From the hedgerow a pheasant bursts – copper neck, carnival tail, a prince in threadbare velvet, flouncing through a court no one attended. Its rusty cry jerks the wheel, a herald of chaos.  The villager cousin of the royal peacock, gaudy with borrowed...

The only treasure in the dusty drawer – a useless broken fork. Edges smudged, colour opaque, metallic glimpses catching the light like tiny, angry sparks. My rice waits under steam; fingers hover, unsure – the fork twitches slightly, bending the light around it –...

The meadow rushes – timid daffodils in disarray, lined by cold wind like candles on a birthday cake, countless, joyful. I lean too close: petals lift, scatter, catching sunlight – one tilts sideways, its yellow face turned to shadow.