What kindness remains tends to be shunned by upturned coat collars and downcast eyes. But I see you, a long-legged dream lounging on that bench. Sitting by your side, I rest my hand between us while a candy heart lingers on my tongue. Its message dissolves unread. No matter what it said— words can't convey what I discern in your face. Sparrow song accompanies the movement of your fingers as they inch closer to mine: a gra...

From a very young age, it was obvious that there was a serious problem with my vision. The eye specialist made it quite clear that I would almost certainly be blind within a few years. I had high hopes of a career in journalism, but that idea was never going to happen. I lived at home until I was twenty-five years old, then, at my request, I was allocated a small flat which was warden-controlled. My parents took care of t...

My heart has been wounded,no solace in sight.No arms offer comfort.Nor ears hear my plight.No eyes see my discomfort.No heart touched by my pain.Profoundly alone.Steadily going insane.Lips mouthing voices.Ears hearing whispers and screams.Or is that the sound,of shattered dreams?Lungs struggle to breathe.Mind barely aware.If I died tomorrow,would anyone really care?  

Part One A short flight from my hometown had brought me to Mariners cove. I was escaping from the pain and anguish of a torrid year; the unexpected loss of a close friend, the fallout of a company merger that left me e-mailing CVs again, and topping everything off, finding my girlfriend with her face buried between the thighs of her hairdresser. Mariners Cove was a bustling east coast town, which catered to both tourism a...

I returned to Paris as in days gone by,Now that I’m here, I’m not sure why,For the city that once felt like home,Is a joyless place when you’re alone.I can’t help but recall the older days,Of sipping wine in corner cafes,Romantic dinners by candle light,That lasted well into the night.The walks along the river Seine,Huddled together against the rain,Hand in hand we’d stroll the street,Stealing kisses, so discrete.Now as I...