Stories

June 13, 2014 - Army of Ink Bunny Magic

 

army of ink magic hat

They thought they’d made her disappear.  But giving up wasn’t in her repertoire .     

(Clunk & Jam book).

February 16, 2013 - Army of Ink Holding Books

 

 

Army of Ink 91 Book holder

 

Her heart leapt so impossibly loud it stole her every sense .

But it was always the book, held preciously close to chest, that caught and consoled her misbehaving mind.

(Clunk & Jam book).

 

October 16, 2012 - Army of Ink Hold Your Nose Moment

army of ink 92 hold your nose

It was a hold your nose situation.

Like getting out of bed in the morning … making a long put off phone call … taking the next step … or a difiicult one … venturing into unknown or familiar but rather not go places … facing a lurking fear … a dreaded occasion … but always, always well prepared for the consequences of her actions … or that which might be thrust upon her by those both, unexpected … and expected that could happen at any undesignated moment in time.  This made her relatively secure in the knowledge of all subsequent happenings.  Phew.  No wonder her head was spinning.

August 20, 2012 - Army of Ink Go Play On The Swings

 

 

army of ink go play on swings

 

Go Play On The Swings .

The want to ride way up high reveals much less.   A moment in the middle that can’t be held.  A view from above stolen from beneath.  I go PLONK.  Caught by the place where soles meet soil.   Much nicer than hanging by a longing for a lift.

This little soldier had a history of plonks.  Each time she played with someone she’d end up getting hurt, which left her wondering if she’d be better off never playing with anyone again.  One day, dumped in yet another plonk, too weary to bound from the stillness that forever taunted her, she sat.  And she sat.   And she sat.  It was in the sitting that she began to wonder if maybe her escape from the plonk would not come from never trusting again.  Maybe the answer lay in trusting herself.  Or perhaps playing only the games that held a balance.  And knowing when it was time to go home before it got too dark.

 

 

(Reposted from 2012.  Originally from handmade book, ‘Rock The Boat’, handwriting by Mags.  Now in Clunk & Jam book, 2019)

November 17, 2011 - Army of Ink Me Jane

 

army of ink me jane

Me Jane .  

Dangling in a moment of vulnerability, out of her jungle mind came a thought…3 thoughts actually…Could she make it without the BOy?  Did she have to take such a wild and dangerously dependent leap—after all?  And was it really that difficult and frightening to just let go?

This swinging ink has layer upon layer of meaning to sit and wonder about—like…. Is she really swinging up high or is this a trick?  Is her foot in fact, firmly planted on the ground?  Is she clinging for her life at the mercy of the rope (or the BOy), or has she taken a firm grip to put a stop all this swinging business?   And what is this swinging business about anyway?  Which way is she going?  Back?  Forward?  Nowhere right now?  Or has she finally landed in her very own spot?   Is the rope attached?  Is it all about to uncoil leaving her in a heap?   Or is it going to lift her up, whoosh her away from whatever it is she’s so afraid of right now?  To be continued no doubt …..

 

September 6, 2011 - Army of Ink Dump Dump Dump

 

army of ink dump dump dump

Some things just had to go.

Dump, dump, dump she did, with all the self defeating, nasty little habits she’d hoarded over time.  It was time to take the hanky firmly by a thread and with pedal planted nicely under foot, claim herself a hanky free place where she would no longer need to rely on being picked.  She also trashed the motion of skipping in dizzy circles to get to where she ‘d convinced herself she needed to be.  Now, a short distance beyond the clean-up, she sits to catch the slowing of her breath – reviving her tired little shoes and socks.  And puff went the world.

(Reposted from 2011.  Find her  in Clunk & Jam book 2019.)