marandina

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I have 218 stories published in 27 collections on the site.
My stories have been read 509962 times and 294 of my stories have been cherry picked.
1369 of my 4,410 comments have been voted Great Feedback with a total of 1382 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

The Horses of Wooldale Road (Part 1 of 3)

The Horses of Wooldale Road (Part 1 of 3) In Norse mythology, it is said that the Norns spin the threads of fate at the foot of the tree of the world...
Cherry

Christmas Time

Silent reflections of latter day Saints, Kings and martyrs in Christian lore. Magi bearing gifts, led by a star, instructed by Herod, malevolence...
Cherry

Hibernal Solstice

Dark winter dawn broken by shards of sunlight beckoning the shortest day. A diurnal heraldry calling Jupiter and Saturn, a Christmas star forged by...
Gold cherry
Story of the week

It's (Still) a Wonderful Life

It had been difficult times for Jerry O’Halloran of late. Friends knew him as Down on his luck Jerry . It hadn’t always been this way. Jerry’s mother...
Cherry

Radio Times

A polyphonic spectrum of melody and sound, a rhapsody of composition, a toccata in fugue. Aural symphony, timpani, Marconi’s dream retold, Wireless...

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1369 of my comments have received 1382 Great Feedback votes

1 Vote

"Now only the weeping willow

Posted on Wed, 16 Aug 2023

"Now only the weeping willow

comforts our reflections.."

 

Another beautiful reverie and photo. Always a pleasure to read your reminiscences :) 

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Posted in Glancing Back

1 Vote

"...of being both the ghost

Posted on Thu, 17 Aug 2023

"...of being both the ghost and the haunted

that makes a cuckoo a cuckoo."

 

That's an insightful take on a notable bird. Thoughtful and, of course, beautifully written :) 

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Posted in The Loneliness of a Cuckoo

1 Vote

"...king of his domain

Posted on Tue, 15 Aug 2023

"...king of his domain
among his harem he will reign...."

A neat contrast shown between cow and bull. Succinct and neatly done, of course. And welcome back, Rhiannon. Paul :)

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Posted in Cow — and Bull

1 Vote

Ah so nicely done, Penny. I

Posted on Sun, 13 Aug 2023

Ah so nicely done, Penny. I do love a good ghost story and you certainly have one here. Really enjoyed. Paul 

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Posted in "Hug-a-lass"

1 Vote

Lovely to hear from you, Jean

Posted on Sun, 13 Aug 2023

Lovely to hear from you, Jean. It sounds like you are still in there, fighting this thing. So sorry to hear that about your friend. Your quality of writing defies the physical challenges you are encountering. These updates will be invaluable for...

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Posted in Dozey Bella and Cippy

1 Vote

 "See I have my visa

Posted on Fri, 11 Aug 2023

 "See I have my visa

in the form of white skin."

 

A searing poem, Turlough. You paint such a graphic picture with a story that, I imagine, is hard to re-tell.. Issues like this need constant profile until we finally get to...

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Posted in Trip of a Lifetime

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

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