William had a theory. It was to do with the way people learned. That was why he never told anyone The Secret. That was why he had to lead them to their own discovery.
But was that right?
Find out more. Follow four people who society could not break as they explore the very idea of rebellion – with action!
In response to the daily prompt Theory
#DailyPrompt #iamwriting, #postaday
Well, this has not been the best of years. If stress were a commodity I would be rich. Think it finally caught up with me this week. Felled by a virus I succumbed to fever and panic and have been in bed for a lot of it.
Thus – I haven’t written any new blogs this week. While I will attempt to catch up it has somewhat scuppered my attempts to reach a target I was aiming for.
This year has been my best for views by far – I have already doubled the last best year. So looking for a new target I was aimimg for 20,000 by the end of the year. I am 800 short. Not likely to make that in the last 15 days of the year. Especially with the holidays coming up.
That said, I am still going to try! So prepare for an onslaught 🙂
First-degree murder
How we like to measure things
That hurt
In response to the daily prompt Degree
#DailyPrompt #iamwriting, #postaday
Deep
With memories
Camping with friends
Caving
Rich smell of loam
Aroma of cheese
The chill of the cave
Holidays with family
Children eyes
Reliving the wonder
Of my youth
Deep runs the gorge
In response to the daily prompt Gorge
#DailyPrompt #iamwriting, #postaday
Through saintly blue hues
The predator emerges
Teeth all pearly white
In response to the daily prompt Saintly
#DailyPrompt #iamwriting, #postaday
It’s all going south
So let’s all relocate there
It’s hotter at least
In response to the daily prompt Relocate
#DailyPrompt #iamwriting, #postaday
Noble, graceful, caged
So like us yet so far apart
Our bars are our own.
In response to the daily prompt Zoo
#DailyPrompt #iamwriting, #postaday
It’s the bite
Of anger
That reminds
How little we have travelled
Anger?
ASD?
Helplessness?
Toddler
Child
Politician
Out of their depth
Gambler
On the wrong side
The toddler
Never
Really leaves
In response to the daily prompt Bite
#DailyPrompt #iamwriting
Holding back gremlins
Behind breaking fences
Seems to be the purpose
The never-ending task
The why
Long forgotten
In response to the daily prompt Gremlins
#DailyPrompt #iamwriting
Two this time – makes up for a drought of anything new 🙂
His first attempt at
Sexy was short lived, painful
Full of lasting woe
Short , sweet and sexy
She came swishing to my world
And I longed for her
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #175 Short&Sexy
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge
Dancing with my wife,
last week the telegraph came:
Coughs ring round the trench.
Originally published in A Spring of Dreams
In response to the daily prompt Dancing
#DailyPrompt #iamwriting
The hand of winter
Smooths the land with a cold, white
Blanket of deep snow
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #174 Smooth&Hand
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge
In the spooky night
Bats flitter with deadly skill
And the moths shiver
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #173 Spooky&Night
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge
And to get into the spooky mood some more – try my collection of short stories.
Settle down in the dark with Thirteen Tales of Ghosts, and immerse yourself in fear if you dare.
My wife’s precious heart
Is in need of attention
The surgeon awaits
Well, these two prompt words could not be more apt! My wife is facing major heart surgery this weekend! Consequently, I may be a little quiet here for a while.
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #170 Heart&Need
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge
I was surprised to get a message from a friend and colleague – a rap poem – inspired by my novel Mankind Limited.
I thought I would share it here;
Also, check out their music on their own site https://urbanhippies.bandcamp.com/.
Here is the poem.
Mankind Ltd
By J McKay
Where the kindness of man is limited
Capitalist cooperation that will see your dreams diminishedI see humans but no humanity
Just vanity
Losing my sanity
People escaping to virtual reality
Because reality
Is is now a dark place
Lives taken because of their race
Deals done with a cash filled suitcase
Suit and tie
Led by
The pied piper
on a never ending Rat raceMankind LTD
Where the kindness of man is limited
Capitalist cooperation that will see your dreams diminishedWhats wrong with the world Mumma?
Rehiring the war drummer
Reigniting feuds with a different Color
Future hasn’t looked glummer
Worlds heating up like an Indian summer
Enough money to fight, nothing done about world hunger
So I wonder
Is the war drummer
Just An opportunity to showcase the chopper gunner
To damage infrastructure,
To take lives from a culture
Take fathers from youngsters
Circling above like vultures
Targets are hidden deep under
bombs are nothing but a stain on a water colorMankind LTD
Where the kindness of man is limited
Capitalist cooperation that will see your dreams diminishedSensationalised snippets
Bunch of hypocrites
With a hidden agenda to make your opinions fit
Emotional counterfeit
Drink down the whole truth, don’t just sip it
Don’t read a headline and then just skip it
Hounding hashtags like a whippet
Tweet tweet
But you ain’t no pipit
Reference to a bird incase you didn’t get it
Daily disposable media, how you gonna fill it?
Click bait
To get those click through rates
Hooked on a headline
Served up on a plateMankind LTD
Where the kindness of man is limited
Capitalist cooperation that will see your dreams diminishedAt war with Nature
Where is this the legislator
It’s not out governments, there just a manipulator
Facilitators
For the rape of our lands by dictators
Hard to be inhalators
Of these demonstrators
Because trees are our main respirators
Think there an accelerator
For improving nature
But there blinded by a broken alternatorMankind LTD
Where the kindness of man is limited
Capitalist cooperation that will see your dreams diminished
We are borrowing time
The interest is piling up
The bills are on their way
Have we enough flesh to pay
In response to the daily prompt Interest
#DailyPrompt #iamwriting
Silk slowly sliding
Over soft smooth skin, caressed
Brushing fingertips
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #169 Silk&Skin
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge
Tempting sweet nectar
Scent drifts on the summer breeze
Snap! Fly trapped for lunch
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #168 Sweet&Scent
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge
When I say today’s daily prompt ~ Elevate all I could think of was Daleks!
“Elevate! Elevate!”
I couldn’t get that episode out of my head – so I didn’t think I would end up writing anything. In a way that’s still true – I am just waffling here.
But the tenuous link is the kind of elevation that can be experienced when listening to a particularly good piece of music. Tonight a good piece has been returned to my consciousness courtesy – of all things – to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2!
Now it has many good tunes some of which are on my regular playlists already. But watching it tonight one jumped out at me – that I haven’t heard for a long, long time. It grabbed me and lifted me and I didn’t even wait for the film to finish before I was on the phone downloading it! (Og the wonder of the internet!)
Yep – My Sweet Lord by George Harrison. What a simple but beautiful song. Perfection. Elevating!
In response to the daily prompt Elevate
#DailyPrompt #iamwriting
Lobster shuffles out
Coming out of his safe shell
Fabulously pink
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #158 Pink&Shell
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge
Goodnight. Sleep tight. Love you with all my heart.
One snuggled cosy in bed.
One in the earth.
Mother and Father
Forever hurt.
In response to the daily prompt Bury
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting
Kookaburra laughs
Amused at the irate ants
Eyeing them for lunch
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #157 Amused&Irate
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge
Splosh
And a little erosion
Helped on
By little hands
Joy is free
Available as
or hardback
from Amazon
or CreateSpace
I am drawn
By slightly parted lips
Swaying hips
Twinkling eyes
A smile
I am drawn
In response to the daily prompt Magnet
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting
According to Amazon’s own Author Central – the ranking for all three of my books has shot up considerably – despite the fact that I haven’t sold any extra copies lately.
Wonder what’s going on?
When I hit over 10000 views at the end of last year I thought it would be a hard target to beat – yet here I am just over halfway through the year and I have beaten it already!
I have to thank my followers and all who have read – a little or a lot.
Now if only I had 10000 book sales 🙂
http://www.scottandrewbailey.uk/
Change is the only constant
One of my favourite quotes from one of my favourite books – Dune by Frank Herbert.
In times of stress and trouble, it helps to remember that all things pass, even the things that darken our days. So savour the moments that count, enjoy them.
My biggest problem is that while intellectually I accept that, try to live that, in my heart, I crave conformity and security. Safety and predictability.
A dangerous and seductive train of thought that I am finding harder and harder to resist. Getting old maybe?
Well, it’s time to shake things up. I will be starting a new job in a few weeks. Life is forcing changes on me whether I want it or not. Time to wake up, embrace the change and revel in the storms.
In response to the daily prompt Temporary
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting
Over in the US
The new boss has his eye on you
You are all apprentices now
All in the firing line
In response to the daily prompt Apprentice
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting
Minimal contact
Minimal support
Minimal communication
Maximum propaganda
In response to the daily prompt Minimal
#DailyPrompt
So it’s official – my author interview will be appearing on Thanet Writers this Saturday – 04/03/2017.
Rest assured I’ll be blogging about it when it happens 🙂
I have at various points in my life had to bare my soul top strangers.
When we lost our second child and attended group therapy – we bared our feelings. (There’s still plenty there though that needs to come out).
When we working through the adoption process we had to really lay bare our lives and feelings.
I find it both difficult but worthwhile. To get know yourself better is a good thing – you can only learn and improve.
What got me thinking back on this is the fact that I have just completed an author Interview for my good comrades over at Thanet Writers. Watch this space I will post links when it’s published.
While not as personal it as quite difficult to do. I think it was because I don’t really see myself as any kind of proper writer – just a dabbler. It will be interesting to see the reaction, though.
For those of you who like the feel of real paper….
Thirteen Tales of Ghosts is now available in paperback! Check it out here.
Or go here for a sample.
A collection of short stories concerning ghosts. Some are traditional ghost stories in the tradition of M.R. James and Edgar Allan Poe. Other 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.
Ideal for sitting around a campfire and late at night under the covers. Or maybe not if the stories themselves are any guide.
Check it out at Amazon and Smashwords and other online e-book retailers.
A paperback version is here for those who prefer the feel of the paper while huddling by the fire – on your own – in the dark – with that noise behind you……
Hippos do not deign
To sweat in the summer heat
Wallow in cool mud
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #137 Sweat&Heat
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge
Incredibly pleased and appreciative of the latest (and first for this book) review of Thirteen Tales – many thanks, Janet Gogerty.
See the review below or click here for the original on Amazon.
“This book should be a movie. Somewhere in Hollywood right now there are actors waiting for their agents to deliver this story in script format to them. The makings of all action-packed adventure films is here. I can see the film in my mind’s eye.
But this one is different.
It’s not fast-paced for the thrill of it alone. It needs to be to get the message across. Mankind could be on the threshold of just such a future. Time is racing.
This one could be us.
Maybe a few years down the line yet, maybe already almost there in some similar format. Change a few details. Replace one group for another. Look behind the motives in politics and corporations. Stretch the reality just a little. Ask ourselves questions looking through the light of a different lens.
It feels like us, it acts like us, it may very well come…”
“Great concept to write a poem a day for a year and provides an insight into coping with difficult family circumstances – a recommended read for anyone who has struggled in such situations. Some poems were obviously more personal than others (my favourites were those when the writer cherishes the ‘small moments’ in life such as going to a fireworks display with his wife and son) but he also branches out into more political territory. Look out for the funny poems scattered throughout the book too, one in particular made me laugh out loud! A good read and Scott Bailey shows talent as a poet. Recommended.”
If only we could translate
Emotions as we could words
Maybe wars would be less
Maybe they would be worse
In response to the daily prompt Translate
#DailyPrompt
Unlike an orange
The juicy details of life
Are deep down inside
In response to the daily prompt Juicy
#DailyPrompt
No expectation
No disappointment
One philosophy
Expecting it all
Throwing tantrums when denied
A more common one
There has to be a better way.
In response to the daily prompt Expectation
#DailyPrompt
Seriousness
Has been whittled away
Belittled and demonised
For the serious
Are not good
Consumers
Why so…
In response to the daily prompt seriousness
#DailyPrompt
An old one that fits.
Blue eyes turned purple
Deep purple and very still
Watching all my life
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #136 Eye&Fade
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge
Grab it now and enjoy – Thirteen Tales (of Ghosts). Spread the word!
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.
Ideal for sitting around a campfire and late at night under the covers. Or maybe not if the stories themselves are any guide.
Check it out at Amazon and Smashwords and other online e-book retailers.
A paperback version os being worked on for those who prefer the feel of the paper while huddling by the fire – on your own – in the dark – with that noise behind you……
So, either it has snowed in our bathroom, there has been the mother of all cocaine parties or somebody who will remain nameless (starts with an L end with an M few vowels in between) has found Mummy’s talcum powder.
I don’t know what my kids will be when they grow up – but one way or another they will make the world tremble.
In the meantime – here’s an old poem that fits in with today’s prompt.
I have seen giants
Striding over the land
Power on their shoulders
Stern and strong their hand
Never do they falter
Never seen one stumble or fall
Always do their duty
Always answer the call
Through storm and wind and rain
The carry their burden true
Though other links may burn out
The giants stride on through
So remember this and tremble
Even the giants will pass
Fall into dust and rusty ruin
Scattered in untamed grass
One day their burden will dissipate
Their purpose will disappear
And the duty they discharged so well
A memory dimmed with time
In response to the daily prompt Tremble
#DailyPrompt
Oh how I would love
For the world to be lighter
Not a sinking mess
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #135 Love&Light
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge
Sparrow, sparrow in my way.
Briefly tell your tale today.
Tell me if my love is dead.
Do I waste the tears I shed?
Briefly now I’ll tell my tale.
Pray your courage does not fail.
You do not waste the tears you shed.
Alas I say, your love is dead.
A sharp, cold sword did spill her blood.
She tried to stem an angry flood.
But peace that day she could not win.
So fearful war will begin.
Thank you bird for being true.
Nothing’s left for me to do.
To take up arms and pursue strife.
Slay the spoilers of my life.
I bid you sir, think awhile.
Turn from this dark path so vile.
Listen to my humble song.
Step not where your lover’s gone.
Just a simple bird am I
But far above this land I fly.
And see its beauty spread below.
See ahead, where you might go.
Lay down your sword with forgiving heart.
Do not tear your land apart.
Still your rage and vengeance cease.
Follow rather a path of peace.
Humble bird I hear your song.
But my love is dead and gone.
So I raise my sword today.
And will make those killers pay.
The enemies that broke my heart.
And now have torn the land apart.
Upon their heads is all this blood.
For I must release the flood.
Then sir, I shall shed a tear.
For the future I do not fear.
Yet for now I swiftly go.
To make way for the crow.
Three hundred and sixty-five poems in all shapes and sizes, sprung from dreams and emotion. Published day after day for a year. There are haiku, sonnets, katauta, lanturnes and many other forms – including free form. The moods are as varied as the forms and often reflect my mood on the day. There is sadness and grief, joy and love.
If nothing else – these can provide a small moment in everyone’s stressful lives to stop and contemplate the world in a different way.
Why not try a collection of ghostly tales?
Get comfortable by the fire, or under the duvet, grab your Kindle and lock the doors.
To give you a taster read the first story of the collection here.
What’s inside
Distorts and shapes
The exterior
All those dreams and hopes
Hates and fears
That make up the interior
The moiling
Boiling
Packed and stacked
Stretched and tense
Earnest pretense
That inside us all
Makes us all
What we are
Rather than what
We wish
In response to the daily prompt Interior
#DailyPrompt
It was rough last year. I am not just talking about celebrity deaths.
We as a family have had it rough. We have had family members in and out of hospital, having to deal with a diagnosis of Autism for our youngest and his so far very rocky transition into school. I have had work stress and uncertainty. We have seen our social lives and our house being slowly taken apart. I have seen my writing dreams slip away.
Midlife crisis? Maybe.
I have to cling to hope. It is the only thing left.
So not really new years resolutions as such but goals I am aiming for this year.
To find a new job. But not just another role. I need to get back to enjoying work again. That has been totally destroyed of late – I had thought beyond hope – but if I give up hope then all is lost. I have been thinking about a total career change and that’s the way I will try to go.
To improve our daily lives by trying new techniques for dealing with Autistic behaviours.
To reinvigorate my writing dreams. To help with this I will attempt to complete the daily prompt as well as Ronovan’s Weekly Haiku Challenge. This is purely to get my juices flowing. Behind the scenes, I will try to put together two more poetry collections for publishing as well as another short story collection and a new novel. Ambitious but I must attempt it.
I wish everyone a happy new year and hope you all attain your own dreams and goals.
In response to the daily prompt Year
#DailyPrompt
Calm my beating heart
Racing for the beauty of
My beloved wife
In response to the daily prompt Calm
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting
This one for my Poetry Collection!
“Great concept to write a poem a day for a year and provides an insight into copying with difficult family circumstances – a recommended read for anyone who has struggled in such situations. Some poems were obviously more personal than others (my favourites were those when the writer cherishes the ‘small moments’ in life such as going to a fireworks display with his wife and son) but he also branches out into more political territory. Look out for the funny poems scattered through-out the book too, one in particular made me laugh out loud! A good read and Scott Bailey shows talent as a poet. Recommended.”
Check out the original here!
Scott Andrew Bailey - Author 