Memory with Cruelty

Ireland 1968

 

Three boys sitting on a dry stone wall on an island off the coast of western Ireland in the summer of 1968.

A dry stone paddock on a cliff edge. The Atlantic side of the island. Green sea below and large breakers on large rocks. The smell and the sound of it. Hot in the sunshine.

One boy is crying, one is throwing rocks towards the cliff edge but not quite reaching. The final boy is picking small stones from amongst the seagull droppings on the wall.

Two large men without shirts and red flesh, walk up the hill behind the ruined crofter’s cottage near the paddock. One man carries a dirty, soiled pink saddle strap.

The paddock wall has been damaged in several places. There is a large hole in the wall on the cliffward face. Several of the larger stones have been displaced along the top of the wall.

A number of seagulls float, parallel with the top of the cliff.

The broken body of a skewbald horse lies at the bottom of the cliff, its head moving slowly, delicately in the white and green water. The waves slowly turning pink.


 

 

Reviews

[Vallerie]

Will the boys grow to think this is acceptable behaviour?
The gulls float on silently.
Cruelty to anyone or thing should be intolerable by all. Those that look on and do nothing are just as guilty as the perpertrator.
So much said with so little words.
A heavy saddness

[Tony Jordan]

Vallerie he hasn't changed a bit - still ignoring his readers ... (joking) hi and good lunchikins Ken :))

[Greg the Bard]

It works to show true nature. I would like to hear the entire story. The image of the sea and the horse stand out with reguard to the rest of the write. I believe it is because of the way you intermingled the image from the start. Really clever.

[Donald Meikle]

You wrote it like y' were there Ken were y' cryin' or collectin'

[W.k.kortas]

Very reminiscent of Hemingway's anecdotes, has the same effect of making the grotesque stand out that much more by the spare use of language. An excellent example of how less can be more.