9 Comments
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Russell Walker's avatar

Clearly we are as one. I too felt the bliss of the music and the countryside, thinking those very thoughts. I did think the steam boys were a perfect metaphor for the climate crisis: self-indulgent anoraks shoveling fossil fuels into inefficient vehicles, oblivious to the mayhem and mess around them. Cake does help tho.

Chris J. Rice's avatar

Time on a drive in a car with my love is suspended time and that kind of time is pure bliss.

Betty Marmalade's avatar

Suspended time - that’s absolutely it.

Luis Rosa's avatar

That was a great way to end the story. It really is rare these days when we have the opportunity to experience sheer content, the world doesn’t let us have it very often. I’m glad we have our writing to resort to as a form of sacred place and a way to voice it all.

Betty Marmalade's avatar

Thank you Luis - you’re right, it is rare and therefore important to notice and mark it. Writing is a way to do that, and also to mark so many un- marked events. If that makes sense.

Roy M. Turner's avatar

Poetic and poignant. Just altogether brilliant. Car trips, airports and flights, even a good walk do provide liminal spaces for reflection, don't they? And occasionally, the stars align and we manage not to think of certain Bad Things happening in our country and world, we can allow ourselves to be at least content for a moment. Again, really well done! Thanks.

Betty Marmalade's avatar

Thank you so much Roy - means a lot.

HELEN MILLER's avatar

Apologies to lower the tone Charlie Bigham pies are shite 😂 I got a fish pie once … that’s a lot of £ for a box of

mashed potato

Betty Marmalade's avatar

Charlie lowered the tone, not you. And the quality and actually giving a monkey’s for anything other than image and profit. Pshaw I say!