Narrator Magazine NSW/ACT Autumn 2012

Narrator Magazine

NSW/ACT

Autumn 2012

Smashwords Edition

narrator MAGAZINE is published by MoshPit Publishing

Shop 1, 197 Great Western Highway, Hazelbrook NSW 2779

MoshPit Publishing is an imprint of Mosher’s Business Support Pty Ltd

P: 1300 644 680 ABN 48 126 885 309

http://www.moshpitpublishing.com.au/

http://www.narratormagazine.com.au/

Copyright Notice

The copyright for each item in this publication rests with the author of that piece. Please contact us at Narrator Magazine if you wish to contact any contributor featured herein.

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Contents

A few words from the Publisher

Apologies

Breadcrumb Novel - Art and the Drug Addict’s Novel - Part 2

Cover credit

Essay

Narrator Magazine NSW/ACT Summer 2011 Winners

Poetry

Short Stories

Poetry

A Day at the River

Ambitious Dream

Aussie Outback

Circus Family

Citrus Dawn

Come to Me

Court Thought

Dawn Kaleidoscope

Dog Consciousness

intact

Lunchtime at the Park

Midnight Sun

Mingling with Sand

Mural

Ode to Rocky

Of Dogs

Pollies

Save Joey

Science is Fiction

Sting a Same Goes for a Name Debate

Sydney Summer Slow

The Black Hawk

The Commuter

The Weeping Cherry

Throw the Meat Back on the Table

Short Stories

Creatures of Habitual

Endearing

Firmino

Gender Bender

I Should be so Lucky

Iced VoVos and Lamingtons

Interiors

Memories

My Mother’s New Friend

Queuing

Seeing is Believing

The Funeral

The Human Condition

The Secret

Tight Ass

To Read Aloud

Writer’s Block 1

Essay

Seeking the Truth

Breadcrumb Novel

Art and the Drug Addict’s Dog - part 2

Narrator Magazine NSW/ACT Summer 2011 Winners

The NSW/ACT Summer 2011 issue was judged by Mark Dapin, popular Good Weekend columnist, blogger and book author. Here are Mark’s choices …

First prize—$1,000 to Peter Tonkin for ‘A Portrait of the Artist as a Real Estate Agent’

Sponsored by The High School Survival Guide

Mark’s comment on this story was: ‘original and funny, a good ear for language’.

Second Prize—$500 to Stephen Studach for ‘Brushed’

Sponsored by The MoshShop

Mark found this story ‘displays a broad emotional range’.

Third Prize—$250 to Aristidis Metaxas for ‘Nightshift’

Sponsored by A Reader’s Heaven

Highly Commended—Mary Krone for ‘Cancer Loss’

Highly Commended—Janet Ryan for ‘Alice’

People’s Choice Winner—$200 to Stephen Studach for ‘Brushed’

Sponsored by MediKord

Many thanks go to Mark Dapin for the work involved in making the above selections. For more information about Mark, to read his blog or purchase any of his books, including his latest release, Spirit House, visit his website at http://www.markdapin.com.au/

A few words from the publisher ...

Well, we’re thrilled at the response to the first NSW/ACT Narrator—it was so good that this issue has had to be 25% larger than any other Narrator we’ve produced before—as you can see by the double-column list of contributions on this page!

Sincere thanks go to Fairfax columnist, journalist and writer Mark Dapin for his generosity in being our first ‘nuswhacked’ guest judge. Mark’s choices are opposite, and our congratulations go to all the winners!

We had hoped to challenge you further with the first Victoria/Tasmania issue this quarter, but chose the Summer/Christmas period to try to garner interest—you live and learn. We will try again over the coming months and hope to bring out the first Vic/Tas issue on 1 September instead.

In the meantime, please encourage fellow writers to sign up for our newsletter, and send links to your friends when you receive yours—especially if you’ve been published!

And don’t forget, if you’d like a hard copy, you can purchase an annual subscription for just $43.85 for four consecutive issues—a saving of 15%, plus it’s delivered to your door.

But enough from me … time for you to turn the page and enjoy ...

Jenny Mosher

March 2012

http://www.jennifermoshereditor.com/

Caricature:

Jenny Mosher’s caricature (above) by artist Todd Sharp. Order yours at http://www.toddsharpartist.com.au

Cover: Horseshoe Falls by Linda Callaghan

Linda emigrated to Australia from South Wales in 1978 and lives in the beautiful Blue Mountains. Linda says:

‘I have had a desire to paint for as long as I can remember and in 2008 picked up a paintbrush and never looked back. Painting has now become my passion! I enjoy using brilliant watercolours inspired by my inner thoughts and surroundings to create flowing, colourful, imaginary artwork. I also paint realistically and use all mediums in different styles, producing sweeping landscapes, flowers, abstracts and any subject that catches my interest. This allows me to share the enjoyment of my art with a wider audience. I exhibit yearly and was very honoured to receive the top award, the Rose Lindsay Art Prize, at the 2011 Springwood Art Show.’

You can view Linda’s art gallery at http://www.redbubble.com/explore/lindart or follow her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/LindArt/212209612129863

Apologies

We had a gremlin in the works last issue and owe apologies to the following people, and thank them for the patience and understanding:

Stephen Studach—we initially labelled Stephen’s work ‘Brushes’ instead of ‘Brushed’

James Craib—we initially had the wrong stanza break up on James’ poem ‘The Game’

Toni Paton and Samuel Cooney—we initially credited Toni’s poem ‘Come to Me’ as Samuel’s story ‘I Should be so Lucky’. We have reprinted Toni’s poem in this issue, and now bring you Samuel’s story ‘I Should be so Lucky’ further down.

Dog Consciousness

Alan Lucas

Katoomba NSW

When I take the air

to walk my walk,

he's sometimes there

and sometimes not.

I’ve made friends

with the old dog,

and with the old dog's lot.

Oh once upon a time, I'm sure

that he would have barked or growled,

protecting his owner's house and yard,

but now he doesn't have much left

but trust and faith

and dog type love,

and he's learned the difference

between cruel humankind,

and others who appreciate

an old dog's gentle look.

And these he trusts in

his old dog's way.

With ever so slight a whimper

of recognition of my voice

when I say, ‘hello old dog’,

he shuffles rheumatically

towards the gate,

knows my look and demeanor,

trusts a non-threatening face,

and gets his pats and strokes

in return for his old dog's

wisdom.

Mingling with Sand

Allison Morris

Downer ACT

I have been rocked, cradled

in the reflection of a perfect sky—

caught laughter,

which skips across water

like pebbles.

I have wriggled into white sand

so fine, it was like dust—

hurled wet handfuls

at squealing, brown-skinned girls

who tried in vain to brush it off.

Their sharp squawks of friendly outrage

mimicked the too-white gulls

swimming through the sky.

I have been maliciously ground

into the hateful rocks of the stormy undersea,

airless and

clenched in terror against a blue

bloated fate.

I have clawed and fought

and hauled my body from the spray,

shedding water in sheets—

dragged air into aching lungs

while salty blood and salty water

poured down legs that shook,

mingling with sand.

Mural

James McIntyre

Leura NSW

Wall wall. Wall surrounds me. Imprisoned. Boiling feeling in my stomach, arms, legs. Anger—rage—heat.

Will I paint this wall? What is most important?

Wall is glowing red with streaks of black. Weep with anger. I hate you—I hate you.

Strong black lines on red. Sharp, threatening, dangerous. Flashing silver knives. Murderous serrated edges. Blood spurts out of severed arteries.

And now there is a crack in the wall. Dare I feel hope?

Rage flies free. It transmutes. Blue is the colour, signalling freedom. Freedom has strength. It is coloured blue and green and yellow. These colours appear in great waves on my mural. But hatred persists. Vindictive, hurtful, red and black on the mural. Can these join with the colours of freedom?

I weep with pain. I’m hurt. Why does this hurt so much? How can I transform my prison wall? My mural will bring this transformation.

Endearing

Darren Phillips

Lalor Park NSW

A woman is sitting on a train reading a book. Her mind keeps drifting as she reads the page and she keeps starting again.

A man is watching the woman try to read the book. He chuckles to himself after the fifth time she restarts the page, and makes his way over to sit beside the woman.

Man: That book must be really interesting.

The woman looks up, a little startled, but concludes the man is no threat.

Man: I’ve watched you read the same page five times now.

Woman: Do you often stare at people reading on the train?

Man: See—now you have answered one of the 10 questions in my head for me. Are you a woman who is cynical and believes everybody has an agenda? Or do you ignore the usual faux pas I have just committed by approaching a complete stranger on a train?

Woman: Isn’t that 2 questions?

Man: Technically, yes. But there is only one answer ,so therefore it becomes one question.

Woman: So how did I answer one of your questions?

Man: By asking me if I usually stare at people reading on a train, I therefore concluded that you are a cynical person and believe I have some sort of an agenda.

Woman: Well, from my experience, you often do.

Man: Me personally? Or strangers on a train? Do you often get approached by strangers on a train?

Woman: Is that one of your 10 questions?

Man: Ha. No. So, what is your experience then? What has happened for you to conclude that I, like perhaps several strangers on a train before me, have, in fact, an agenda?

The woman looks out the window to see where they are.

Man: You still have several stops until you arrive where you need to go.

The woman looks back at him, shocked.

Woman: And how could you possibly know where I have to go?

Man: I was behind you at the ticket counter.

Woman: So I see you’ve added stalker to your resume.

The man just looks at her.

Man: What page number are you stuck on in your riveting novel?

The woman checks the page.

Woman: 76.

The man thinks for a moment.

Man: Page 76. It’s not often that he found himself in this situation. He was always so careful. Diligent, in fact, as to not put himself or others in harm’s way.

The woman looks at him, shocked again, as she discovers he is quoting the book verbatim.

Woman: How are you doing that?

Man: So here he was, about to step out into what only be called a kamikaze mission. Would this really be the way he died? It was as good a way as any, he supposed, and we all had to die someday.

Woman: (amused) Alright, stop it. How are you doing that?

Man: Check the author photo.

The woman checks and laughs.

Woman: Oh bloody hell, it’s you! So did you come over to get a review?

Man: No. I liked the way you slightly move your lips as you read.

Woman: I do not!

Man: Yes you do. But don’t get defensive—I find it endearing.

Woman: Endearing? You really are a writer aren’t you?

Man: Well. Judging from your lack of interest, I’d say not a very good one.

Woman: No. I meant that isn’t a word one would use every day. And besides, the word ‘endearing’ to me means a habit that at first you find adorable but will end up being the cause of arguments in 50 years when you scream at me for moving my lips when I read.

Man: 50 years, huh? Do you think we’ll last that long? My writing may put you in a coma by then.

Woman: Well then—let’s just say that I currently find your writing, and your brash confidence, endearing. And speaking of your writing, haven’t these books sold something like 20 million copies?

Man: 23 million.

Woman: Sorry, 23 million. So what on Earth are you doing riding the train with us common folk? Don’t you have chauffeurs or whatever?

Man: (sarcastically) And miss out on stimulating conversation and observations such as this? If I may ask a question, one that isn’t one of the 10 questions, by the way; what made you choose to read my book? And I say ‘read’ loosely as you clearly find it a page turner.

Woman: I actually found this copy on the way to work this morning.

Man: Sounds like another satisfied customer.

Woman: Perhaps. Or they could simply have done what I have in the past.

Man: Which is?

Woman: Finish a book mid trip and then leave it as a gift for whoever finds it.

Man: How kind. Any wonder there are so many starving authors out there.

Woman: What do you mean?

Man: Well with your little system I just lost a sale of my book; how many others are doing the same?

Woman: Now who is being cynical?

Man: (changing the subject) What do you do for work?

The woman goes to answer but the man continues.

Man: No. Not one of the 10.

Woman: I am a photographer.

Man: Oh yeah? Your specialty?

Woman: Lately I’ve been doing a lot of product shoots for catalogues, but my passion is people.

Man: Why so?

Woman: I love how every face is different, and every one of them has a different story to tell. Then when you get that perfect shot of them it somehow tells a thousand stories.

Man: And you question why I ride the train? There is nothing more inspiring or intriguing than watching a person look out of the window of a train. When a person doesn’t know they are being watched, their true self is revealed. I’ve sat here countless times creating stories from watching people just like you. Wondering why someone randomly smiles when they are lost in thought, or wondering what it is that was on your mind to make you re-read the same page five times.

Woman: What makes you think something was on my mind? I may have just not enjoyed your book.

Man: When you get lost in thought your lips stop moving when you read.

The woman doesn’t know how to respond so the man continues.

Man: It’s OK, if you don’t wish to discuss it. I’ve just found it so much easier to speak to a non-judgmental and random stranger.

Woman: Non-judgmental? Now there’s a rare breed.

A man approaches tentatively with a book in his hand.

Second man: Excuse me? Are you