Articles written by Ron Tocknell

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About me - Ron Tocknell

When I look at that photo of myself I feel an almost irresistible urge to smack that smug grin off my face. I can't think of a more fitting photo that puts me so succinctly in a nutshell. I'm a self-opinionated old git.... in fact, worse than that.... I'm

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Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: Snow: 4 of 184

In cutting winds The bare trees sway The snowdrifts building higher We've fuel enough But for two days Yet I'd give all to see a blaze So put another chairleg on the fire Two days of gazing At the orange glow Of embers that will dim and tire And surrender to The frost and snow But, for now, let's not feel low just put anothe...
Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: Death: 16 of 633

Cold and wet, the slanting rain Chills right to the core So every step is cursed with pain That binds the limbs like iron chains And for every tread of ground I gain There still remains ten thousand more Now Rest, my weariness demands Take shelter from the night! But where amid these barren lands? Where trees like gnarled, u...
Creative Writing > Humor Humor: Self reflection: 4 of 75

For much of my life I've known that something was...... well, if not WRONG exactly, certainly not quite right. I've never fully felt a part of the human race. It wasn't until I reached my mid teens that I started to recognise the signs: I'd been fascinated with ants for quite a while and assumed that I was probably developin...
Home & Garden > Cleaning (Other) Humor and the lighter side of housework: 3 of 20

As a child, I grew up in a culture in which the woman's place was in the home. Women did the housework and men reached things from high shelves and opened pickle jars. I admit this was an uneven distribution of labour and I'm not saying this is how it should be but that was the culture in which I grew up. Consequently, being...
Creative Writing > Humor Humor: Maturity: 3 of 13

As I approach my 60th year with the realisation that, unless I have an above average chance of reaching 120, I can't really call myself "middle aged" any more. I soften this realisation by inventing a new category of age groups: "Early Mature". Anything to postpone the inevitability of having to identify myself as "Old". Old...
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Animal humor: 15 of 62

I first encountered Brian in a cage in our local pet shop. I've never been one for caged pets; life imprisonment for the heinous crime of being cute strikes me as a little stiff. However, the moment our eyes met I knew our destinies would be intertwined. He was larger than the other hamsters with whom he shared his cage and ...
Religion & Spirituality > Religion & Spirituality (Other) What is religion and what is it all about?: 9 of 29

I wasn't actually around when religion was invented (I seem to remember the re-invention of religion in the 60s but I'm sure it had been going on for longer than that) so this is pure speculation. I see the birth of religion as a natural extension to Man's inclination to control his environment. Not having claws or spines or...
Creative Writing > Humor Humor: The development of modern language: 3 of 8

Having already written articles criticising (no I haven't spelled it wrong. I'm English. If I spoke to you in an American accent, you'd probably think I was being sarcastic. For the same reason, I'll carry on spelling in English) improper use of language, I think I should redress the balance a little by speaking up for the e...
Computers & Technology > Internet Tips Common errors in grammar and spelling on the Internet: 2 of 5

Spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors are now so common on the Internet that it is becoming acceptable. This is a great pity. Adhering to the rules of spelling, punctuation and grammar does not restrict the creativity of writing. On the contrary, they are valuable tools for effective expression and communication. I ca...
Creative Writing > Humor Humor: Family conflict: 8 of 17

Turtles have figured out how to avoid family conflicts. Mr. Turtle meets Mrs. Turtle and, after a little flirting, throw caution to the wind (or probably tides) and indulge in around 45 seconds of frantic passion. Then Mr. Turtle swims off to feature in a David Attenborough documentary or a Japanese Restaurant menu or simply...