Pillow Pillar Portals

 

Dear Listener,

Welcome to episode 60! This story takes a playful turn as we meet the new kid at school who, at first, seems a bit odd—but things are about to get a whole lot stranger. As you drift off tonight, I hope this tale whisks you away to another world. And who knows, perhaps by morning, you'll feel an irresistible urge to build a den under your desk.

This episode is accompanied by a beautiful soundtrack from Jay Kishor’s album Stories from my Grandfather’s Village, which you can find on Magnatune.

As always, you can download the episode directly here. Don't forget, Borders of Sleep is available on most podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, though sadly, not on YouTube or Spotify.

This episode grew from a mix of playful word games and musings on childhood memories. After a scrappy summer filled with fatigue, jobbing contract work, and the weight of the world’s events, it’s been a relief to rediscover some creative momentum. In all of this, a wise inner voice has been reminding me that the way forward has a lot to do with one simple thing: playfulness.

If you'd like (and are able) to give me a hand up with a donation, please take a peek at my Support and Donations page. 

I hope you enjoy the story and that it brings a little lightness to your world.

Until next time, thank you for listening, and wishing you sweet dreams,  

Seymour

Mother Voyage

 

Dear Listener,

Welcome to episode 59! This story was born out of ponderings on the endings and beginnings of different stages of life and how there might always be something new to embrace at the next stage, rather than a gloomy narrative of decline.

I hope you enjoy hearing of the good ship Mariella's last voyage and of what comes next for her.

Rather typically, there has been a long gap since my last upload and this sometimes gets to the point that listeners wonder if I have abandoned the project altogether. However, I want to reassure you that Stories from the Borders of Sleep is, for me, a lifelong project. My mental screensaver for the last decade is thinking about the next story or where to take the podcast in the future. I try to work on new material every day, even if I can only manage to write one paragraph.

I have more ideas already than will ever be followed through in this lifetime, and the only limits are time and energy, emotional and material resources. If you'd like (and are able) to give me a hand up with a donation, please take a peek at my Support and Donations page. 

As usual, here's a direct link to download the MP3, or you can listen on the embedded player at the top of this post or using your preferred podcast app (just search for Borders of Sleep).  

The lovely soundtrack for this episode is by Kuorosh Dini from Magnatune.

Until soon, thank you for listening, and wishing you sweet dreams,

Seymour

The Guestbook

Dear Listener,

My hope is that that this story affords you a little breathing space on a troubled planet, and perhaps a pleasant pathway into sleep. The inspiration for it has come from the inexorable emergence of springtime here in the Northern Hemisphere put alongside a real place I visited in Devonshire many years ago and first saw the forlornly neglected guestbook

I want to thank Soledad Fernandez-Whitechurch for her lovely illustration for this episode. Look out for more of her work here in the coming months. Thank you also if you have written to me or left encouraging reviews or comments since the last episode. Life does not always afford me the bandwidth to create new stories but I am so grateful for the many loyal and patient listeners.

So, if you'd like a direct link to download the mp3, here it is. The soundtrack to this episode is from The Bright Knowledge by Diana Rowan.

Until next time, have a wonderful spring and sweet dreams,

Seymour