‘The Machine Shop Broadmoor Hospital’ by Martin Figura

The Machine Shop Broadmoor Hospital   Frank at work, hanging smoke, yellow light, the noise of hammers, hot dust in his throat. Engine Lathe Operations and Controls The pleasure of precision, of calibration tools, the cool shine of gauge wheels. The spindle rotates in both directions. The tail stock can be positioned along the ways … Continue reading ‘The Machine Shop Broadmoor Hospital’ by Martin Figura

‘Honeymoon’ by Josephine Corcoran

  I wouldn’t call it a honeymoon, those muffled nights in mothballed rooms. With cake in the boot we pilgrimmed north, taking a young marriage to old widows, my father’s brothers dead, their crucifixes still hanging. In each house we were given the double bed, my aunties inviting us to fornicate on concave mattresses containing … Continue reading ‘Honeymoon’ by Josephine Corcoran