Long listed for the WALKING HOME writing competition run in January & February 2022
The walk home was gentle that evening:
puddles jumped, brambles skirted,
marble-sized stones – a game.
His apple-crunch added to the music,
the rhythmical drag-thud of his skip.
The sparrows, they quietened after a strenuous day,
the cries of distant school runs abated.
A moon was full and sharp.
Intermittent dim streetlights appeared as we
emerged from the protecting lane.
Once inside, front door slammed, muddied
coat discarded, velcro shoes removed,
he came close, whispered – a thousand years old
tide’s high tonight, the moon pulls it,
the pirates will be out.
Read more from the Long List of poems and stories submitted to the WALKING HOME writing competition. Listen to winning authors read their work at a showcase event on Sunday 25 September 2022 (booking details to follow).
Itching to write something yourself? Submit a piece to our Shorelines project, and invite your friends to read it aloud. Join one of our creative writing workshops or keep up to date with all our competitions by signing up to our curated newsletter here.
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