Over too soon

The hours too short

Goodbye is too painful

Til next time instead...

Trigger Warning: Human Trafficking

Explicit language

“We can’t keep living like this John!”

“Well what the fuck do you want me to do?! I can’t just pull money out of my ass! Maybe if you weren’t such a bitch you’d get better tips and we wouldn’t be in this mess!”

“Oh don’t give me that bullshit! You know it’s your fucking drinking!”

Mum and dad had been screaming for hours. I held Katie for de...

Graham Strolansky 28th of June 2023

In my thirty years as an arts and culture journalist I have seen many spectacular performances in many different places. I have sat in private boxes in the most prestigious theatres as well as on the floor of an abandoned warehouse. But I could never have possibly imagined that I would see the most powerful, captivating and thought provoking pie...

“One more.”

“Grandma it’s nearly midnight, I’m tired.”

“You have to let me win at least one.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but she had already started dealing. It was no use.

Grandma has always been a competitive soul. Mum always says that Grandma only took it easy on her until she understood the rules. From then on, it was cutthroat. She hates when people try and teach her new games, only becaus...

***Author Note: Why was the battle of Mustafar scene from Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith the first thing that came to my mind? I don’t know. But when inspiration strikes, you run with it.***

I do not recognise the eyes that look back at me

They are eyes of malice

Eyes of greed

Hungry for power

Hungry for love

These are not the eyes of the boy from Tatooine

I believed in you

Even when others did...

An upright jolt

A rapid breath

A sense of relief

It wasn’t real

Just a dream

Just a dream

Just a dream

A drink of water

And back to bed

Closing of eyes

A slowing of breath

A buzzing alarm

Slow opening of eyes

A more peaceful awakening

Then the one last night...

Five minutes left she says

Please let this end

Making me sit here is torture

Counting the seconds

Waiting, waiting, waiting

Four minutes

I know I failed this exam

English isn’t my strength

But then again what is?

3 minutes to go

Longest five minutes of my life

I wish I was home already

2 more minutes

Come on

One minute

End of exam....

I am going to die tonight. I am going to get brutally murdered. Some crazy drug addict will break in to my car and murder me. Or maybe it will be a really charming and seemingly nice guy who offers me a blanket and then turns out to be a psychopathic serial killer. I don’t know how, but it’s happening tonight.

10:31pm. Twelve hours until the job interview. Surely this is a sign. It has to be a re...

I can’t believe this is happening.

My own child.

A criminal.

My sweet innocent baby girl.

Being escorted out of the court room.

I remember her first lesson in my beat up Honda civic. She barely even made it up to speed. So nervous... So cautious… So careful…

And the first time she saw an animal crossing the road in front of her. She cried because she only just stopped in time.

I’ll never forget...

Life without you

Is something I can no long imagine

Every love cliche ever written

Is now attributed to you

The language of love

Has never come to me smoothly

So all the cliches

Are all I can say

I will love you

Til my dying days

Because I know life without you

Could never be the same...