“Here, smell this,” she tells us. We take our little cannisters of hand-roasted coffee beans, unscrew the lids and then take a deep whiff. Heavenly. Then we exchange our cannisters and inhale again. We discuss the differences in flavours, wondering aloud if we even know … Continue readingSmell This
“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” That’s Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Sonnet 43. I wonder if she had to endure a modern Valentine’s Day where the ways that seem to count inevitably include: A box of artisanal, handcrafted, bean-to-bar chocolates; an entirely … Continue readingRoti Valentine
The singers are at the door. Not three wise men but a quartet of sweet children. Two young kings and two young queens, like the Pevensie children at the end of their first Narnian adventure. Their voices are angelsong and my German landlord rewards their … Continue readingEpiphany
This is not a love song. Not just one, anyway. These are love songs. Some bitter, some sweet. Some sad, some naïve. Full of sorrow and full of teeth. These love songs bite, no matter how innocent they may seem. You have lived through them … Continue readingThe love songs
There were once three women, wise and bold, who travelled far in search of a miracle foretold. Some say they were witches, some say they were queens. Perhaps they were none such and nothing in between. Across seas and deserts they roamed afar, to chase … Continue readingThree women
It started with a bad romance. You tell me Lady Gaga is your favourite singer. It wasn’t the songs or whatever meanings they held, you say. No, it was more the drama and the theatricality of her videos that caught your attention. Is this a … Continue readingThe rainbow