posted on Wed, 09 Aug 2023

"further down the beach

a boy rides a horse 

across hallowed sand."

 

Wonderfully evocative, Richard. You live amongst such beauty. A lucky man, you are. Paul 

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Posted in Farewell Sunlight's Delight

1 Vote

I like the contrast between

Posted on Wed, 09 Aug 2023

I like the contrast between the dialogue at the start and the escape into nature. Beautiful poetry kicks in like "..soul silent a pale shape glides between trees, perches.." And how wonderful, an owl! [Is that the owl pic on FB?]. A pleasure to...

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Posted in wising up

1 Vote

The last line is no surprise.

Posted on Tue, 08 Aug 2023

The last line is no surprise. Alfred has limited patience. Onwards to a new job, I imagine.. 

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Posted in There’s a new sick line, for calling in sick apparently! By Alfred Muggins, Call Centre Agent!

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