Friday 28 May 2021

Rastus and me in the park (Chapter 2)

 


After my first encounter with Rastus we got on well. I suppose I had been a bit of  dog  in the past so he befriended me happy to go on walks with me. We are having one now and have stopped for a paws. (I know that’s a bad joke).

I find a bench in the park but it’s occupied by a young woman. So I sit at the end of the seat while Rastus after a shy glance at the girl sits closer to her. He is a real flirt and after checking to see any signs of canine aversion sits even closer to her. She is eating a baguette as it is lunchtime. Clearly he knows I didn’t bring food with us so he might get a treat from her.

His steely eyes focus on the baguette and he edges closer to her. So close in fact his chin is almost resting on her knee. Meanwhile I am watching the pigeons on the grass with one eye and the other on her. Her knees emerge enticingly from her dress. They are pretty knees and Rastus agrees and plonks his chin on them with a look saying “Surely you need some help eating that baguette.”

Compliantly she breaks a tiny piece from the baguette and gives it to him. He wolfs it down without touching the sides and he manages to lick her hand with the quickest of licks.

I cannot ignore their foreplay and decide to do something about it.

“Sorry”, I say, “He’s a bit forward”.

She turns to me; hell’s boots, she is beautiful. I could lick her too. I wonder whether she would mind?

“What’s his name?” She asks hardly looking at me.

“That depends I say. When he’s at home he is Tinkerbell but when he is with me he is Rastus.”

By mentioning his name he turns his attention from the baguette to me, affirming the statement.

Clearly Rastus is a bit annoyed that more baguette is not coming his way, so he decides to lick her toes. She squeals with delight looking at me as though I did it.

I wish I had.


361 words

Wednesday 26 May 2021

Waiting in the queue

           



I was brought up waiting
As a child in the war
Waiting to go to school
Waiting to ride a bike
Waiting for pocket money
Waiting for my birthday
Waiting for a girlfriend
Waiting for a first kiss
Waiting to watch a film
With lots of other kids
At the town's cinema

Then each day I was queuing
As a youth later on
Queuing the towns shops
Queuing at school's lunch time
Queuing to get the cane
Queuing in all the shops
Queuing in the schools toilet
Queuing at the bus stop
Queuing for everything
It seemed like everyday 
I didn't mind I was free


Image from www.Dreamstime.com

Sunday 23 May 2021

Rastus (Chapter 1)



I’ve always loved Rastus. That wasn’t his real name or my dog but I met him a few years back. He belonged to a neighbour of mine. Rastus didn’t know this, he thought he owned her. She wanted a dog so went to the dog pound to choose one finding Rastus there. When introduced they soon were friends. No too active as he’d been deprived of his private parts. Probably she was told the usual sob story of a placid dog wanting a companion. So he went home with her with his dog tag jingling on his collar. They don’t jingle these days as they are made plastic but she in her wisdom was entranced by this tinkling sound and called him Tinkerbell.

He settled in, soon making carnage of the back garden but she didn’t seem to mind. This is where I came in and before long I was spending few hours a week tidying the place up and acquainting myself with Tinkerbell. He was out of control so I suggested I take him for a walk after my gardening.. It took time for him to understand that I took him and not vice-versa. However by the time I returned him home he was walking by my side with an occasional glance up at me to knowig I was in charge.

Back home we were given a drink, me tea and Tinkerbell water. As I was sitting down in the Lounge Room chatting with my neighbour that I  noticed marks on furniture and cushions. I pointed out damage his teeth but she had not noticed them. Clearly her eyesight was fading. “Oh, Tinkerbell, you naughty boy,” she said.

I suggested he be given just one room in the house to stay in, preferably the kitchen or laundry when she was out and she agreed. He took no part in the conversation and decided he wanted to go into the garden so I got up and let him out and straight away he deposited a load in the rose bushes, reversed and then covered it with dirt.

He then looked up and grinned at me.

354 words

Saturday 22 May 2021

Back in school



                         



I dreamt I was back in school
Work in class and fun in the gym
Swinging high on the trapeze
Looking at te pretty girls
Who then look shyly away
Or stick their tounges out at me
Doing homework in bedroom
Parents say "Apply yourself"
Hoping that I'll be famous
Because I am not mundane
Was told off for acting up
Longing for a break in class
Or the sound of final bell
So I can walk to gardens
Were there are some swings to ride
Achieving a high curved arc
Like defying gravity
With kids gaping at my feat
Saisfying need to unwind
...the alarm rang...I woke up

Image from www.pixabay.com

Wednesday 19 May 2021

Welcome to the real world

 


I am old and have come to that time when I do need a list

For just about everything that I do in life

Sometimes it is easy such as shopping day

When first I need to check the the fridge and the larder

...and my wallet...and the bathroom...and just about

Everything else I look at each day but never have the sense

To write things down as I am not going to the shops just yet

Mind you I have often gone to the supermarket and found 

I don't have my shopping list with me anymore

So I search my memory after checking my Covid ap

That in Australia if you fail to do this you could be fined

Whether it is at the Newsagent, the Cafe, the Chemist

And every other trading place in town...so I am good

As the fine for failing to do so if caught is humungous


Illustration of Covid sign to put on mobile in Australia



Saturday 15 May 2021

The train stopped one night

 



The train stopped one night at old Farnham town

I used to live there but it made me frown

Memory hurt me I was courting Stella

But she ditched me for another fella

She was beautiful but played a game

Flicking her hair was a bweautiful dame

Couldn't dislike her , we went to the flicks

She was glad she always close the film picks

Each Friday was night we always meet

We would always try to get the same seat

We climber up the stairs ir was always best

Cuddled up together we had our nest

How sorrowful I was to lose this girl

This was like losing a precious pearl

She loved flowers I often bought her some

Courting is like that, win some lose sum

I know that now watching the falling leaves

Swirling around the platform under the eaves

I skipped out of my trainand stood by the wall

Why is it hard to lose the one and all?

Everything has changed oh how I missed her

Then I looked to platform the other side

Passengers gathering there for their ride

She hasn't seen me...but should have been my bride


Illustration found at www.Shutterstock.com


Wednesday 12 May 2021

Io and me in New Zealand (Chapter 13)

 


Our next destination was New Zealand itself. I explained to Io that the country was once known as Aotearoa and the native population was originally aggressive but was still a significant part of the population of the country’s two main islands. I told her that once when I visited on a cruise ship a young Maori woman would welcome you and rub noses with passengers as they disembarked!

Many Maori settlements still existed and were great tourist attractions for visitors. Both Maori , British and other colonists were all mixed now. We decided to hire a car and drive to a North island reserve with hot springs and geysers to get details of the male god Io that my Greek goddess Io was keen to learn about. She loved the warm welcome we and other tourists received and delighted in their greetings with the men dancing the Haka and women dancing the Poi. 

Later we were able to explore the reserve and ask questions. When I asked about their ancient god Io. One of the women dancers nodded pleased with us asking. She told us that a few older members of their tribe still talked about their ancestors gods and goddesses but in modern New Zealand almost all Maori had converted to Christianity but still maintained ancient customs and way of life as Aotearoa (New Zealand) was still their home.

Clearly then the Pacific Io had disappeared and no longer had worshippers and shrines anymore. My Io looked at me, shook her head sadly saying “Perhaps that is what will happen to me”.

I gave her a hug to comfort her, saying “You can come back to Australia and stay with me if you like”.

She smiled at me but shook her head. “No, I must return to Greece. However I will not forget you Robin".

I kissed her and we hugged each other for a long time; when I opened my eyes I was all alone.

A couple of days later I caught my plane for Adelaide and have never felt so bad in all my life.    

The End

Picture from www.shutterstock.com


Brothers

                         

Little do we realise that we too are wild animals                                                                      Starting as children, crying for mothers milk                                                                                Grabbing anything with our liitle fingers                                                                                      Pushing it in our mouths in case it is food

Then as we look around we are aware of others                                                                  There is another child in the family                                                                                            Who looks at you strangely...you're the enemy                                                                          For you have taken something precious from him

And so it was with me for my own brother hated me                                                                    Five years later I finally understood                                                                                              Mother would encourage us "Go out to play"                                                                                So we did and clearly he was in charge  

We lived in the country and we walked in the woods and the fields                                            As his plaything he would push me in the stream                                                                        Or run off and hide from me laughing away                                                                                  As some of his friends in our street came along

I leant that the best thing to do was to just walk away                                                                  Find my own friends who also lived in our street                                                                          And so it was other boys who were my age                                                                                  Invited me home to play...so I survived                              


Illustration found at www.pixabay.com                                                                                      


Friday 7 May 2021

Io chats with Robin (Chapter 12)


It was was only when I found Io was a keen tourist did I suspect the real motive for her quest. She was revelling in the trip of course in discovering new places she'd never dreamed of before. We had criss-crossed our way across the Pacific and not really doing a proper reasearch for Io's namesake God that once had been revered before the Eaurpean nations had decided to colonise the region. When she suggested going to an island miles from anywhere I couldn't see why but agreed regardless but clearly she reaaly had no interest in that long lost god from years ago.

The gods in Greece had no real interest in change and keeping up the pretence that everything was as it had always been. No wonder Io had cottoned on to me as a useful human to show her round the Pacific regardless of finding the male god Io or his history as I was heading that way so tagged along with me. It was only when she felt that sense of awe in Hawaii that she stopped pretending and fled away from the evidence to just be a tourist elsewhere. Meanwhile I was bumbling away with my books, photos and pages of notes, trying to help!

I was totally torn between keeping my beautiful Io for selfish pleasure or to confront her with my suspicions. We were due to fly back to Nadi in Fiji then travel on to Auckland in New Zealand. At dinner clearly she knew straight away I wanted to talk. She pouted and said "When did you realise?"

"Not at first, but when we were in Hawaii, and you clearly felt the presence of the Pacific god Io it all fell in place".

"How did you keep it from me?"

I told her how I kept her image in my mind all the time; breathing in her scent, running my fingers through her hair, nibbling her ears or laying my head on her breast. So you were never completely convinced. 

She looked at me sadly "You are very honest Robin; I think I should stay with you a little longer. I know now you will never betray me". 

366 words 




Wednesday 5 May 2021

Finding a new home



At Brighton town overlooking the sea

We checked apartments did my wife and me

So we looked at new ones and we looked at old

But not one visited screamed out "Sold!"

At last we found this one high on the hill

Wife's eyes brightened how she was thrilled

From its Lounge window we could see the sea

So I told her it certainly pleased me

It's kitchen was first room seen by my wife

Never seen her grin so much in her life

The lounge room fireplace was burnished brass

In fact the whole place was really first class

I spoke to the salesman to check the price

Said "Sellers just dropped it...does that entice?"

Wife nodded as she said "It does for me"

"From master bedroom we can see the sea"

With drop in price we could now afford it

We double checked each room then we did sit

Signed the offer, salesman nodded his head

Wife said "I'll see the sea from my own bed"


Image from Brighton, England seafront