You people don’t understand.
It’s tradition.
It’s sport.
It’s in our genes.
Blood.
Jobs are created
By the sport we choose.
By the blood we shed.
Surely that’s enough.
Of course
The same can’t be said
For you
And your cock fights.
Dear Mr Hulk
I too am green
A different green
Not anger
Jealously
I wonder
Which is stronger
The angrier you get
The stronger you get
The more jealous I get
Of you
For you
Can rage and rage
And smash
While I can only seethe
Consequence binds me tight
So remember
When you condemn
Your weaker half
With contempt
It is harder
Much harder
To be human
Than Hulk
A sad shadow falls
Casting gloom over our dreams:
Sparks dispel the dark!
Originally published in A Spring of Dream
See the original here or read below.
I was very eager to acquire and read Thirteen Tales, by Scott Bailey, as I’m familiar with his writing from his blog. I like everything about his book–the cover art is spectacular, suggestive of Poe’s “Raven”; and the stories read quickly as you hunger for the next one–but try to slow down, and savor each one! I’m glad to have added Scott’s book to my home library–and highly recommend it. It makes a great gift too!
Check it the book for yourself here and see if you agree.
And many thanks to R Ryan – also known as Ennle Madresan over at Abandoned Amenities for the review and kind words.
Fox detests the stream
Barring the way to her prey
Favour for the hare
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #258 Favor&Detest
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge
Many thanks to everyone who downloaded my latest poetry collection during the launch promotion. If you get the time for a review that would help greatly. The good news is that it manged to break into the top 10 in its genre both in the UK and US, reaching no. 7 and 8 respectively.
Let’s hope it continues to attract attention and climb now it’s off promotion.
If you still interested head over to Amazon and get your copy.
Andervayne’s Dream
Coming Soon
The Golden Man
This was originally supposed to be the libretto for an opera. I wrote the words but it turned out it was too word heavy. The project was never completed so I dusted it off, edited and turned it into an epic poem.
There is no real structure here beyond rhyming and making it ‘songlike” but there is an allegorical tale to be wheedled out.
This is a much older poem and much more lighthearted. It has a strange format which is simply the structure of each twinned verse. It does not go beyond that. It is a flight of fantasy, magic without bounds, just letting my imagination run wild for the fun of it.
Keep an eye for more updates to follow. Or watch my author pages here or on Amazon
Andervayne’s Dream
Coming Soon
Consciousness Cubed
Unlike the other poems in this collection, this is not a tale. Instead, it is a stream of consciousness. I let my thoughts flow wherever they wanted to go, however, it uses a very strict form, so I had to channel those thoughts within the gullies created by the structures.
Keep an eye for more updates to follow. Or watch my author pages here or on Amazon
Andervayne’s Dream
Coming Soon
The Tales of the Star Dancer
This is a much older poem and much more lighthearted. It has a strange format which is simply the structure of each twinned verse. It does not go beyond that. It is a flight of fantasy, magic without bounds, just letting my imagination run wild for the fun of it.
Keep an eye for more updates to follow. Or watch my author pages here or on Amazon
Andervayne’s Dream
In these times of quick gratification and short attention spans, I decided to try and buck the trend and present something not only with greater length but also depth.
The poems in this collection were written over a long period and for different purposes. They are varied but they are all long. And they all represent challenges. Each was a challenge to myself, to sustain a quality of writing for a long period and within tight constraints of form while still telling a story. They also represent and challenge to the reader. The throw off the pressure of everyday life, the pressure to hurry, hurry, hurry to take the time to read something, absorb it over time.
Such effort needs reward, these poems should not be a one-time quick fix. If the reader is going to put that effort in then there should be a payoff, they should be able to continue to get something from it afterwards. Whether that be from contemplation of what they have digested or from revisiting, rereading and seeing things they missed the first time around. So the final challenge to me was to provide this depth of content – not just quantity.
In the next few days, there will follow a brief description of each of the five poems in this collection.
Keep an eye for more updates to follow. Or watch my author pages here or on Amazon
Andervayne’s Dream
Coming Soon
The Golden Man
This was originally supposed to be the libretto for an opera. I wrote the words but it turned out it was too word heavy. The project was never completed so I dusted it off, edited and turned it into an epic poem.
There is no real structure here beyond rhyming and making it ‘songlike” but there is an allegorical tale to be wheedled out.
This is a much older poem and much more lighthearted. It has a strange format which is simply the structure of each twinned verse. It does not go beyond that. It is a flight of fantasy, magic without bounds, just letting my imagination run wild for the fun of it.
Keep an eye for more updates to follow. Or watch my author pages here or on Amazon
I make cars
I always have
As did my father.
Prestige cars.
The most famous in the world
Made with pride.
Made with precision.
Made to last.
To shine and glide!
Every working day.
All the working hours.
My trusty hands create.
I may be steeped in habit
Tradition and old ways
But I trust in my own fate.
I support my family.
I support the plant.
And I support the land.
I pay my way my dues
while on my shoulders weighs
the burden that I support.
After all these years of toil
All my many dues.
Imagine my surprise, my boss.
I have given more than you!
In response to the daily prompt Famous
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Andervayne’s Dream
Coming Soon
Andervayne’s Dream
This is the longest and by far the most complex of the works here. The main bulk of the poem follows a very strict format (the Prologue and Epilogue are purposefully outside this format and there is meaning in that too). Part of that format informs the inclusion of much of the symbolism within and the allegory of the tale. The challenge here was to create a story within all these constraints.
Keep an eye for more updates to follow. Or watch my author pages here or on Amazon
So I have had another go. after the three below.
I came up with this one:
Which I think is the one I will be going with.
Astonished
By the lacking
The stupidity
The greed
More astonishing still
Are we
And our
Compliance
Andervayne’s Dream
Coming Soon
Andervayne’s Dream
In these times of quick gratification and short attention spans, I decided to try and buck the trend and present something not only with greater length but also depth.
The poems in this collection were written over a long period and for different purposes. They are varied but they are all long. And they all represent challenges. Each was a challenge to myself, to sustain a quality of writing for a long period and within tight constraints of form while still telling a story. They also represent and challenge to the reader. The throw off the pressure of everyday life, the pressure to hurry, hurry, hurry to take the time to read something, absorb it over time.
Such effort needs reward, these poems should not be a one-time quick fix. If the reader is going to put that effort in then there should be a payoff, they should be able to continue to get something from it afterwards. Whether that be from contemplation of what they have digested or from revisiting, rereading and seeing things they missed the first time around. So the final challenge to me was to provide this depth of content – not just quantity.
In the next few days, there will follow a brief description of each of the five poems in this collection.
Keep an eye for more updates to follow. Or watch my author pages here or on Amazon
So, if the MPs who voted against the deal now vote for the same deal because the PM will resign if they do then doesn’t that just show they were never voting on the merits of the deal in the first place, just for their own selfish ambitions. Once again MPS playing games with our lives for their own gains.
It’s about time we said that the whole political system is no longer fit for purpose. Let’s start a new hashtag to let them know!
By which I mean – here is the proof copy!
Woohoo!
Already spotted three mistakes 😦
All progress though.
So, trying to design the cover for my upcoming poetry collection. So here’s a quick poll – which of these looks best? Are any of them any good? Or should I try again? Let me know in the comments.
Teresa, The Haunted Wordsmith, has started another one of her intriguing stories where she gets things started, tags another blogger to pick up where she left off, and then that blogger picked someone else to keep it going.
Fandago was second, and he tagged me as the third. So here goes.
To get us started, here’s what Teresa wrote:
Andy sat in the front row every night and watched the small family circus perform. There were clowns, acrobats, dog tricks, and even a high-wire walking monkey. His favorite though was the juggler. Andy watched as he threw balls, flaming torches, rings, and knives in the air and caught them with ease. Everyone in the circus seemed so happy and nice. He longed to join them.
Late one night after the final performance, Andy mustered the nerve to find the circus owner who traveled with them.
“I’ll do anything. Please let me join you.”
Mr. Tall looked at the scrawny boy and scratched his chin. He walked around Andy and looked him up and down. “What could you do for us?”
Andy spared no time to think. He blurted out a laundry list of menial tasks he could do.
“I have plenty of people to do that.” Mr. Tall shook his head and stared at Andy. “I asked what you could do for us? What are your talents? Your secret talents?”
Andy gulped. Few knew his secret, but those who did knew it immediately. Could Mr. Tall be one of them? Could he risk telling the truth? Not telling the truth? Andy took a deep breath and swallowed his fear. “I could …”
Fandango’s addition to the story:
…change my appearance.”
“What do you mean you change your appearance?” Mr. Tall asked.
“I’m a shapeshifter,” Andy said.
“You mean that mythological crap about being able to transform your physical form or shape?” Mr. Tall said. “Get out of here, kid. You’re wasting my time.”
“I can transform into anything I want,” Andy insisted. “Think of something you want me to change into. Don’t tell me what it is. Then close your eyes and I’ll let you know when to open them.”
“This is stupid, but fine.” Mr. Tall thought for a moment. “Okay, boy. Now what?”
“Close your eyes until I tell you to open them.”
Mr. Tall closed his eyes and waited a few seconds. He then heard a voice from overhead instructing him to open his eyes. Mr. Tall looked up, but all he saw was a red-tailed hawk perched on the high wire near the top of the tent.
“So?” the hawk said, looking down the shocked circus owner. “You thought of a hawk, right?
“Am I hallucinating? Did you slip something in my drink?”
The hawk opened its wings and started circling above, slowly working its way back down to the ground. By the time it hit the sawdust covered floor, Andy was, once again, a scrawny, human kid. “So, Mr. Tall, can I work in your circus?”
Mr. Tall just stood there for a minute or two before he found his voice. He looked at Andy and said …
Now mine..
“Come with me!” and he hurried off into the night.
Andy rushed after him, eager to pursue the chance he had been longing for.
Mr. Tall brought him to the centre of the campsite, he stopped in a ring of caravans, the doors looking inward. Andy felt suddenly like he was on trial. The brightly coloured caravans seemed like elderly matriarchs, stern but hiding an impulse to burst into laughter.
Except, one. There was one dark caravan, unpainted and in disrepair. It was completely out of place in this bright court.
Mr. Tall caught the direction of his gaze and then looked abashed. He ducked his head as if to hide his shame or some other emotion not meant for Andy’s eyes.
‘I shouldn’t have brought him here,’ Andy heard his thoughts. ‘He will not resist that place and we will be discovered.’
Then he spoke.
“Listen lad. There’s no doubting your talent, we can use you. I am just not sure how. My people here, they. Well, they are an old fashioned bunch. Give them bearded ladies, conjoined twins and they’re fine. But you – you show them that and they will freak. And you and me won’t last five minutes. As for the audience. Well, we have to be subtle. Show them a trick that looks impossible in a way that they can believe it’s all smoke and mirrors.”
Andy stared at him. Was he going to give him a job or not? Was he going to bow out at the last minute? Lose his nerve?
Mr. Tall glanced at the dark caravan again, then back at Andy. He took a deep breath as if drawing his strength.
“OK. Wait here! I have an idea, let me introduce you to my partner. He will know what to do.”
With that, he swept off into the darkness between the caravans.
Andy stood, suddenly unsure what to do. Should he just wait? What was going on here? It was all very strange.
But then it was a strange situation he had engineered. And much of the strangeness emanated from him.
He smiled wryly at himself. Wasn’t this exactly what he wanted?
Then he caught sight of the dark caravan again. It seemed to draw his attention. What was in there. What was Mr. Tall afraid of? Ashamed of?
What would he discover behind that tatty door?
He found that he had already walked up the steps to that door. He looked around, something was warning him not to go any further but he found he could not resist. He pushed the door open.
It was dark inside. He stepped forward into the darkness. He took three steady steps and then there was a click.
Too late he sensed a trap. There was a clash of metal. The darkness fled as the sides of the caravan fell away to reveal he as inside a cage. A cage with fine wire mesh sides.
He could transform – but not into anything that small.
“So! You could not resist?” Mr. Tall. “You read my mind! At least as much as I wanted you too. And could not resist my bait.”
He smiled strangely.
“You are not the only one with talent.”
Before his eyes, Mr. Tall seemed to shimmer and he transformed. Not into an animal but into a young girl not much older than himself.
“We have been waiting for you to joins us for quite some time,” she said.
“Indeed we have,” said another voice. And out of the darkness came another man. Broad, long-haired and bearded, dressed in an immaculate suit.
“What shall we do with him?” asked the girl….
Teresa’s rules for Finish the Story are:
I tag – Ritu who is a vey talented blogger who is sure to take this a surprising way (no pressure there then 🙂 )
Tired of all the confusion?
Worried about Brexit?
Want answers in all this chaos?
Read this book.
You will be none the wiser but you will have one more good story in your head. And a break from all the madness.
Marc trudged on with life, marching in line with his fellow workers. Weighed down by the everyday burdens of life, the pressure to conform, to succeed or face destitution.
Yet he knew, in his heart that it was all wrong, the questions squirmed like fiery dragons in the pit of his heart, beneath his deepest darkest doubts.
Until they grew and burst his sanity, set him on a path of defiance and rebellion. A path that would cross three others – all like him seeking answers.
A path of danger and adventure that would see him marked as a terrorist and fleeing for his life. It would see him find love and heartbreak, hope and despair, Most of all, it would open his eye to the possibility of an ancient and powerful secret that might answer all his doubts and fears.
If he survived.
Trapped. In a world where everything is measured and control pervades every area of life, four people begin to break down. Instead, they break through the walls of deceit and propaganda and into a world of revolution.
Each, in their way, vow to overthrow the established order. They embark on a journey against the forces arraigned against them, forces of state and self-doubt.
Ultimately their paths converge on a dangerous road and the discovery of an ancient secret.
Four people, four rebels. Four journeys of self-doubt and discovery that converge on the road to revolution and the discovery of an ancient secret.
Shall we march?
Shall we shout?
Or kneel
And take it
As always
A turn our eyes away
To bright distractions
In response to my daily prompt March
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
In this mess
It must cross our minds
When Parliament fails us
There is a
Precedent
To remove them
In response to my daily prompt Precedent
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
The redistribution of wealth from the masses to the very rich minority continues apace. The groundwork has been laid.
First, we were seduced with the idea of quick riches – that we could join that elite. Invest in stock and shares – and be a part of our club they said – while they sold off our services.
Be free of your landlord – they said – own your own home – they say – while they sold off social housing.
Invest in your future – save for a rainy day – build your pension pot they said – while they took that money for their own ends.
With the rise of the subscription services model – we no longer own anything. Gone are record collections and family libraries – to be replaced with an intangible library
And now – the pressures start. Our kids start their adult lives saddled with debt from just educating themselves. We, their parents are so under pressure from austerity that we cannot support them. Remortgage after remortgage – after all nothing is as safe as houses.
But when the time comes and we look for our pensions – they are not there! They have underperformed or have just been stolen – gone into the black hole of bankrupt companies.
And then – surprise, surprise – there are suddenly all these companies that can help – with equity release or webuyanyhouse.com quick sale promises. All that property – that once belonged to us all – that we dreamed of passing down to our children is being hoovered up. They will end up in the hands of a very few large property magnates.
And we will be back in a feudal society once more. When everything is owned by a few – power will be theirs.
In response to my daily prompt Estate
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
For the sake of one
Stray meteor dinosaurs
Might exist today
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #230 Exist&Today
#amwriting, #postaday
Respect is
Expected
Everywhere you go
Respect my rights
My views
My thoughts
We have forgotten
Respect
Should be earned
Not expected
Mutual
And reciprocated
In response to my daily prompt Respect
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Same, same, same
Same job
Same problems
Same pressure
I am wood
Not stone
In response to my daily prompt Pressure
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Insurance
Remember
we have none
On the earth
In response to my daily prompt Insurance
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
From the symbol of peace
Comes a stealthy killer
Seductive and insidious
Giving all
It appears
But taking all
Even tears
In response to my daily prompt Heroin
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Getting what you wished
Is not always what it seems
So wish well my son
Originally published in A Spring of Dreams
Life is engaging
Creatures decipher the truth
They peruse it all
In response to COLLEEN’S WEEKLY #TANKA TUESDAY #POETRY CHALLENGE NO. 110, “PLEASANT & READ,” #SYNONYMSONLY
Check the link for the guidelines and rules
A haiku this week. Keeping it simple.
#haiku
Cardiology
And ophthalmology plus
Good old A and E
Originally published in A Spring of Dreams
Leading with honour
Bonding with friendship, not fear
True path to glory
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #227 Truth&Honor but also inspired by David Attenborough’s latest masterpiece Dynasties
#amwriting, #postaday
A play in the park
Really knocks the wind from you
In these mature days
Originally published in A Spring of Dreams
Little pieces
Torn from our hearts
Rearranged memories
Making pictures
To last through time
Until the days
When they are no longer
Remembered
Just seen
As a mystery
From the past
In response to my daily prompt Mosaic
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
A sweet sweet Jewess
Married the dark Jew hater
Irony with teeth
Originally published in A Spring of Dreams
An ice warning sign
A dark winding country road
Still, they whizz on by
In response to my daily prompt Warning
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
There is a puzzle
Seen from way up on high, that
Only birds can solve
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #226 Question&Resolve
#amwriting, #postaday
This is serious
The future makes me tremble
These frightening days
In response to COLLEEN’S WEEKLY #TANKA TUESDAY #POETRY CHALLENGE NO. 108, “AFRAID & GRAVE,” #SYNONYMSONLY
Check the link for the guidelines and rules
A senryu (sort of) this week. Very late and a little hurried
#senryu
Always racing on
How about stopping for once
To take someone’s hand
Originally published in A Spring of Dreams
Global warming
You might think
It will bring us tropical summers
It won’t
It will freeze us
Before it burns us
In response to my daily prompt Tropical
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Another long day
Topped off with some contentment
Others feel the dust
Originally published in A Spring of Dreams
Is it coincidence
That those that urged us to leave
Have left
In response to my daily prompt Coincidence
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
The carrot
Is getting bigger
Nearer
More tantalising
Imagine the stick to follow
In response to my daily prompt Carrot
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Eleven fifty
Nine and almost out of time
Yet still ploughing on
In response to my daily prompt Late
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Who’s in partnership with who?
Are those that fight really enemies?
Is it all a show?
Distracting us from the truth
While they steal from us
Freedom, wealth and everything
In response to my daily prompt Partnership
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Flying is an art
The pigeon needs no compass
To find its way home
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #224 Art&Compass
#amwriting, #postaday
And then
After an hours silence
He warms our heart
With a carefully crafted picture
Mummy in a tutu
Daddy very tall
Then himself dancing
And his new baby brother – coming soon
And Lucas up in the sky
Looking down from heaven
Not your average family
But happy
Originally published in A Spring of Dreams
Lots and lots to write
But my eyes are failing me
Red raw pools of pain
Originally published in A Spring of Dreams
Ruthlessness
Meanness
These are the traits
The media feeds us
Tells us we need
To succeed
Thus preparing us
For exploitation
In response to my daily prompt Trait
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Scott Andrew Bailey - Author 