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Best clothes on
Sit still as a stone.
Paint and brush
Capture likeness.
No rush.
Takes pride of place
Family frozen in space.
Along comes the usurper,
“Watch the chirper!”
Brush and paint fade away.
They’ve had their day.
Story complete!
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The Usurper
27 September 2026
39
Literary Fiction
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Cover photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Parents to children, down the years, traditions and habits are continued through generations - until the time comes to break them.
A young boy with big dreams of becoming a teacher is forced to abandon his education when his father falls seriously ill and his family falls into financial hardship. As responsibilities replace classrooms, he slowly steps away from school, carrying the weight of survival instead of books. Even though he leaves his dream behind, a part of him never stops remembering what he once hoped to become.
An early morning walk feels safer than staying at home. No one misses him but perhaps someone has noticed him. How will his parents react when they notice he's gone?
Sometimes life is just unfair
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