Philip Sidney's blog

Spring is here and the cherries are ripening. So many it's been hard to select the most succulent. Rhiannon's poem is so vividly executed it transported me back to that special place - the North Pembrokeshire coastal path: https://www.abctales.com/story/rhiannonw/arrival-%E2%80%93-evening-wander Parson Thru takes us on a stroll too in another eloquent snapshot of the travelling life - it;s our poem of the week: https://www.abctales.com/story/...

I hope you've had a lovely break over the holiday season. I certainly have - and it's been much enhanced by the good writing on the site. Stroy of the week was tough but I've gone fo a value busting 4 for the price of 1 fom Airyfairy with her delightful modern fable https://www.abctales.com/story/airyfairy/tower-strength-ip-part-4-4 Poem of the week was rivetting and gave me the shivers, well done seafret for your spine tingling piece https://...

This last week of March has been a colourful one - thanks to a great inspiration point. It's been like sifting though a tin of chocolates to choose two delectable pieces - but - our poem of the week is a gorgeous evocation of the season from Rhiannon: https://www.abctales.com/story/rhiannonw/wild-daffodils-field-and-meadow Our story of the week is an irreverent and humorous piece from Mikesize1: https://www.abctales.com/story/mikesize1/christ-...

With a bushel of cherries to choose from this week deciding on the story and poem of the week was quite a task. There were two pieces that reached out to me though - so: story of the week goes to Linda Wigzell's intriguing and compelling piece of life writing: https://www.abctales.com/story/linda-wigzell-cress/family-connections Poem of the week goes to Jane Hyphen's evocative piece: https://www.abctales.com/story/jane-hyphen/thats-not-way-i-go...

Oh it's been hard to choose! There's so much good writing on the site this week. In the end I've gone with my heart. Story of the week is Jane Hyphen's Brooksy; a low-key piece of heartbreak that echoes with the thrum of those classic chords from Dire Straits. https://www.abctales.com/story/jane-hyphen/brooksy JupiterMoon's, imbolc, is Poem of the week. Jack Frost and the Green Man meet in this quiet medative piece. https://www.abctales.com/...

So it's 2019! We made it out of 2018 and we're living in the future. A couple of spaced-out pieces are our picks of the week. Poem of the Week has Ewan musing on the odd fact that there's a robot trundling along on the dark-side of the moon - we're great on technology but not so much on the fundamentals of life. Outside gives us lots to think about. https://www.abctales.com/story/ewan/outside It's no wonder the aliens cleared off in Mark Say's...

Two legends set the scene for this week's picks. Story of the week is a modern take on a classic tale. The Grandmother, from Penelope Creighton is beautifully executed and perfect reading on a dark cold night. https://www.abctales.com/story/penelopecreighton/grandmother Poem of the week elevates the humble bagel to its rightful status. Alfie Shoyger's ode to the mythic snack will make you smile. https://www.abctales.com/story/alfie-shoyger/bagel...

The nights are drawing in - a time for contemplation and chills. The picks of this week provide both. Poem of the week is London Calling's beautiful and moving, when you are the ocean: https://www.abctales.com/story/londoncalling79/when-you-are-ocean Story of the week is a bargain read one get two free from Noo, with her unsettling trio of mask stories, Sincere: https://www.abctales.com/story/noo/sincere-part-3 And here is the inspiration point...

The winds are howling at the door and stories are filling up the site like autumn gold. It's been so very hard to choose but I've gone for two pieces that touch the heart with their truth. Noo's fabulous poem, takes us to the heart of experience and speaks of the strangeness of life and death. https://www.abctales.com/story/noo/one-thing-we-can-be-certain Harry C's autobiographical piece is tender and hopeful. https://www.abctales.com/story/...

Water features in our two picks of the week. Our poem of the week is from Rosa Cruz - another brilliant piece from her pamphlet, Surfacing. Beach Mosaic, is both a fitting metaphor and a practical therapy; it's clever, beautiful and healing. https://www.abctales.com/story/rosa-cruz/beach-pottery-mosaic-0 Death is haunting me this week, so Noo's story, Occupation, with its drifting body, bartender, death midwfe, and cleaner (of the gangster...