Category Archives: Self compositions

I took a look round the small, cramped room, no bigger than the average walk-in wardrobe and tried hard to picture how I would feel shut up in there for an indeterminate time. I shuddered at the thought. Having introduced me to the Priest’s hole, John led on and I followed him along a passageway towards a welcoming looking doorway. On my right was an opening which appeared to be illuminated from above.

“Look up,” instructed John. I glanced up to the source of the light in expectation. Above me was a dark-wood varnished platform consisting of two short planks with a hole cut about the size of a washbasin. “A couple of hundred years ago you wouldn’t like to have been standing there, “ John said with a smile.

“Go on, tell me why?” I asked.

“Does that bit of wood look familiar?” John replied, “think about the size and shape.”

”I could only think of it as a medieval lampshade but that is obviously wide of the mark.” a remark I immediately regretted.

”Well I could say, ‘here’s mud in your eye’ it’s the garderobe, the forerunner of en-suite bathroom facilities, amazing eh!”

”Brilliant, “ I replied, with more than a hint of jealousy, “are there any more features you want to tempt me with.”

”Wait until tonight, you’ll be well impressed I guarantee but that is something for later, meanwhile it’s nearly time for a drink.”

The story continues…….

She sits on the frozen snow. Her nose twitches as she surveys the ice floes ahead. Beside her the mewing toddler is crying for more milk. She knows that she will have to kill soon after her long hibernation. In her icy den she successfully gave birth to one cub who at three months is becoming more and more demanding of food. But then she spots a dark shape lying on one of the numerous floating ice blocks , a seal snoozing in the Arctic sunshine. Motioning the cub  to sit quietly the huge white bear slips into the freezing waters and  with just her nose above the water gently swims towards her prey causing hardly a ripple. This is the opportunity she has been waiting for. On such a calm morning the ambush will be difficult but desperation favours the bold and the large seal will satisfy her and her cub’s hunger for many days. Judging her moment she risks one glance above the waves, the snoozing seal, oblivious to the danger, lazily draws a flipper across her itching nose but suspects nothing. A few more short strokes and the bear launches her attack, the ice floe rocks and sways and she manages to grip the seal by her fat-lined neck. The struggle is fierce but eventually the b ear drags the exhausted seal into the water and returns with the bloodied, limp carcass to the patient, hungry cub waiting on the icy shore.

Hunger drives her on

across the desolate ice

species survival