Monday, 5 May 2025

Too Many Taylors by Kate Twitchin, grande caramel nonfat latte

 I want to sing like Taylor Swift and be famous,” the young girl on my doorstep declares, her eyes sparkling with ambition.

Not another one, I should’ve ignored the bell.

“You’re the fifth girl this month wanting to sing like Taylor Swift. I don’t know what all the fuss is about; she’s not that special.”

A tiny frown creases her brow.

“You wouldn’t understand,” she says, taking in my grey hair and gnarly knuckles.

OK, maybe I am being a bit mean but, honestly, Im fed up with all this Taylor Swift nonsense. I much prefer helping people with real problems, insurmountable challenges; people for whom a phial of one of my individually tailored potions can really make a difference. Fortunately, the Sorcerer’s Guild have taken action. After decades of magic being used to create the fabulous singers, guitarists, and drummers who have rocked the music world, they’ve analysed the data and…

“So, will you make me sing like Taylor Swift?”

“What? No. No, I won’t, and I’ll tell you why. Too many people with incredible musical talent have died too young. I can’t remember the precise statistic but it’s tragically high.”

The clear blue eyes are filling with tears but not, I suspect, for all the musicians who have succumbed to the trappings of fame.

“OK, OK, wait there, I’ll be back.”

So, here I am again, mixing a potion for another daft lass. I’m making hers fluorescent green with a wispy vapour; they like that sort of thing.

Off she goes, skipping down my path clutching her tiny glass bottle, whilst I log onto the Guild’s website to order another jar of ‘Ambivalence to Taylor Swift’ granules.

About the author 

Retired Administrator Kate is enjoying sitting around and making things up. She’s had short stories, flash fictions and poems published in print and online, and has been placed in a variety of competitions. She thinks she’d like to write a novel but can’t seem to stop writing shorts. 

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4 comments:

  1. This put a smile on my face and made me chuckle 🤭

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  2. Wow, Paula, thank you so much for reading and commenting - you’ve made my day! I stepped way outside my comfort zone with this one - I don’t normally ‘do’ magic - it came out of a writers’ group exercise. Kate

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  3. I want to sing like Freddie Mercury - can you make a potion for me? Graham.

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    1. Stirring it in my cauldron as we speak!

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