In Memoriam

This year, two of the members of Crichton Writers sadly passed away. Cathie Forbes and Isobel Gibson. As a fairly new member of the group , I had little contact with Cathie, but knew Isobel quite well.

We held a bring-and-share lunch retrospective in my garden in June. Sadly the weather did not provide the sunshine we had hoped for and so we ate and drank and read from their works indoors.  It also gave an opportunity for new members to get to know us and by all accounts it was a fitting and enjoyable occasion.

Food for all

Here  are 2 short pieces written by Cathie and Isobel.

 My Home. Cathie Forbes

 In winter the house fights the elements

 Bricks cold, rafters bare, floor naked

 In the breaking dawn the wind blows

 Windows creak in the icy morning

 They gleam and sparkle

 Inside, the stove is being lit

 Aromas of burning wood fill the air

 On the warming stove porridge burbling

 The house warms, heat flows into the freezing walls

  Pungent smells of bacon and egg

  Lure the cat and dog into the kitchen

  Bedraggled birds shiver and peck the sills

  Magically crumbs appear.

Memoir By a Whiskey Drinker. Isobel Gibson

When I was four I was ill with a bad cold and coughed and coughed. Cough mixture was not easily obtained in gatehouse of Fleet in 1944 because there was a war on. My mother diluted whisky and sugar in warm water.

She was sure I would dislike it. 'It's good for you,' she said nervously.

I was suspicious and sure it would taste nasty. One sip and I gulped down the rest of it.

'That's good,' I said and asked for more.

It was fourteen years before I tasted whisky again. My mother saw to that.

I wrote a short poem about Isobel

I always saw you dressed in blue,

soft cotton top echoed summer skies,

flowery, swirly skirt perfect for a polka

and sensible sandals.

Your hair band tried in vain to control abundant curls.

Never meek, you brought a joyous breeze

with a hint of mischief in your eyes.

We will miss both of you greatly.

#crichtonwriters  #retrospective  #amwriting