André Surridge: TRAMPOLINE KID

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Only seven-years-old my granddaughter Rachel is a very cheerful and lively little person. She asked me to watch her latest trick on the trampoline. The lovely spacious terraced garden of her home has wonderful views over Hamilton Lake.
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in the lake
and in my granddaughter’s eyes
glistening light

Carefully stick in hand I made my way down the steps so that I had a good view of Rachel on the trampoline on the lowest terrace. She bounced up and down with great balance increasing the height of her bounce and then performed a spectacular forward spin, landed on her bottom and bounced back up onto her feet.

“Could you do that?” she asked.

“Never in a million years,” I replied.

Her response was staggeringly beautiful.

“Why is that, granddad? Weren’t trampolines invented when you were a boy?”

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by André Surridge

Hamilton, New Zealand

André Surridge: HARRY'S APPLE

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It was the merry month of May and I took my New Zealand girlfriend to visit mum in Yorkshire for the first time. My mother had an apple tree affectionately called Harry. Sadly Harry had never produced an apple. Mum threatened to cut it down. In an effort to save Harry my girlfriend suggested we buy an apple and attach it to one of the branches.
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tied to the tree
one shiny red apple
on the fruit
a little sticker
Produce of New Zealand

Home from work, mum did a double take when asked had she seen Harry lately. She laughed and said, “If hens can have a dummy egg then there’s no reason why Harry shouldn’t have a dummy apple.”

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by André Surridge

Hamilton, New Zealand