International Drabble

O 22, here we come!
Instead of Happy New Year in your language, and because I learnt 
the word for ‘Good’ in many languages, I will try a way of wishing different people in Europe: French, Swedish, Finnish, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Irish, Polish, Russian; East Africa Swahili; Australia Wongatha, Ngarluma, Kaurna; PNG Tok Pisin, Motu; and Asia Bahasa Malay to have a Good 2022!
Bon 2022, Bra 2022, Hyvä 2022, Buono 2022, Bueno 2022, Kalos 2022,
Go maith 2022, Dobry 2022, Horosho 2022; Nzuri 2022; Palya 2022,
Marni 2022, Waba 2022; Gutpela 2022, 2022 Namo; Baik 2022.
[Comments are welcome]

Z for Zazie

						 							 
    The heroine from the film  'Zazie dans le Metro' 
    Appealed to me because she showed irreverence 
    Against the authorities- an activity I cultivate. 
    Coined in the days of the Absurdist Theatre,
    The era of my studies, to later climax 
    Into the 1968 French revolution. 

             	With the cheek of a non-urban youth
                She embarks on a visit to Paris
                Embarrassing her uncle who,
                Though eccentric, found her
                Hard to restrain.

                Zazie performed aerobic jumps
                Over the metro barriers,	
                Her cussing shocked
                His friends’ gang.

                Travel Man and  IT Crowd’s Actor, 
                Ayoade, confessed this film
                Changed his life. 
                It did mine too.

Y for Yo-Yoing

She’s always lived in the small town on a highway.
It has one set of traffic lights and little action.
For one year she stands near the lights,
spinning the yo-yo up, then down.
				
As time goes, she has difficulty when cars approach 
The move called ‘sleeping yo-yo’ works best 
When there are no vehicles about. 
So she changes her tactic

During the frequent gaps in the traffic 
She reels off a song as she performs, 
Playing ‘round the world’ motions
When lights go red, she steps out
humming in rhythm 
with her yo-yo
until the lights 
go to green.

X for Xenophilia

1 2

I wave. ‘Hello, Heroes in comedy

guys! I’m back. or drama, baddies

Sorry, I missed perhaps goodies?

the last class, The discussion

I was sick!’ pauses. I say

They greet me. ‘We’ve looked

All in a circle. at films only.

The tutor starts. what about

Pleasant topic. the theatre?’

3 4

Nearest to me The discussion starts.

a student turns – And it involves me.

a look of interest! That’s unusual

‘Excellent point! What’s new? Topic,

Did you ponder tone, team or accent?

a play by chance?’ Could be the latter…

He has actually The foreign accent ?

heard my words! It sometimes is !

W for Water

The boat engine creeks signalling an imminent lock. A stillness follows 
allowing moments of discreet reflexion. This lull precedes a to-ing 
and fro-ing, a rhythm inapt to this boat’s magic allure 
when it floats over the expansive Rhine with no lock 
in sight, revealing to us all several picture 
postcard peaceful scenes. Early this morning 
the river managed to keep us well afloat.  
Castles emerged atop lush green forests 
while rows of houses came into view 
like decorated and gilded gems. 
Enchanted by this floating 
vision, I dream beyond 
the end of time and, 
breakfast, oh, dear
I've missed it!

V for Vision

Arriving atop, I sit down. As I look up I take in a remarkable

dreamlike vision. Nestled against the river bank are three

pretty red roofed and yellow-fronted houses. Further back

there is a forest and on the side some lush green bushes.

Picture perfect. I take in the beauty of it, but soon

decide something ‘s missing. Not light nor extra

colour or features! I think it’s people.

The elements all make a lot of sense

Yet to create atmosphere you need

people. I long for the warmth

of human vision, touch

and talk. These make

life’s experience

complete.

U for Umbrella Words

          
      The assistant can hardly see me. She waves pointing towards the bread 
          'Did you want the loaf sliced?' I nod, becoming aware of people 
                queuing  behind me, and quickly add 
             'And can I have two of these cakes please?’ 
          ‘These are not cakes, they are gateaux’, she says. 
  	    I shake my head in assent but I dare not point 
                    to the tempting curly pastry 
                      with shiny raisins in it. 

    		        She’ll perhaps say 
                     that it isn’t a snail 
                         but an escargot.  
                         The  next  day 
 	               if I wanted to buy 
                         an umbrella, 
 	   	         would I call it 
                         a parasol or
                         a parapluie?

T for Talking

              You talk; some hear, some don’t.  They have heard the words 
               but not taken them in.  There is no response. You shout. 
            They turn around and ask: ‘What do you mean?  You know they’ve  
            heard you. You repeat the utterance so they don’t misunderstand.
                                   Later   you   start
                                   to  talk again, but 
                                   those   people  who 
                                   listen rarely reply,
                                   you  start  walking
                                   around,    flipping
                                  a hand up  in the air
                                  as if you  had nothing
                                  to say finally there is
                                  need  for less shouting 
                                  instead   you  stammer:
                                 ‘Just  talking to myself’
                                 shrugging  your  shoulders
                              and flipping your hand in the air.

S – SOUNDS ON

              His parents were not surprised 
             when he first produced a podcast 
            that became very popular. 
          Being the youngest child, 
       he often felt
     whenever his siblings
  left the house without him.
He resented being left behind 
  and complained to be pushed aside, 
        as if he was unimportant.    
          Around that time 
            his parents noticed 
             that he had developed 
               some astonishing
                 sound making techniques. 
 	             He made nonsensical 
                    and blabbering noises. 
       He created such racket and clangour 
    that they needed to give him 
 their undivided attention to appease 
his so-called solitude. His family
     had discovered early how much
        he needed to be heard.

R for Realism

This occurs when you don’t have anything on your mind. 
You've stopped worrying about every thing around you. 
you forget you left 	      the washing out, 
you don’t bother 	to put a heater on 
because you can stay warm 
under the bed covers. 
There is no 
doctor 
to visit
Catch up 
with a friend for coffee? 
Can wait for another day.  Check the letter box? 
Nobody writes any more.  	Some vacuuming? 
You swept under the table 	    the day before. 
Lunch? Sit up and watch TV with        a sandwich and a fruit. 
Water? There’s always a bottle	         at hand on your bedside.