It's been used so much in the self-help world that it's become something of a cliche: the analogy of putting your own mask on first as a metaphor for self-care. However, this analogy has a special significance when it comes to recovery from alcoholism, or any other kind of addictive behaviour, particularly as this relates... Continue Reading →
EIF Poetry Challenge #5: The Limerick
Last time I featured the rather sombre poetic form of the Elegy for the Experiments in Fiction Poetry Challenge. Though there is a time to mourn, there is also of course a time to laugh. Life is without balance if we don't find joy in it as well as sorrow. So for today's challenge, we... Continue Reading →
Moonstruck: #dVerse Prosery
I always check in on my children through the night. I did it constantly, pathologically even, the first time around. I’d been terrified by tales of ‘cot death’ and thought that if I didn’t check in on my newborn every five minutes he might die as a result of my neglect. Once I had my... Continue Reading →
Prognosis: Dea(r)th
I had my consultation today, with Dr D’Earth. I tried not to take the name as an ill-omen. I sat outside the waiting room, nervously but patiently waiting my turn: twiddling my thumbs. Looking down at my hands thinking ‘how long?’ or was it ‘how much longer?’ He called my name. I steeled myself. I... Continue Reading →
Postcards from Slovenia #25: Bled – Bohinj by bike
Lakes Bled and Bohinj, twin jewels of the Julian Alps, are linked by the Sava Bohinjka river which flows between them through the breathtakingly beautiful Bohinj Valley. If you enjoy cycling, you might well want to cycle between the two lakes when visiting the area. This post describes the route, including alternatives to using the... Continue Reading →
Guest Post: ‘Wavemaker. But…’ by Don Matthews
Today, I am proud to be hosting Don Matthews at EIF. Don is an Australian writer who's work is different to the 'norm'. He focuses on rhyme with content taken from humour, serious, nonsense, absurd etc. I recommend exploring his site 'Flippant, Comic, and Serious' for poetry with a difference: The Flippant, Comic, and Serious... Continue Reading →
The Colour of Love #FlashFiction #ProsePoem
The sky, for the whole of that period in my life was painted the colour of love. Love taints the sky. I cant describe the colour. An infra-red mixed with an ultraviolet; a sunny autumn day in Catalunya; a sunset over Montserrat. Love paints the sky.A colour like no other. Have you ever driven through... Continue Reading →
Postcards from Slovenia #24: Most na Soči via the Bohinj Railway
'Most na Soči' means 'Bridge on the Soča,' the Soča being a fabulously turquoise green river which winds its way from the Alps to Italy via the Tolmin and Soča valleys. From the Julian Alps, the Bohinj railway provides a scenic and memorable route to this picturesque and idyllic destination. History of the Bohinj Railway... Continue Reading →
Mirror, Mirror – #poetry #self-portrait
Mirror, mirror on the wallTell me what you see:Someone who once knew it allOnce looked a lot like me. At least she thought she knew it all;She passed all the examsBut when she had to choose a life It all went up in flames. It's not easy to live alone;Nor easy to make friends: It’s harder still... Continue Reading →
#PMDD Update: Better The Devil You Know
I promised an update on my latest PMDD treatment 'about the time I would normally be entering "hell week,"' but as the treatment has not lasted that long, I thought it would be more appropriate to give that update now. This post is intended to offer help and support to other sufferers. Please be advised,... Continue Reading →