A.K. LEE

Exile is an alien concept; I think I should need to sink deep roots into a place, Tangle my memories with the history of my land, my country, To be able to say, This is my past, right here, this was where I used to be. I do not have deep roots. Not for lack of trying, for I am always wishing to have a place That means real and mine That cannot be replicated elsewhere Some call it a home; I do not recognize Such a thing. In the place of home, I have my used to be, This used to

I forgot to post my August writing prompts (they have just been sent out) because I haven't been able to sleep much. My little old lady of a cat, Mon, is ill. In late June, we had to take her in to the vet, and we found an infection in her gum as well as a tumor. The infection has been dealt with, but the tumor is already in her jaw. Neither my partner nor I wished for Mon to suffer the pain of more surgery, given that to remove the tumor would mean she has to lose most of he

The man arrives at 1.14pm and shows his badge without prompting. "Good afternoon, Mrs Parker." Astrid dries her hands on her skirt and smiles as she unlocks the door. "My husband said you'd be here today," she says, stepping aside to let him in. "Agent Delancy, is that right? Sorry, I was sorting laundry last night when Brendon told me, and he never mentioned a time." "I am Agent Delancy. Where would be a good place to chat?" Agent Delancy puts away his identification. They s

I'd like to go over there someday. There where? Over there. Blue skies, bright sunshine, lots of green. Lots of wildlife. Warm and balmy. Safe and happy. If there's lots of green, you're gonna have lots of rain. Can't have one without the other. Okay. Sounds like a great deal to me. I can put up with the damp if I get the good stuff. And I'll get to see rainbows everyday. You'd really like that? Yeah, I really would. What about the wildlife? Or insects? Where would you live?

As an art form, ikebana requires practitioners to be ruthless at pruning. It is an art of genteel elegance and detached efficiency. Every piece placed in the receptacle has to earn its place. Unlike western floral arrangements which prioritises showiness, abundance and extravagance, ikebana tends towards simplicity. For years I had wanted to try this art form, but in practice I was shocked at the amount of plant matter I had to trim away for an acceptable ikebana arrangement.

Warmth. Light. Air. The sun pours life and energy from its lofty seat. A gentle pulsing echoes through each cell: exhale, inhale, exhale. I can feel the silent urging: open, open, open. Not yet, I think. Her hands are tentative as she holds me. Her fingers brush over me, soft as a breath. She is filled with anticipation. High expectations. I will be her first, she declares aloud to no one in particular. Two ants pause to exchange messages on a leaf stalk. I will be her fir

Sometimes coffee is just coffee. Sometimes it is more. The kids call it a situationship nowadays. Back in my time, what I called him was Not My Boyfriend, with the implication that he would be in the future. My mutual friends understood that he and I were close to each other in a way that transcended mere friendship or flirtation. He was my person - we talked daily, whether in person, on the phone, or via instant messaging (ah, those were the days). We were not dating because