Young, invulnerable, cast in iron Bad things happen to others But even iron rusts And bad things come to everyone Stealing strength and focus Leaving shattered pieces behind The words I wasted in my youth have fled from me I chase them down with difficulty Stitching together clumsy sentences Already straining at the seams Ideas…
“The Word for World is Forest” is a science-fiction novella by Ursula Le Guin. It was written during the Vietnam War, and clearly shows the author’s views of that situation, and the harm it was doing, to the natives and the invaders alike. This story discussed colonialism, the environment, imperialism, racism. It holds up a…
Choose peace, said the child As she stood among the soldiers, ethereal and delicate With her hands full of flowers Choose peace while you can They’re full of reasons, the soldiers They’re defending themselves their homes, loved ones, way of life and besides, the enemy is out there and he’ll get you if you don’t…
I have to say, I am rather fond of found footage movies. You need to go into these with the presumption that all characters you are about to see are going to die (there are exceptions to this rule, but they’re rare) but they can be fun and creepy to watch. There is always the…
What story does the rain have to tell In water pattering from the sky Till the gasping ground thirstily gulps Its relief after endless drought What message is there In the singing of raindrops As they drum on the roof Pour from the downpipe Pelt against the windows In an orchestra of percussion What does…
“Galapagos” tells the story of the end of civilization and the evolution (or devolution) of humanity into a form more in keeping with the environment. The general premise is that it is humans and their big brains that are the root cause of what’s wrong with the world. The plot of this novel is fairly…
Let us walk together To the very end of the world Let us stand on the edge and see The vastness of eternity Only one can make the crossing So this is as far as I go And at the end all I can do Is hold your hand and whisper I am here You…
“The Outrage” is a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s “Rashomon”, as a western. It follows the original story reasonably closely, and while it is not as good as “Rashomon” it does have a lot to recommend it. The story involves a crime, where a woman is raped and her husband killed. Difficulties arise at the trial,…
Making paper boats To set sail down the stream A tiny fleet to carry weighty cargo Each boat with fragile paper sails Each carries a memory, a pain Baggage that weighs down the soul Embarking on a voyage to nowhere special To just sail away, away And leave the heart light, the soul cleansed Free…
The colour purple has many associations through history. It is the colour of royalty, of creativity and spirituality. It’s rarity in nature makes it otherworldly, and this has meant it is considered sacred, a province of those who see beyond the ordinary. The earliest examples of purple in art are prehistoric. Rock paintings have been…
Eclectic Assemblage 