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The Casket of Fictional Delights

Brooches Podcasts Stories

Hoping

by Morgan Downie

Flash Fiction Poignant, Romantic

To think of you now is to remember what we wanted to be. Where we wanted to be. How we were together. Before we left, before you went to the great city and I did not. Before life took us. And you were what you wanted to be and I was where I wanted to be and we were not together.

You were here in the metropolis, the beating heart of a place neither of us was born to. And I was here and there and here again. And you were where you wanted to be and I was what I wanted to be. Neither of us together. Neither of us writers of letters, senders of email. We spent the years text free.

Now back again, washed up on the national day. Driving past cars festooned with flags, the taxi driver hears my accent, tells me I must feel at home. A home far away. Back where we were together. When we knew what we wanted and where we wanted to get it.

Each time I come here I look for you. I look for you on the concourses. I look for you in the parks, the public squares. I listen to the river of voices and hope I can pick out yours from among them. But I do not hear you and I do not see you. Here where I talk when I should not, stumble when I should walk, attempt conversation with strangers.

I keep your memory fresh upon my tongue. This memory I have kept. Where I am something like the best of me.

I stop in front of churches, in the entrances of museums, great office ziggurats. Waiting for the doors to open. Waiting, after all these years. Still hoping to catch a glimpse of you.

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About Morgan Downie

Morgan is a short story and poetry writer, an island man, he finds mainland roads no less circular. He is a friend of the neighbourhood cats and likes to smile at strangers.
Visit Morgan Downie on the web

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Everyone at The Casket is hoping 2021 will be a better year than 2020.  We have some great short stories and flash fiction lined up for your delight.  We kick of the year with a story by Lydia Unsworth “The Smallest Boxes” and then for Valentine's we have a story by Dylan Brethour which will also be available as a podcast. Later in the summer we have a new Flash Fiction Summer Collection which will be published online and as podcasts read by Menna Bonsels and Richard Hodder.  We hope you enjoy the stories we have for you and look forward to welcoming you back regularly.

Joanna & The Casket of Fictional Delights Team

 

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Please consider making a donation to The Casket of Fictional Delights.  All content on the website is free and widely available to audiences worldwide.  We do not receive any grants and all our content is Ad free.  The Casket of Fictional Delights specialises in producing high-quality podcasts which are recorded by professional actors/voiceover artists from around the world. We hope you enjoy reading and listening to the stories and finding out about Joanna’s varied brooch collection.

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  • We have had over 90,000 #podcast downloads of our #shortstories and #flashfiction - THANK YOU to all our loyal listeners https://t.co/cn87VLbkVF https://t.co/d4EwrFrB5L, 21 hours ago
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  • A cautionary tale for all my 'cat' friends on Twitter espcially @Elizabe29713381 @OutwoodsCat @KevinScampi @TheStourbridge https://t.co/peiEESwVR9, Apr 14
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Text & stories © Joanna Sterling 2021
Stories © various authors
Audio by Menna Bonsels
Brooch photography by Mark Colliton
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