ESSAYS and STORIES for the LITHGOW WRITERS' GROUP Vaughan Bryers 2015 1 Printed in Andalus 11pt and bound in Australia by The Lithgow Scriptorium
[email protected] © Vaughan Bryers MMXV 2 The Lithgow Writers' Group was convened on 31st March 2015 by Alicia Braithwaite, a published author of children's books and young adult fiction, to foster and promote writing in the City of Lithgow. The group has met weekly since that date with a steady membership of seven. A weekly topic is usually drawn at random from a varied list submitted by each of us. The advantage of this type of group for my writing is twofold. First, it provides a source of external discipline which encourages me to write for an immediate reason and audience (which I aim to please). Second, and more important, the cooperation and encouragement and example of my fellow writers has allowed me to expand my style beyond anything I could have imagined before. I dedicate this first batch of work to my colleagues, to my dear friends, without whom none of this would have been remotely possible. Thank you all. Buon scrivere Vaughan Bryers Oakey Park 27th November 2015 3 4 CONTENTS Tempest 8 The Singer 10 Underneath 11 Adam and Eve 17 Who said that? 21 The fleeting glimpse 23 My new town 25 Genie 29 The bruise 33 Five triangles 37 Ode for Alicia's Day 41 Blood moon 43 And the wheels go 'round 47 The boarder 51 Speed 55 Undergrowth 59 Purple 65 Hot water 69 Still life 85 What if? 87 And then …...