By Scott Bailey 2017
It’s hard to be heard in the herd
The shared shards of pain shred
The glass glistens but no one listens
To the words of bards and the birds
Yes, it’s hard to be heard
In response to the daily prompt Heard
#DailyPrompt
Heard
Clean
By Scott Bailey 2017
Clean sweep
Clean start
Clean up
On a clean page
Clean sheet
Clean bill of health
Don’t they know?
Things grow in dirt.
In response to the daily prompt Clean
#DailyPrompt
Uncovering the Inspiration Behind “The Well of Sunken Dreams”
Behind every poem in “The Well of Sunken Dreams” lies a story, an image, or an idea that has haunted me. Inspiration comes in unexpected forms: fragments of dreams, the fleeting beauty of nature, the aching feeling of memories, and the shadowed corners of the imagination. This collection is as much a reflection of my own inner world as it is an offering to you, the reader, to see where it leads you. If you’re intrigued by the source of inspiration, step into “The Well of Sunken Dreams” and see what stirs.
What Makes a Poem Enduring? Thoughts from “The Well of Sunken Dreams”
There’s a magic in poetry that lingers long after the last word. In “The Well of Sunken Dreams“, I’ve aimed to craft poems that stay with you, echoing back as whispers from deep within. It’s an exploration of poetry as an experience—a dance between reader and verse. I hope each line will spark reflection and resonance, inviting you to come back and find new meaning each time. Are you ready to let these words sink into your thoughts?
Themes of “The Well of Sunken Dreams”: What Lies Beneath
“The Well of Sunken Dreams” is a collection inspired by what lies beyond the ordinary. Each poem invites the reader to ponder the unseen—the untold stories of our hearts, minds, and dreams. These poems traverse themes of longing, nostalgia, and the eerie beauty of the unknown. Are you curious to explore the boundaries between reality and reverie? This collection might be exactly what you’re searching for.
A Journey Beneath the Surface: Discover “The Well of Sunken Dreams”
In a world of chaos, poetry offers a sanctuary—a place where emotions find depth and meaning. “The Well of Sunken Dreams” isn’t just a poetry collection; it’s an invitation to dive beneath the surface, where words unlock hidden worlds. Every poem in this collection opens a portal to the landscapes of introspection, love, loss, and mystery. If you’re looking for poetry that resonates with your deepest emotions, I invite you to take a dip into these waters and explore. What dreams might you unearth?
Sleek
By Scott Bailey © 2016
Sleek and seductive
A scent that teases and tempts
The fried egg sizzles
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #108 Sizzle&Sleek
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge
The Fisher King
By Scott Bailey © 2016
Cherry petals float
On the tumbling mountain streams
Kingfishers heart beats
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #120 Heart&Petals
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge
Time and Tide
By Scott Bailey © 2016
Albatross hovers
High over surf scattered sand
All will pass in time
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #113 Beach&Time
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge
Flower of the Vale
By Scott Bailey © 2016
Flower of the vale
Sings to the sky in her joy
Spirits often do
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #106 Sing&Flower
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge
Spacetime
By Scott Bailey © 2016
As the journey grows
On, from moment to moment
We feel time passing
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #105-Time&Grow
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge
Mother – Thirteen Tales
Not all ghosts can be seen – some can haunt a mind – and drive it to horror.
Read more in Thirteen Tales: A collection of short stories concerning ghosts. Some are traditional ghost stories in the tradition of M.R. James and Edgar Allan Poe. Others are not. Some scare, some are fun. Some play with the concept of a ghost. There are ghosts who are out for revenge and the living avenging the spirits that curse them.
The Valley – Thirteen Tales
An introverted woman, living in isolation in a valley is plagued by mysterious and frightening occurrences from beyond a grave – but behind the fear is something else reaching out.
Read more in Thirteen Tales: A collection of short stories concerning ghosts. Some are traditional ghost stories in the tradition of M.R. James and Edgar Allan Poe. Others are not. Some scare, some are fun. Some play with the concept of a ghost. There are ghosts who are out for revenge and the living avenging the spirits that curse them.
Suspense – Thirteen Tales
The victim of rape gets revenge in the cold icy heights of the mountains.
Read more in Thirteen Tales: A collection of short stories concerning ghosts. Some are traditional ghost stories in the tradition of M.R. James and Edgar Allan Poe. Others are not. Some scare, some are fun. Some play with the concept of a ghost. There are ghosts who are out for revenge and the living avenging the spirits that curse them.
Playground Laughter – Thirteen Tales
A group of teens on an illicit camping trip discover a strange school of curious children. Their scorn leads them into a nightmare that no one will believe.
Read more in Thirteen Tales: A collection of short stories concerning ghosts. Some are traditional ghost stories in the tradition of M.R. James and Edgar Allan Poe. Others are not. Some scare, some are fun. Some play with the concept of a ghost. There are ghosts who are out for revenge and the living avenging the spirits that curse them.
A Ghost Sighting – Thirteen Tales
A reckless affair leads a man to start seeing strange and unbelievable sights. The truth behind them freezes and breaks his heart.
Read more in Thirteen Tales: A collection of short stories concerning ghosts. Some are traditional ghost stories in the tradition of M.R. James and Edgar Allan Poe. Others are not. Some scare, some are fun. Some play with the concept of a ghost. There are ghosts who are out for revenge and the living avenging the spirits that curse them.
The Church – Thirteen Tales
A group of teens, high on bravado, tempt fate by reading Ghost Stories in an abandoned church, and regret it.
Read more in Thirteen Tales: A collection of short stories concerning ghosts. Some are traditional ghost stories in the tradition of M.R. James and Edgar Allan Poe. Others are not. Some scare, some are fun. Some play with the concept of a ghost. There are ghosts who are out for revenge and the living avenging the spirits that curse them.
A Ghost Scene – Thirteen Tales
A group of lost spirits are brought together with a mutual love of the stage. Their director stages an extraordinary showing of a play with the unwitting help of a living actor.
Read more in Thirteen Tales: A collection of short stories concerning ghosts. Some are traditional ghost stories in the tradition of M.R. James and Edgar Allan Poe. Others are not. Some scare, some are fun. Some play with the concept of a ghost. There are ghosts who are out for revenge and the living avenging the spirits that curse them.
Shipwreck – Thirteen Tales
The atrocities of sailors upon the inhabitants they deride as savages suffer revenge and horror beyond their comprehension and one, alone is cursed to tell the tale over and over.
Read more in Thirteen Tales: A collection of short stories concerning ghosts. Some are traditional ghost stories in the tradition of M.R. James and Edgar Allan Poe. Others are not. Some scare, some are fun. Some play with the concept of a ghost. There are ghosts who are out for revenge and the living avenging the spirits that curse them.
The Urban Jungle – Thirteen Tales
An activist trying to stop a new development and the project manager desperate to foil her stumble on something otherworldly that sheds new light on the whole plan. Ancient forests reach out for remembrance.
Read more in Thirteen Tales: A collection of short stories concerning ghosts. Some are traditional ghost stories in the tradition of M.R. James and Edgar Allan Poe. Others are not. Some scare, some are fun. Some play with the concept of a ghost. There are ghosts who are out for revenge and the living avenging the spirits that curse them.
Terminal – Thirteen Tales
A hacker disappears under mysterious circumstances – but death is not enough to stop his revenge.
Read more in Thirteen Tales: A collection of short stories concerning ghosts. Some are traditional ghost stories in the tradition of M.R. James and Edgar Allan Poe. Others are not. Some scare, some are fun. Some play with the concept of a ghost. There are ghosts who are out for revenge and the living avenging the spirits that curse them.
Fire and Ice – Thirteen Tales
Two revolutionary spirits reunite after death takes one. Death has brought new perspectives and the fire and ice of their their passions, once united now collide. Where will this leave the living?
Read more in Thirteen Tales: A collection of short stories concerning ghosts. Some are traditional ghost stories in the tradition of M.R. James and Edgar Allan Poe. Others are not. Some scare, some are fun. Some play with the concept of a ghost. There are ghosts who are out for revenge and the living avenging the spirits that curse them.
Earl – Thirteen Tales
After the death of the disgraced Earl, his son returns to the hall to clear his name. He brings his father’s accusers to face the spirits of the past. But not all is as he believes and exposing the truth will come at a price.
Read more in Thirteen Tales: A collection of short stories concerning ghosts. Some are traditional ghost stories in the tradition of M.R. James and Edgar Allan Poe. Others are not. Some scare, some are fun. Some play with the concept of a ghost. There are ghosts who are out for revenge and the living avenging the spirits that curse them.
Cycles – Thirteen Tales
Three young men acting immaturely and hormonally reap the consequences in life. As their behaviour continues after death will they reap worse in the afterlife.
Read more in Thirteen Tales: A collection of short stories concerning ghosts. Some are traditional ghost stories in the tradition of M.R. James and Edgar Allan Poe. Others are not. Some scare, some are fun. Some play with the concept of a ghost. There are ghosts who are out for revenge and the living avenging the spirits that curse them.
Night is falling
It is that time of year again, the long evenings, the magic time. The witching hour is coming. The gap between the worlds closes and the dead walk among us – so they say.
So to get in the mood read some tales of spirits, of the unquiet dead crying out, angry, lonely or simply confused.
Thirteen Tales: A collection of short stories concerning ghosts. Some are traditional ghost stories in the tradition of M.R. James and Edgar Allan Poe. Others are not. Some scare, some are fun. Some play with the concept of a ghost. There are ghosts who are out for revenge and the living avenging the spirits that curse them.
Beginning
By Scott Bailey © 2016
Lightning flash charges
The rain drenched primordial dawn
A spark of life stirs
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #96 Lightning&Rain
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge
Dragon’s Jaws
By Scott Bailey © 2016
A silk-lined invite
Lures the hedonist inward
Down the dragon’s jaws
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #95 Dragon&Invite
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge
Thought
By Scott Bailey © 2016
Pearls of wisdom fade
Becomes as hard as diamond
Implacable thought
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #94 Diamonds&Pearls
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge
Morning Vale
By Scott Bailey © 2016
The vale veiled in mist
Treetops fray misty tendrils
Sunlight melts it down
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #91 Fray&Veiled
#Ronovan #Writes #Haiku #Challenge
Missing Meadows
By Scott Bailey © 2016
Intent on life’s path
We do not see the meadow’s
Beauty all around
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #92 Life&Path
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge
Capital
Light Play
By Scott Bailey © 2016
See the sunlight play
In every dancing drop
A laughing shower
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #89 Shower&Play
#Ronovan #Writes #Haiku #Challenge
Filters
By Scott Bailey © 2015
Through glasses
Through windows
Through windscreens
Through the artificial glare of the plasma screen
Through a camera’s lense
Filtered life
Protecting us
From rain and wind
And
Real steel
Real cold
Real hot blood
Real
Resistance
By Scott Bailey 2017
Resistance is futile
So they say
Sometimes
It certainly feels that way
But from resistance
We get the heat
Without which
We would be
Incomplete
Heat is energy
That turns into action
Action and reaction
The turning of the engine of
Revolution
In response to the daily prompt Resist
#DailyPrompt
Where the Wild Wood Weaves
By Scott Bailey © 2015
Where the wild wood weaves
And the willow weeps
Where the deep dark dwells
And the savage sunlight sleeps
Where the serpents writhe
Around a blood-red spear
Where the wicked glance
Then turn away in fear
Where children’s happy sighs
Are swallowed in the night
Never really here
Just memory’s separate sight
Where my heart does plunge
In the empty space of dreams
Where vision fades from eyes
And air congeals with screams
Where ancient stone walls fall
Where poets finally cease
Cease.
Charity
By Scott Bailey © 2015
There are 164,889 charities in the UK
164,889 ways
The government is failing in its duties
164,889 ways
The people are not
There’s a Storm Coming
By Scott Bailey © 2015
There is a storm coming
What do we do?
Plant daffodils and discuss
Have bake-offs
Write poetry
Document and photograph
So at least the survivors of the storm
Will have
An accurate record
Of the things we did
And did not do
Child’s Eye
By Scott Bailey © 2015
When the last heartbeat of the last child
Has faded into silence
The mighty universe
Will not care
Which is a
Shame
For
There
Is nothing
That can magnify
Its vast magnificence
More than the wonder
Reflected in the shine of a child’s curious eye
The Few
By Scott Bailey © 2015
On a dark peak
In a lofty castle tower
Firelight glints on gold
The flames are the consummation
Of a million dreams
The gold is the gifts
That the few exchange
As they gather
To sharpen their swords
Hone their skills
Readying
To chase away the wolves
Release the hounds
And take control
Of the docile cattle herds
Only Us
By Scott Bailey © 2014
We don’t understand
The fight between them and us
There is only us
Book Hunting
If you are reading my blog then you probably agree that there is little better than browsing around a second-hand book shop. The smell, the atmosphere, it can’t be beat. And I am lucky to have some fantastic examples in easy reach.
I often just browse for the experience and the chance to be surprised by a good bargain, or for a book to catch me completely by surprise. As I seem to be doing this more lately I have had a few great finds.
This one for example – a real bargain as I can’t imagine the cost originally. A coffee table volume, 40 Years of Queen – my favourite band.
Another time, I was looking for a book on the origins of local place names – something I am fascinated with. I did not find anything but instead came across these beauties by Mark Forsyth. I have never heard of him but these are a great, light, but informative read. Great to dip into now and then.
In another shop, I spotted this, a collection from one of my favourite Podcasts – In Our Time by Melvyn Bragg. At the time I did not have enough money on me, but my wife, ever vigilant, noted my interest and went back to get it for my birthday.
But now a new theme seems to have entered my book hunting. One of nostalgia. OK – to be fair this has always been there. For one thing, I have many old copies of Enid Blyton’s books that are identical to the ones I had, the ones that sparked my lifelong reading passion. I brought these years ago when my eldest was first born, in the hope he would pick them up and do the same. That didn’t really work as expected but at least he does read, unlike many of his peers.
But the other day I spotted one that really stirred up the sentimentality. If you read my blog regularly you can probably guess that one of the early influences on my reading, writing and just life in general is The Lord of the Rings. I of course, already have a copy – I have always owned a copy since first reading it. The one sitting there calling out to me in the shop though was exactly like the very first one I owned.
Many years ago, in the dawn of time (or primary school as it was known) we were read The Hobbit by a supply teacher. It left a profound impact on me and that was when my dream of becoming a writer was born. I went home immediately and started writing a sequel called The Hobbit’s Cousin. A few weeks later I was visiting an Uncle and mentioned what I was doing. He explained to me that there was already a sequel and produced the above book – which he gave to me to read – thus changing my life forever.
Oddly, despite the fact that I had never seen this particular edition before in a bookshop, there were, in fact, two of these, I was sorely tempted to grab both but resisted that.
This experience got me thinking and I have decided to be a bit more purposeful in my book hunting – specifically looking for these old editions packed with nostalgia ( while still watching for new and exciting things). One of these is an edition of Dune.
Another life-changing book for me. I read this at a time when my interest in reading overall was waning (I was a teenager – other distractions were occurring). This rekindled it while also switching me from being a largely a fantasy reader to becoming much more of a SciFi fan.
So I have all my original Dune books still – brought in the 1980s. But there is an issue. As this was around the time that the David Lynch film version came out, I, of course, brought that version. The rest were not the same theme and artwork.
Now, I a not that OCD about these things, at least not these days. It would only mildly annoy me, and the fact is I have lived with it for years. But this particular set of books is special in that when they are all laid out open and in order the covers make one large picture. (See here and here.)
And I am missing the first part!
I have been traipsing around bookshops looking for that first one in the same cover variant as the others. So far, no luck. I have found all the others in plentiful supply but not the first one. It seems to be much rarer for some reason.
My son suggested going online and tracking it down. That would probably work, but where’s the fun in that!
Does anyone else like to track down original versions of books they read or am I just weird. What kinds of delights and surprises have you found in second-hand bookshops? Let me know.
Soon
By Scott Bailey © 2015
Soon
They will realise
That their spin
Their media hype
Is failing
Now
One has come
To threaten
Their way of life
Not ours
As the spin machines spews
But theirs
Their way of life
Of easy deception and greed
Of spinning tales of woe
Cutting and taxing
While smirking with contempt
And lining their pockets
With our aid
Let’s see
What happens
When they realise
The spin
No longer works
Manipulation
By Scott Bailey © 2015
A drowned boy
Drawn from the sea
Fled from death to death
Burns in our minds
Burns in our hearts
Fans the flames of passion
Just before
The call to war
Warmth
By Scott Bailey © 2015
A warming curry
A red beer in a tall glass
And Only Connect
Rooms
By Scott Bailey © 2015
Shacks stacked
Corrugated walls
Tetering high
Rambling high
Shambling streets
Congested flesh
Diluted souls
Wasted lives
One hundred
Million dollars
Empty rooms
Cloudy palace
Sense
By Scott Bailey © 2013
Red sky, grey smoke high.
Silver tear, deep blue cloud.
Black and White.
Golden smile.
Flint and mortar, tower high.
Radio waves, beamed away.
Shifting sound, dusty leaves.
White smile.
Sweet scent, soft white.
Blue sight, twinkling bright.
Red rose, silky smooth.
Open smile.
White mount, pearl touch.
Flowing gold, windswept.
Red shine, white page.
Welcome smile.
Golden Day, blue sky.
Warm day, ever long.
Shining heart, echoes soft.
Pure smile.
Numb
By Scott Bailey © 2015
Beaten
Blind numb
Afraid
To dream
Without sleep
Broken
Blind dumb
Weary
Time worn
Plodding
Tithe
By Scott Bailey © 2015
This is my tithe
The part of my life
That I give to my lord
To survive
My uses are his
My flesh and my blood
So I am here
On this field
Shoulder to shoulder
With my fellow men
Shields edge to edge
Spears raised
For the right to go on
Feed my wife and my son
To stave hunger away
One more year
Death faces us down
With it’s bloodstained gown
As the line ahead draws
Ever closer
The enemy jeers
Clashing their spears
Moving their wall
Close to ours
And I see in their eyes
They are bound by their tithes
To kill for their lord
Just like me
The Silliness
By Scott Bailey © 2014
We were the wise ones.
Wandering in from all over the world.
High on the haze of laughter and drink.
Occasional lovers, always just friends.
And game after game we polished our views.
Where did it go?
That time of the silliness, the time of the laughs.
Was it all crushed by the weight on our hearts?
Of life, of the world that we woke to and joined.
The Shadow of Fear
In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Fight or Flight.”
By Scott Bailey © 2015
Flight or fight
They say
But that first day
The looming shadow
The bully
I was pinned
Couldn’t run
Couldn’t fight
Jellified with fear
Neither response available
For many years
That shadow stalked me
Until one day
I fought
And it fled
Scott Andrew Bailey - Author 