Misty Castle

Edinburgh Castle, today

Friend / Unfriend

How did our long bilingual discussions
about literature, culture and philosophy
become your unending monologue about boredom
at work, 'nightmare' flatmates and the awful weather?

You had picked me out with several other women
to shower with gifts and good conversation
to groom as minions and then to manipulate distance
between us and you; sneering at those of us
you drove to tears.

One rainy day you sent me away
at the end of your latest monologue
then removed from me
my assigned best friend duties.
Now you've unfriended me.

I only wish I'd got there first.


Unfriend is the Word of the Year for the New Oxford American Dictionary. You can read more at Writing Companion here.

North Merchiston Cemetry

Edinburgh Council took over the management of North Merchiston Cemetry as the previous managers had let it fall into a state of disrepair. It still looks very uncared for, but there are some lovely monuments and trees.

The Effect of Living Backwards - Heidi Julavits

This is a strangely compelling novel, in which two sisters are involved in a plane hijacking. Each of the passengers has a 'story of shame' of their own and not all is as it seems. It is a novel about terrorism and how it poisons modern life and relationships, about paranoia and about how we are manipulated in the 'war against terrorism'. Some critics have described it as very funny, which apart from occasionally I didn't think it was. Some people hate it, but I think its a very timely, must read novel for today.

West End of Edinburgh

oh your teeth are beautiful.....

dental drill
whining in my mouth -
Blondie's Atomic.

More American Sentences

American sentences? Just lazy haiku for lazy poets!

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An invitation is always more effective if it includes dates

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Ignore me for ten years? It won’t be easy to rebuild our friendship!

American sentence

On my deathbed I won't be thinking: 'oh i wish I'd done more housework!'

Il Vizio dell Agnello - Andrea Pinketts

'Milano è una città di pazzi e di cani.'

Mi ho piaciuto molto questo libro magnifico e stranissimo. E surreale, divertente e buffo, con molte interessante osservazione alla vita moderna. Anche è un libro che mi ha confonduto molto.....Mi ho piaciuto anche il stile da questo scrittore. Spero forse, altri libro da Pinketts a leggere .....


'Milan is a city of crazy people and dogs'

Actually my substandard Italian entirely fails to do this book justice. I didn't understand everything in it, I have to admit, it was very confusing in parts but that didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying it! It is a surreal, sometimes hilarious journey through a rather seedy Milan, full of strange people, bizzare events and telling observations on modern day life in a major city. A city where people can die unnoticed in the main railway station, a city where parents can treat their children as children even when they are fully grown..... Pinketts has a wonderful writing style.


I would recommend this book highly, but have no idea whether it has been translated into English....

Shadowy Wings

stone seat in Drumlanrig Country Estate, near Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway. You can read more about Drumlanrig over on Crafty Green Poet here. I also posted another Shadow Shot on Crafty Green Poet, you can see it here.