M.K. Lee's Blog: Telling Tales, page 39

Dorm

The hostel dorm room is exactly as she’d expected. Twelve beds, stained carpet, colourful art prints on the walls. She’s had sandwiches thicker than the mattress, and bedding – cheapest from Ikea – is faded from repeated washing and drying. Clean, at least; she can ask for no more than that.

The windows are open, the noise from the street blasting in along with the heat from the sun. Seasoned to hostel accommodation, she chooses a lower, middle bunk with a socket. As perfectly placed as she ...

Coming Home

Debra had learned to hold on to her emotions. Keep them so tight to her chest that they festered there, sending cruel words spitting out her mouth that she could use to safely mask what she was really feeling.

Emily felt nothing but sadness every time she saw Debra reining her feelings in. She watched, helpless as Debra’s walls flew up and her words flew out, channelling the only emotion Debra allowed herself to feel, which wasn’t even an emotion at all: ‘doing the right thing’, because in a...

Water’s Edge

I went down to the water’s edge today
Looking for solace and salvation in shades of green and blue.
There was nothing, not even an echo of this hue,
Just black. Slick like oil, thick and viscous like a sea of black treacle,
But not a sponge or tart in sight.
Instead of the calming, clear reflection of a water’s surface,
There was the metallic iridescence of a passing car
Blazing, unnatural like fog lights, blinding, instead of gently lit like stars.
When you’re looking for a moment to put things rig...

This Hill

This hill has seen storm, and star, and snow. It has been home to grass, and beast, for turns of centuries and blinks of eyes. This hill has been look-out, and shelter, and fortress for those choosing its vantage point for protection. It is final resting place for so many who have passed. This hill, whose own existence began elsewhere, drifted into position by glacial movement, knows cycle, and change, and growth. This hill knows its place in history, and present, and that its future is unkn...

Falling

Like the crest of a wave falling, rising, falling.
Like a lone wolf at night calling, howling, calling.
Like a ship with no crew, abandoned to sea
I am lost, without shelter, no clue where I should be.
Like a world ever spinning, revolving, spinning.
Like a Vegas casino: Winning. Losing. Winning.
Like a destitute child with no home to return,
I am making mistakes and more lessons to learn.

© M K Lee

Shades Of Me

A short collection of poetry based loosely around the theme of col...

Messy

This second date wasn’t just a disaster, it was a literal nightmare from hell. Toby was ten minutes late because of traffic, arriving breathless and sweaty at the restaurant. He’d knocked over Stuart’s drink as he’d stood to kiss him in greeting, then almost broke his phone trying to clean up. And then he’d chosen the most unstable of burgers. The entire thing slipping through his fingers revealing he was both messy and stressed.

“Relax,” Stuart said, reaching out to squeeze his hand.

To...

Raife and Dexter Are Getting Married

Raife and Dexter are one of those couples who make lonely people reach for a bucket of ice cream and watch Bridget Jones for the hundredth time. They also just happen to be getting married, in the most perfect of venues, surrounded by their closest family and friends. Life couldn’t be better for them. They have good careers, a beautiful house, and still make heart eyes at each other because they are so ridiculously, sappily in love. Doesn’t it make you sick?

They really do have it all. Ex...

Winter Tales – Fireworks

This year, tucked up in the middle of nowhere, Max and Matthias are seeing the New Year in quietly and without fuss. There was fresh snow overnight so the view from their window when they woke this morning was a peaceful one. A good couple of hours spent walking put their footprints in the snow, and was followed by a lazy bath accompanied with glasses of champagne. And now they’re stood at the window wrapped up in sweaters, catching the blasts of fireworks in the distance that add a little colou...

From Coffee Shop Corners

People watching might be George’s favourite way to spend his time. Why wouldn’t he lose himself in dreaming up the loves and lives of other people to escape the mess that is his own? From this new favourite cafe corner, in the new town he’s made his home, George makes up backstories for each of the baristas. And as they serve coffee, George imagines happily ever afters for their waiting customers. But when a surprise email forces him to relive the heartache he’s running from, George can thin...

Winter Tales – Dreary

This must be the most dreary weather they’ve seen since arriving here. Matthias pulls a face at the mush covering much of the landscape that is part half-melted snow and part rain, and drops the net curtain back down with a huff.

“Still miserable out there?” Max calls, far less interested in the goings on beyond their window. He’s curled up in a corner of the couch with a book he’s so engrossed in, he’s barely looked up in the past hour.

“Like you wouldn’t believe.”

“Or care about,” he...