Category: Short Prose
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Eden
To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring – it was peace. – Milan Kundera I’m sitting on the veranda of the old mountain cottage, looking at the verdant valley when, through the deep caves of thought, I hear […]
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Men of perdition
The clip found its way to YouTube, and my friends in college showed it to others on their phones as if it were a video of a back-heel nutmeg by Ronaldinho. I was guilty too, simply because I shared in the excitement. Many years later, it haunted me. He knelt, reading out something they’d forced […]
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On Ashen rains and fire
Sometimes the thought of living fills me with exuberance. I think of poetry, art, and music, and an insatiable hunger to create seizes me. But then, sometimes the thought of existence distresses me and fills me with the dread of a pagan on Judgement day. And though I look for a balance, an Autumn that […]
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Innocence within the femme fatale
There’s something about her writing that brings me back. It isn’t a Fitzgeraldean crescendo, building up in the tender night, tugging at your heartstrings eloquently and ethereally. No, it’s sprinkled with sawdust and rusty nails, but once you dig deeper—at the risk of getting injured—you’ll find a hidden gem with so much depth and candour: […]
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Hey
I haven’t heard from you in months. I hope you’re well and only wish the best for you. You foxtrotted into my life, burning brightly and setting the dance floor of my fate on fire. You changed things; introduced me to Jeff VanderMeer and Anne Rice; imprinted your word on my heart, and then left, […]
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Rambling
I was reading Thich Nhat Hanh this morning because Christianity never worked for me, and I can’t grasp the essence of Hinduism. I was reading his exposition of the four noble truths and the eightfold path. I was reading him because the positive existentialism of Viktor Frankl only gave me momentary catharsis, and nihilism is […]
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Fine old gentlemen
We’re a bunch of elitists discussing the subtleties and nuances of a Rembrandt—the rich browns and the gentle beiges—in a stylish lounge bar, sipping on Château Cheval Blanc. We then talk about Ezra Pound and Fascism. “I quite enjoy him. He’s an exotic, fragile thrill,” I say; my voice, flavoured with an exquisite, rich, deep-as-marrow […]
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Evening song
Remember when we lived in that cottage on a hill with its red steps, off-white porch and beige door? The crisp breeze wafted into the rooms and chilled us to the bone, but beauty and innocence still prevailed. We were two inconspicuous people, and maybe we were even humble. We had each other, and that […]
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Toad curry
I’m chef Frank Baudelaire of the three Michelin star restaurant Ambiance. Today I’m going to tell you a little about us and also guide you through the making of our world-famous dish, Toad curry. We started Ambiance in a little corner of Marseilles three years ago to give people an experience like none other. We […]
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The rejection letter
Dear Writer, I’m afraid we have decided to reject your manuscript because it doesn’t feature a strong female protagonist. The narrative was good until Sasha forgave the men who catcalled her. It then spiralled into some psychobabble about redemption and beauty. We are looking for a gruesome story about revenge. You must remember that the […]