By Scott Bailey © 2013
Eyes
Red and raw
Seen too much
Filled
With work
and bills
and tears

Originally published in A Spring of Dreams
Eyes
Red and raw
Seen too much
Filled
With work
and bills
and tears

Originally published in A Spring of Dreams
Monster
Caught in lead and steel
Frozen
In time
Human
Caught in the machine
Enslaved
Forever
Somewhere
An artist smirks
And settles
To eternal sleep

In response to this week’s Photo Challenge Twisted
This was a sculpture spotted during a day trip to Hastings many years ago.
The white wolf’s triumph
Hunt over, hunger sated
No howling tonight

In response to Colleen’s Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 81, DIGNITY & SUCCESS, #SynonymsOnly
A haiku again this week. My brain is too fried for anything more.

#haiku
Dawn spills on the land
Sharing its free, warm bounty
Nurturing the seeds
Feeding the grazers in turn
Then stolen by the hunters

In response to COLLEEN’S WEEKLY #TANKA TUESDAY #POETRY CHALLENGE NO. 90, “Give & Receive,” #SYNONYMSONLY
An attempt at a Tanka

#Tanka
Wandering the shore
Through new lands every day
Ancient fishermen

Originally published in A Spring of Dreams
The heart of the oak
Old and strong, steadfast: yields to
The will of the wind
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #177 Strong&Heart

#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge

Listen to all the anger
Hark at all the fury
Just remember that
You no longer own the jury
Humiliate the whistleblower
Make him out a fool
Wielding propaganda
Like an old blunt tool
Don’t you know we’re cynics now
We can see through all the lies
You will have to do much better
Or suffer the surprise.

Originally published in A Spring of Dreams
Stars
Magic
Fathers dance
Under dark trees
Dream

Originally published in A Spring of Dreams
Bright flakes of light in dappled leaves
that float on down
where saplings grow
and settle low
And earthy scents rise in the air
As underfoot
leaves crunch and fold
red-brown and gold
The rusty fence that holds it in
it holds us too
back from that time
when we roamed free

Originally published in A Spring of Dreams
The pie chart tells all
How our future is planned out
While dreams turn to dust
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #107 Pie&Dust

#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge

Sometimes the things we are due
do not arrive
Sometimes that precious parcel
is lost
Sometimes the blows
are more than we think
we can survive
But we do
It is the ancient sadness
of humanity
Happiness has such
frailty

Originally published in A Spring of Dreams
Arise
To the thunder
The raging of the skies
Rain, that splits the drought asunder
Rejoice
Tremble
Beneath the aweful majesty
Of nature’s might roar
Making your heart
Thunder

In response to Colleen’s 2018 Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 76: JOY & FURY, #SnyonymnsOnly
Had a go at a reverse cinquain this time.

#Cinquain #reverse-cinquain #CinquainPoetry
Shouting into the hole that is the whole
Nothing back.
Raging against the system that is all
Nothing changed.
Staring at the box with the box.
Nothing gained.
Justifying every move you make
Not explained.
Time to change.

Originally published in A Spring of Dreams
There are empty spaces
left as people move on,
of the spaces of places long gone,
of times gone by
There is a link between present and past
an energy, a potential,
strung between the memories gone
and the living yet to roll on
The link hums with the tension
and the empty spaces echo back the thrum
deep rich reverberation
layered on the past, the present, the future
Such is the music of life.

Originally published in A Spring of Dreams
Tempting like a tart
Sweet nectar awaits inside
So the dance begins

In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #190 Tart&Sweet
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge

Only hear the stream
Babbling toward the ocean
The breath of the air

In response to https://ronovanwrites.com/2018/02/19/ronovanwrites-weekly-haiku-poetry-prompt-challenge-189-zennoise/
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge

Wherever words roam
Over fantastical lands
The heart rests at home.

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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.
Peace is the echo
Of the voice of the songbird
Across the still lake

In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #185 Sing&Peace
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge

River slips quickly
Rolling by under the bridge
Until the freeze falls

In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #188 Quick&Slip
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge

A fantasy tale of a Knight’s struggles and adventures that is a veiled allegory for modern life. But what does it tell us? What do you take from it?

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 challenge to 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.
Our minds need respite. They need distraction but not mindless, not trash. They need feeding. We all know this. We all forget it.
There have been many times I have been stuck in the deep, cloying pool of stress or simply stuck on a problem I cannot solve. The resolution has most often been to do something else. Something that engages the mind differently. This frees your subconscious to solve the issues for you. So often after such a period, the solution presents itself.
Many great thinkers and creatives have employed this method. Both Darwin and Einstein for example took walks in the country and let their minds be engorged with its beauty. For others, it has been music.
I present here another option. Poetry. A whole collection in fact – one for each day of the year.
So when you’re stuck, or just in a fuzz that you need to shake – pick up “A Spring of Dreams”, read one poem – contemplate it. Give your mind the break it deserves.
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.
The giant sun burns slow
Swells red and bloated, gassing
It’s life into space

In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #180 Slow&Burn
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge


Brass gleams, drips with steam
Flaring in a beam of light
Driving on the wheel
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #179 Flare&Steam
#Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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
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

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
My new poetry collection offers 365 moments of contemplation. Explore a variety of forms and emotions, and let each poem brighten your day. #PoetryCollection #DailyPoems

Dive into a vibrant world of poetry with 365 pieces crafted from dreams and emotions, each one a daily gift for an entire year. This collection features an array of forms including haiku, sonnets, katauta, lanturnes, and free verse, each poem reflecting the myriad moods of life. Experience the ebb and flow of sadness and grief, joy and love, captured in every verse.
Let these poems be a bright spot in your day, offering a serene moment of reflection amidst the chaos of life. Embrace the opportunity to pause, contemplate, and see the world through a different lens.
Find a moment of peace in your busy day with my collection of 365 poems. From joy to sorrow, each poem is a reflection of life’s many moods. #Poetry #DailyInspiration

Uncover the magic of poetry with our latest collection! This anthology features 365 poems, each crafted with dreams and deep emotions, published daily over a year. Experience a variety of forms—haikus, sonnets, katautas, lanturnes, and free form—that capture a wide range of moods and reflections.
Each poem offers a moment of contemplation, a brief escape from the stress of everyday life. With themes of sadness, joy, love, and grief, these poems provide a touch of inspiration and a fresh perspective.
Invest in this collection to enrich your daily routine and find beauty in every day. Dive into the rhythm of poetry and let it transform your world. Don’t miss out—get your copy today!
A golden charm hangs
Twisted tear between her breasts
Hungry wolves look on

In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #75
Embark on a poetic journey of 365 pieces, each a unique expression born from dreams and emotions. Spanning diverse forms like haiku, sonnets, and free verse, they mirror my daily mood—ranging from sadness to joy, grief to love.
Amid life’s chaos, these poems offer a brief respite, inviting readers to pause and view the world through a new lens. Join me in discovering solace and reflection within the lines of each verse.

Find a moment of peace in your busy day with my collection of 365 poems. From joy to sorrow, each poem is a reflection of life’s many moods. #Poetry #DailyInspiration

Discover the magic of poetry with 365 poems crafted from dreams and deep emotions, published daily over a year. This collection includes haikus, sonnets, katautas, lanturnes, and free form, capturing a wide range of moods and experiences—from sadness and grief to joy and love.
Take a moment each day to pause and reflect on the world through these diverse and heartfelt poems. They offer a brief escape from the stress of everyday life, providing a fresh perspective and a touch of inspiration. Dive into the rhythm of poetry and let it enrich your daily routine.
Discover a collection of poems that defy the trend of instant gratification. Each fantasy poem is crafted with care, challenging you to linger and discover its layers. #Poetry #FantasyLiterature
Including
A poetic tale of magic, ambition and its consequences. Four powerful courtiers use their magic to summon a perfect golden man, pouring their dreams and desires into him. But of course, their aims secretly conflict against each other and within this being of ultimate power!

In an era of instant gratification and fleeting attention spans, I decided to defy the trend by offering something with both greater length and depth.
The poems in this collection were crafted over an extended period for various purposes. They are diverse yet uniformly lengthy and challenging. Each poem posed a personal challenge to maintain high-quality writing over a long duration within strict formal constraints while still telling a compelling story. They also challenge the reader to escape the constant rush of daily life, to slow down, and take the time to truly absorb the content.
Such effort deserves a reward. These poems are not meant to be a quick fix. If readers invest their time and effort, they should reap the benefits through ongoing contemplation or by revisiting and discovering new insights with each reading. My final challenge was to provide this depth of content – ensuring it offers more than just quantity.
…. keeps the stress away. Dive into my collection of 365 poems, filled with various forms and emotions. #PoetryLovers #365Poems

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.
Explore the beauty of words in their various forms. “A Spring of Dreams” is a poetic treasure trove, offering a glimpse into the author’s moods and emotions over a year. Dive into the world of haiku, sonnets, and more.

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.
“A Spring of Dreams” is a poetic odyssey that offers solace and inspiration. Explore 365 poems that will make you laugh, cry, and reflect. Get your copy now and let the power of words and emotions embrace your life.

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.
Each day holds a new dream, a new emotion, and a new perspective in “A Spring of Dreams.” Join Scott Andrew Bailey on a poetic journey that spans a year and encapsulates the essence of life’s varied experiences. #PoetryForLife
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.

Dive into the depths of reflection with this raw and poignant collection. Explore the disillusionment of a generation sold a dream that never materialized. Through unfiltered verses, uncover the truth of modern existence and confront the harsh realities of unfulfilled promises. This is poetry that speaks to the soul, offering solace in shared experiences and a glimpse into the shadows of our collective consciousness.

Experience the world through a kaleidoscope of emotions in this vibrant anthology. Journey through verses intricately woven with the hues of life, each colour painting a unique narrative on the canvas of existence. From the depths of sorrow to the heights of joy, explore the myriad shades that define our dreams and aspirations. Embark on this poetic odyssey where words and colours intertwine, inviting you to immerse yourself in the beauty of expression.

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.

As the title says – thirteen tales about ghosts. Yet, while ghosts feature in them all – not all are traditional ghost stories.
You will find the vengeful spirit but also the plaintiff one. The haunting message from the past and the playful spirits capturing the joy of their past lives.
Some of these visitors from beyond lead the haunted to peace and joy – others take them on much darker paths to places with no return.
Enjoy them – just don’t get too comfortable.

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.

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 the reader. To 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.


Sunlight pleases him
Teases him with memories
Blotting out real life
