The seventh day in my new flat, I found a worm in the fridge. It was flat, black and dead. I quite like interesting animals, but not this one – it looked remarkably like a leech. Where had it come ... [+]
Susan lives in London. She recently gained a creative writing degree and has published her first book of short stories "A Jumble of Good Intentions." "Short-sighted" is in Short Circuit #11, Short Édition's quarterly review.
One of the children believes
that wasps can be short-sighted.
She's frightened of them,
so we hung a fake nest at the door—
said they wouldn't come in.
An errant stinger
zigzagged past
and we told her
it must have been because
he needed better spectacles.
She relaxed
as we ushered him out.
The ability of grown-ups
to tell all sorts of slanted truths
to trusting youngsters
is not news.
Other awfulnesses have included
the tooth fairy
(well, any fairy really),
that crusts make your hair curl,
and that kisses make it better.
In every lie, a grain of truth
especially
about the kissing.
that wasps can be short-sighted.
She's frightened of them,
so we hung a fake nest at the door—
said they wouldn't come in.
An errant stinger
zigzagged past
and we told her
it must have been because
he needed better spectacles.
She relaxed
as we ushered him out.
The ability of grown-ups
to tell all sorts of slanted truths
to trusting youngsters
is not news.
Other awfulnesses have included
the tooth fairy
(well, any fairy really),
that crusts make your hair curl,
and that kisses make it better.
In every lie, a grain of truth
especially
about the kissing.