Eagle High

By Scott Bailey © 2017

Daring the currents
Of the rare higher airways
Bold the eagle flies

 

Eagle

In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #178 Bold&Daring

#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge

 

Jenga Man

By Scott Bailey © 2017

A piece of me is demanded
Every waking moment of my life
One day the critical piece
Will be withdrawn
And the inevitable
Tumble will come
The final fall
The end of the game

Jenga Man

In response to the daily prompt Tenterhooks

#DailyPrompt #iamwriting, #postaday

Age

By Scott Bailey © 2017

Age is the revealer
It strips away the lies
And wears us down
With harsh reality
Pares us to the bone

Age

In response to the daily prompt Age

#DailyPrompt #iamwriting, #postaday

Tenterhooks

By Scott Bailey © 2017

Waiting on tenterhooks
For the next Big Idea
The next Winner
The next Wedding
The next Divorce
The next Leader
The next Messiah
For some
Just
The Next Sale
In the meantime
We are bled
And the fruits of our labours
Snuck out of the back door

In response to the daily prompt Tenterhooks

Waiting

#DailyPrompt #iamwriting, #postaday

The Age of Reason

By Scott Bailey © 2017

This is the age of reason
Apparently
What reason then
Behind the starving child
Tortured by hunger pains
What reason
Behind the women
Sold as toys
What reason
The stockpiling and use
Of weapons of blood
One reason
One alone
That pounds every moment
Of our lives

In response to the daily prompt Age

Exploitation

#DailyPrompt #iamwriting, #postaday

Snippet

By Scott Bailey © 2017

Snippet
Clip it
Crimp it
Crumpets
Strumpets
Trumpets

The clear, pure note of a trumpet
Filling expectant silence
With celebration

In response to the daily prompt Snippet

Trumpet

#DailyPrompt #iamwriting

Rambling

By Scott Bailey © 2017

The sparrows scatter the pine cones
Down the valley and down
The salmon are jumping the ladders
The bears are shiny and brown

The river digs through the mountain
Too deep to hold any sin
The current rolls over and over
As ruins come tumbling in

Deep in the widening desert
Rumbles mistakes from the past
Mad birds scatter their debris
The light is shattered and cast

The stars shine high in the nighttime
Burning the rocks bare below
Melting resolve of the greatest
Like newly laid snow

Darkness pushes the light
Further and further apart
Stillness covers the chaos
Silence claims every heart

Rambling

#iamwriting

No Turn

By Scott Bailey © 2017

Time is a one way street
There is no going back
A Saturday now is not a Saturday then
Monday morning comes again

Time drips
Dreams trip
Words will see us through

In response to the daily prompt One Way

One Way

#DailyPrompt #iamwriting

Husks

By Scott Bailey © 2017

The scrabble for the dream
Prevents the dream
As we fill every moment
Chasing here and there
To get things done!
We never stop to ask
Why
The things we are chasing
We will never have time for
As we are too busy
Chasing
Mankind and I
Have become
Empty husks of purpose

Husks

#iamwriting

The Hunt

By Scott Bailey © 2017

The percussive beat
Of a heart pounding with life
Stilled by quick, sharp teeth

In response to the daily prompt Percussive

#DailyPrompt #iamwriting

Underdogs

By Scott Bailey © 2017

The underdogs are many
Trampled underfoot
While they fetch and roll
And play dead
Until the day
They remember
They are
Wolves
And the pack arises

In response to the daily prompt Underdog

Wolves

#DailyPrompt #iamwriting

Bridge

By Scott Bailey © 2017

White swan flies over
Broken, crumbling, old stone bridge
River rolls on by

 

Swan flying over a crumbling bridge

In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #176 Broken&Over

#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge

 

Madness

By Scott Bailey © 2017

A touch of madness
In the powerful is wrong
But in the writer…

Madness
Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.com

 

In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #172 Wrong&Touch

#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge

 

Mirror

By Scott Bailey © 2017

The lake’s smooth surface
Is as calm and still as glass
Perfect winter’s ice

In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #171 Lake&Calm

#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge

 

Crumbs

By Scott Bailey © 2017

The smallest of crumbs
Of hope keep us all trying
Generating cash

Crumbs

In response to the daily prompt Crumb

#DailyPrompt #iamwriting

The Gate

By Scott Bailey 2017

The gate swings
Welcoming those who have come
Waving to those who have gone
The wear on the paint
Remembrance
Painting it over
Will not erase the memory

In response to the daily prompt Gate

Gate

#DailyPrompt, #amwriting

Outside `The Daffodil and Pen’

By Scott Bailey © 1999

I wandered lonely as a brick
That sinks and dives in stream and lake,
When all at once I was so sick,
And an awful mess I did make.
Beside the lake, beneath the trees.
Splattering my stomach in the breeze.

It must have been the bread I had
Or maybe that old Milky Way.
This puddle of sick smelt so bad
Along the margin of the bay.
Ten pints I had drunk, at a guess.
Tossing my head, I felt a mess.

The waves in my head danced, and they
Dashed my weak legs from under me.
A poet could not be so gay
As the one who stood over me.
He gazed and gazed and then in glee
Threw up and fell down next to me.

Next morn when on my couch I lay
In vacant and in pensive mood.
I swore I’d give up drink that day.
And swore some more, it was quite rude.
But soon, once more, the cider spills.
I’ll sleep again with daffodils.

 

In response to the daily prompt Dash

#DailyPrompt, #amwriting

Outside `The Daffodil and Pen’

Slurred

By Scott Bailey 2017

Words slurred
Danger
Thoughts blurred
Danger
Moral smudged
Danger
Figures fudged
Danger
Modern life

In response to the daily prompt slur

Blurred Life

#DailyPrompt

Rhythym

By Scott Bailey 2017

Let the rhythm of the future
Not be
The rhythm of the past
Let us change it
Though the task be hard
And let it be
Beautiful
Let it be vast
Lest it be elegant
And true

In response to the daily prompt Rhythmic

Rhythym

#DailyPrompt

Glitter

By Scott Bailey 2017

The glitterati glitter
While the paparazzi pack
Lines full of lies and libel
To shore up the moral we lack
The world wide web weaves wonders
Hyperlinks hypnotise
The people they rage and thunder
Swallowing all of the lies
So watch the things that glisten
Watch the lustre and shine
And remember that nobody listens
Any of the time

 

In response to the daily prompt Glitter

Glitter

#DailyPrompt

Lukewarm

By Scott Bailey 2017

A lukewarm life
Mine could be considered
Is that a bad thing?
Or maybe
The heat
Is deep and concealed
Who can tell?

In response to the daily prompt Lukewarm

Lukewarm

#DailyPrompt

Aware

By Scott Bailey 2017

Futility, the child of awareness
Perhaps ignorance is bliss
Not a choice I would make
Action begins in awareness
Except in rivers and clouds

Awareness

In response to the daily prompt Aware

#DailyPrompt

The Message

By Scott Bailey 2017

Look for the message
Lovingly crafted
Full of compassion and care
Look for it in the news
If you find it
Follow the crafter
For they are rare

In response to the daily prompt Lovingly
but also
In response to the daily prompt Craft from the day before.

Lovingly Crafted

#DailyPrompt

Heard

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

Shouting

#DailyPrompt

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.

Grwoth

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?

The Well of Sunken Dreams


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

Fried Eggs

#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge

The Fisher King

By Scott Bailey © 2016

Cherry petals float
On the tumbling mountain streams
Kingfishers heart beats

kingfisher-bird-aviary-color-nature

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

Albatross

#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

Flower of the Vale

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

Spacetime
Image from Pixabay

#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.

mother

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.

The Valley

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.

Suspense

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.

Playground Laughter

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.

A Ghost Sighting

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.

The Church

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.

A Ghost Scene

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.

Shipwreck

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.

The Urban Jungle

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.

Terminal

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.

Fire and Ice

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.

Earl

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.

Cycles

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.

Thirteen Tales of Ghosts

Beginning

By Scott Bailey © 2016

Lightning flash charges
The rain drenched primordial dawn
A spark of life stirs

Beginning

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

Dragon Jaws

In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #95 Dragon&Invite

#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge