Patricia Mahoney

Festive lights remind us Christmas is fast approaching. We’ll spend it alone in the small French gite we’re renting. It seems we’ve been here an age, but it’s only been a few weeks.

I remember the fog on the […]

My memory bank is overloaded
And taken to deleting random stuff
Concentrating on the period from
My middle years to ten minutes ago.

So, I can struggle to recall the names
Of friends and relations I’ve k […]

Have you ever thought of using music to help build a character?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve believed that each person has their own internal music or rhythms. As an actor and later as a writer I’ve fou […]

‘O Canada! Our home and native land!’

‘Stop. Stop! You. You with the hair. No, no, no. The tall one in the back.’

You look around and raise your hand.

‘Yes. You.’

You smile—pleased to be acknowledged […]

‘Post!’ hollers Mike. He never opens it—just announces its arrival. ‘Hello? The post is here.’

‘Down in a minute,’ you say.

Mike avoids the post. He’s haunted by a past of threatening letters from creditors. […]

‘My shout!’ announces Frank as he pulls himself out of his chair. ‘Can I get any of you lot another?’

You look at your watch. 6.30—shit, how did this happen? You’ve only had one. If you leave right away you mi […]

What’s that god-awful racket?

You open your eyes and are blinded by the sun pouring into your hotel room.

Seagulls? Of course. Seagulls.

On a whim, you’d decided to drive down to the coast and check int […]