The Softest Sigh
Ian Arkell’s poem tells of a magic sound.
Home | Arkell's Ark
February 18, 2012
February 11, 2012
Secrets
…I wonder where you keep your memories.
Are they all thrown together in a jumbled pile somewhere in the recesses of your mind?...
Novelist and columnist Ian Arkell reminds us of the secret rooms in the basements of our memory banks.
February 04, 2012
Love At Fifty Feet
Ian Arkell’s poem speculates on the love life of a jungle hero.
January 28, 2012
I Know What They Are Trying To Do
“Some people seem to have a problem accepting that stuff happens. Deaths, assassinations, accidents, disappearances, the lot. And they always look for a secret agenda,’’ writes columnist and novelist Ian Arkell.
January 21, 2012
Dark Age Mentality
"When I was back visiting Australia during the Mary MacKillop canonisation circus, I couldn’t believe the frenzy surrounding this latest PR exercise from the Catholic Church. I’ve always taken Australians to be a fairly rational, level headed and sensible people, but I’m beginning to have serious doubts,'' writes Ian Arkell.
January 14, 2012
De Panne
Ian Arkell paints a vivid word picture of a sunny Sunday morning in an attractive Belgian town.
January 07, 2012
Behind The Door
"I'm an atheist, with flashes of agnosticism and periodic doubts about my disbelief. So my writing in this regard is sometimes paradoxical,'' writes Ian Arkell by way of introduction to this profound poem.
December 31, 2011
Thomas Doherty
...But I’m looking for a distant relative. A Doherty, a long way back on my mother’s side. A scribbled note in a family album about Thomas going to Australia to become a monk...
In this evocative article and poem Ian Arkell tells of his search in Western Australia for the grave of a 19th Century ancestor,
December 24, 2011
Christopher Hitchens
...I read most of his articles regarding his views on religion and watched most of the debates in which he criticised the record, role and excesses of religion within our society. He was an atheist, perhaps too strident for many, perhaps too vitriolic for others, but nevertheless a man committed to his beliefs and the inequalities around us...
Ian Arkell expresses his admiration for journalist and author Christopher Hitchens who died this month.
December 17, 2011
That Damned Dog
“With age comes introspection, which can be a dangerous thing,’’ writes Ian Arkell as he muses upon the profoundest of all questions.
December 10, 2011
I’m Singing As Fast As I Can
“If you subscribe to any sort of evolutionary theory then you have to ask yourself as to what we’re evolving? Is this as good as it gets? And do we really deserve such a beautiful place as the Earth? Any half-smart landlord would have evicted us centuries ago,’’ writes columnist Ian Arkell.
December 03, 2011
Australia
Columnist Ian Arkell was a million miles short of being impressed by Baz Luhrman's film, Australia.
November 26, 2011
Unrequited Love
Ian Arkell's poem suggests that maybe love is meant to hurt.
November 19, 2011
Having A Wonderful Time
“I have never spoken to anyone who is dead. Well, you know how it is at a party. You spend time chatting someone up for a while and end up with much the same result. But technically I haven’t. I suspect dead is dead,’’ says columnist Ian Arkell.
November 12, 2011
But I Know What I Like
“What it is that grabs people when they read a story?’’ asks columnist Ian Arkell. “Do they ever think about why they like it?’’
November 05, 2011
A Couple Maybe…But Ten Thousand?
Ian Arkle is overfaced by an ad which pops up on his computer screen.
October 29, 2011
Bittersweet Moments
“Yet despite my lack of faith and anger that surfaces from time to time, I seek out the Church in each new town, each tiny village and sit there for a moment and feel renewed,’’ writes columnist Ian Arkell.
October 22, 2011
The Ugly Face
Columnist Ian Arkell declares “There seems to be no sense of economic morality around the world and absolutely no ethical imperative to look after workers while maintaining a profit for shareholders. It is indeed the ugly face of capitalism.''
Ian's comments come as people around the world take to the streets to express their anger and fear at the way the international financial crisis is unfolding.
October 15, 2011
The Right Moment
Ian Arkell brings a moving and memorable account of a final meeting between a mother and her son.
October 08, 2011
Frontier Tales
Ian Arkell tells a tall colonial tale with one of the best-ever punchlines.
October 01, 2011
Words Of Regret
…Perhaps due to my lack of understanding, or sensitivity, or whatever, we were never destined to be close. There was always a bridge that he was unable and I was perhaps unwilling, to cross. So there was never that connection that a father and son ought to have…
Ian Arkell regrets his failure when he was younger to understand and communicate with his father.
September 24, 2011
Simple Pleasures
...Impaling’s had a bad press. And for many of the residents of the castle it was a fun time. Sort of grab the wife and kids, pack a picnic lunch and get there early while there’s still space. Maybe have a beer and meet up with some old siege buddies...
Ian Arkell contemplates ruthless days while visiting castles in Germany.
September 17, 2011
Love in Fifty-Four Words
Ian Arkell’s compact poem tells of a flaw that led to an open door.
September 13, 2011
The Big Picture
...to believe that Al Qaeda has some sort of monopoly on the use of terror would be to ignore historical fact as America and its allies have a long record of using terror as a defacto arm of foreign policy. Maybe not directly or in a way that is either obvious or commonly reported, but used nevertheless...
Reflecting on that day when the world changed Ian Arkkell brings a timely reminder that a life lost to indifference in any country or under any circumstance, is also a tragedy.
September 10, 2011
Sorm Therapy
"The wind is gusting in from France round 80 kilometres per hour and the season has changed overnight. On television the weatherwoman smiled as she pointed to little icons of dark clouds and lightning bolts and suggested that it might be best to stay in bed for a few days.''
Columnist Ian Arkell faces up to a spot of storm therapy.
September 03, 2011
And Counting
…as payment I would be given a code, or series of codes that would explain the meaning of everything, all the existential stuff – life, death, what possessed McCain to choose Palin, why McDonalds cut their breakfasts at 10.30 and, more importantly, how to program a DVD…
But frustrated columnist Ian Arkell has forgotten the “power’’ numbers presented in a dream.
August 27, 2011
I Love Paris
…What can I say about the Tower? It’s brilliant, the focal point of Paris. But when you visit, get there early as the queues can be scary. The trip up to the observation section is maybe not as fast as Montparnasse but a lot more exciting…
Ian Arkell brings an exciting invitation to tour the French capital.
August 20, 2011
May The Force Be With You
“A lot of people get a bit tetchy when you start talking about religion and I’ve never understood why,’’ writes Ian Arkell. “Is it because they know they’re on shaky ground and that in a lot of cases they’re leaving themselves open to ridicule?’’
August 13, 2011
Lazy Days
Ian Arkell’s poem captures those sunny, lazy days on the beach.
August 06, 2011
Edmond Verricke’s War
…Edmond Verricke’s home is barely large enough for his sick wife and their two small girls, one of whom is only three weeks old. So far the family has been lucky and has survived by hiding in the cellar during the thump, thump of the shelling, which killed orphans and livestock alike.
But the Verricke family is allowed only one room, the remainder taken over by a Sergeant and several soldiers. The Sergeant is a huge brute of a man…
Ian Arkell tells a memorable story of wartime – and survival.
July 16, 2011
1916
...I’ve come to France to visit two relatives I never met. My father’s uncles. They both joined up on the same day and wound up in France shortly thereafter. Two young blokes from New South Wales, visiting overseas on the trip of a lifetime. Guess they would have been excited. Max and Eric Arkell, both boys from the bush....
Ian Arkell sheds a graveside tear for two men who lost their lives in the war to end all wars.
(And here's a big welcome to Ian who will be writing regularly for Open Writing. Do watch out for further articles in the series Arkell's Ark - Editor)
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