By Scott Bailey © 2018
The ballet dancer
Perfecting her soul with grace
Hiding her sore heart
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #201 Body&Art
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Dancer
Writing
Slight
By Scott Bailey © 2018
The slight light
Of the dawn
Brings dread
Worry
When it should bring hope
What happened?
When did the light
Seep
In response to the daily prompt Slight
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Fire and Green
By Scott Bailey © 2018
Earth’s ire arises
Fire from the pulsating core
Fertilizing land
In response to the daily prompt Core
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Flaunting
By Scott Bailey © 2018
When the oppressors
Flaunt
Their power
When they laugh
Not in their sleeves
But in your face
As they take
And cut
And take some more
Chuckling
On their beds of gold
And thrones of power
When their hands are tightest
On the flow
Of information
Disinformation
And lies
They feel the safest
The strongest
That
Is
The time
To strike
In response to the daily prompt Flaunt
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Sleeves
By Scott Bailey © 2018
Sleeves
Hide mystery
Sleek and smooth inside
Be that
Skin
Or vinyl
In response to the daily prompt Sleeve
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
The Hiding
By Scott Bailey © 2018
Come the hiding of the sun
And the rising of the dust
Dark Kings will reign over the land
Seas will bleed
Come the hiding of the moon
Rivers will falter
Weeds will claim the land
Towers will fall
Come the hiding of the stars
The ice bears will rend
Thunder will rule the air
Mountains will weep
Come the dying of the fire
The turning will end
The scattered will fail
Nothing more
In response to my daily prompt Hide
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Sun Cycles
By Scott Bailey © 2018
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
Explorers
By Scott Bailey © 2013
Wandering the shore
Through new lands every day
Ancient fishermen
Originally published in A Spring of Dreams
Birds Eye
By Scott Bailey © 2018
On the beating wing
Birds are party to the truth
From way up on high
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #198 Beat&Party
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
The Mallet
By Scott Bailey © 2018
The mallet
Ancient tool
Held by many hands
Down through the ages
Hands of skill and experience
Worn and hardened
By labour and care
Now
Resigned to
Tent pegs and vampires
In response to the daily prompt Mallet
I have to say – what a rubbish word today!
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Authentic
By Scott Bailey © 2018
What is
Authentic
What is
Truth
In the sea
Of information
Might we drown
Before we find the
Pearl
In response to the daily prompt Authentic
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Parallel
By Scott Bailey © 2018
The arguments go on and on
Side by side
On and on
Both sides sticking
Faithfully
To their course
The problem is
Parallel lines
Never meet
In response to the daily prompt Parallel
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Firewater
By Scott Bailey © 2018
Firewater genie
It lures you with promises
The bottle snaps shut
In response to the daily prompt Genie
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Frets
By Scott Bailey © 2018
Fingers fly on frets
Sliding, screeching, sighing
And magic emanates
Transporting us
Away
In response to the daily prompt Fret
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Crank it Up
By Scott Bailey © 2018
Come on you loons
You warrior poets
You insane ranters
Crank it up!
Give us your ideas!
Give us your brains!
Break the mould
Break the world
So it can be remade
Better
In response to the daily prompt Crank
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
The Oak
By Scott Bailey © 2017
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
Rockets
By Scott Bailey © 2018
Rockets fly
In the face of reason
And humanity
Again
Depleted hope
Is as dangerous
And toxic
As depleted uranium
In response to the daily prompt Deplete
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Who’s the Fool
By Scott Bailey © 2013
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
Hopebound
By Scott Bailey © 2016
A glimmer of hope
Magically holds our eye
While life passes by
In response to the daily prompt Glimmer
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Small Fish
By Scott Bailey © 2018
In the shallows
Small fish dart
Disturbing the sand
Splashing
In the deep
Sharks swim silent
Passing
Unseen
In response to the daily prompt Disrupt
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Lullaby
By Scott Bailey © 2018
The sun is just shy
Of setting in the west to
Birds’ sweet lullaby
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #196 Shy&Sweet
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Haul
By Scott Bailey © 2018
Life is a haul
Not a journey
Or a mystery
No heaven to aim for
No rules but survival
Just a haul
Knowing
Is enlightenment
Pull where you need to
Concentrate your energy
Focus
Be keen
In response to the daily prompt Haul
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Monarch
By Scott Bailey © 2018
The meadow’s monarch
Surveys his green realm with hope
Before the sun sinks
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #195 Regal&Hopeful
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Explorers (A Florette)
By Scott Bailey © 2013
We brave explorers together
Wearing imitation leather
And as silent as a feather
We toiled through the darkest weather onto our prize
Through mountains and valleys, we walked
By tigers and lions were stalked
And as brave as we always talked
There came a time when we just baulked against the size
Of the hunger in our bellies
Off with our explorer wellies
Broke out the ice cream and jellies
And retreated to the telly’s noisy comfort
In response to the daily prompt Explore
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Radiance
By Scott Bailey © 2018
Radiance
Shining across the galaxy
Shimmering
Around the darkest of places
From darkness
Light is born
To darkness
Returns
In response to the daily prompt Radiant
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Star Fathers
A Lanturne
By Scott Bailey © 2013
Stars
Magic
Fathers dance
Under dark trees
Dream
Originally published in A Spring of Dreams
A Lost Forest
By Scott Bailey © 2013
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
Conversant
By Scott Bailey © 2018
I am conversant
In…
Um
Well, I am quite good at….
Hey
What the hell
Why does it matter?
Who am I trying to
Impress
In response to the daily prompt Conversant
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Permit
By Scott Bailey © 2018
Permit me to speak
Permit me to say
The truth of our lives
Maybe if we shared
The healing could begin
We could escape
The electronic cage
If we listened
If we did
In response to the daily prompt Permit
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Prowling Fox
By Scott Bailey © 2018
The fox prowls the woods
Hot on the scent of dinner
The body is close
In response to the daily prompt Creature
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Dominant
By Scott Bailey © 2018
The dominant theme
Of the modern movement
Is just that
To dominate
To be the best
No second place
No room for losers
Crush them
Squeeze them dry
That is the song
Of our age
We seem to sing it
With joy
In response to the daily prompt Dominant
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
The Heart of Mankind Limited: A Dystopian Reflection on the Price of Progress
As a writer, I’ve always been drawn to the complex interplay between humanity’s boundless ambition and the unintended consequences that often arise in its wake. My novel, Mankind Limited, explores this fragile balance, offering readers a glimpse into a world where corporate power overshadows human freedom, and technology becomes both a blessing and a curse.
The inspiration for this story stemmed from the growing influence of multinational corporations in shaping not only markets but also personal lives, ideologies, and even the fabric of society. The question I kept circling back to was: What happens when humanity’s future is no longer decided by individuals but by entities driven solely by profit and control? Mankind Limited is my answer to that question—a cautionary tale that mirrors the concerns of our present while casting them into a shadowy, dystopian future.
At its core, Mankind Limited revolves around a system of powerful corporations that hold the reins of society, manipulating everything from resources to human behaviour. It’s a world where individuality is suppressed, and conformity is rewarded—a hauntingly plausible reality for anyone who’s observed the increasing commodification of our lives. The protagonist, caught in the machinery of this corporate dystopia, is faced with choices that challenge their morality, loyalty, and humanity itself.
This novel isn’t just about the terrifying possibilities of unchecked power; it’s also about resistance, resilience, and the enduring human spirit. In crafting this world, I wanted to explore the grey areas where good intentions are twisted, and the pursuit of innovation comes at a cost that society can no longer bear.
One of the most exciting parts of writing Mankind Limited was the opportunity to delve into the nuances of human behaviour under extreme societal pressure. What would you do if your every choice was monitored? How much of your freedom would you sacrifice for comfort or safety? And, ultimately, what does it mean to be truly free? These are the questions I pose to readers, not with the intention of providing neat answers, but to spark introspection and discussion.
Since its release, Mankind Limited has sparked conversations with readers who see parallels between the fictional world I created and the direction of our own society. The world of Mankind Limited is dark, but it’s not without hope. Writing this novel reminded me of humanity’s capacity for connection and defiance, even in the face of insurmountable odds. I hope readers find themselves both challenged and inspired as they navigate the twists and turns of the story.
If you’re someone who enjoys exploring the depths of a dystopian future and questioning the direction of our own society, I hope you’ll consider diving into Mankind Limited. It’s a story that continues to resonate and urges reflection on the choices we make today and the world we want to shape for tomorrow.
I’d love to hear your thoughts as you journey through the novel. What resonates with you? Which moments linger in your mind? And, most importantly, how do you envision a better future? Let’s keep the conversation going—because change begins with awareness, and awareness begins with a story.
Scott Andrew Bailey
Sunny
By Scott Bailey © 2017
Sunny
She was
And the shadows she cast were long
We long for her
Now the winter is here
And the long long night descends
Bright was her smile
White and bright her smile
Deep and black her skin
And we wanted in
From afar
Memories of sun
In the dusk
In response to the daily prompt Sunny
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting
The Presentation
By Scott Bailey © 2016
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
By Scott Bailey © 2013
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
Thunder
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
Change
By Scott Bailey © 2013
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
Blush
By Scott Bailey © 2018
See the sky blush with
Golden fire heaven sent
And then the darkness
In response to the daily prompt Blush
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Soundbox
By Scott Bailey © 2013
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
Nature
By Scott Bailey © 2018
Nature
Claws back its realm
Over many ages
Verdant fingers prying apart
Even
The strongest of our creations
With persistence of growth
Old and fertile
Mother
In response to the daily prompt Patience
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Chasing Sunbeams
By Scott Bailey © 2016
See the argent moon
Chasing the brightest sunbeams
Moments slip away
Incubate
By Scott Bailey © 2018
Ideas buried deep in the mind
Forgotten, beneath the rubbish
The everyday detritus
Fermenting
Until one day
The green shoot
Of inspiration
In response to the daily prompt Incubate
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Continue readingWrinkle
By Scott Bailey © 2018
A wrinkle by the eye
With a twinkle in
And that’s all you need to know
In response to the daily prompt Wrinkle
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
A Small Note for Big Dreamers
By Scott Bailey © 2016
Dreaming
Alone
Is not enough
Dreaming together
Greatly to be desired
But
Giving dreams substance
That is what’s required
Silence
By Scott Bailey © 2013
Silence is Golden
Because it’s so very rare
Grab it while you can
In response to the daily prompt Noise
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Reclamation
Nature
Claws back its realm
Over many ages
Verdant fingers prying apart
Even
The strongest of our creations
With persistence of growth
Old and fertile
Mother
In response to COLLEEN’S WEEKLY #TANKA TUESDAY #POETRY CHALLENGE NO. 75: “PATIENCE & GREEN” #SNYNONYMSONLY
Had a go at a butterfly cinquain this time – and I had the perfect picture to go with it – one I took myself for a change.
#Cinquain #butterfly-cinquain
COLLEEN’S WEEKLY #TANKA TUESDAY #POETRY CHALLENGE NO. 75: “PATIENCE & GREEN” #SNYNONYMSONLY
Slim Pickings
By Scott Bailey © 2018
A chance glance of light
Reveals the heron hunting
Slim pickings below
In response to RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #192 Slim&Chance
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
The Winding Path
By Scott Bailey © 2018
Be yourself
Be true
Be uncompromising
We are told
Be open-minded
Listen to others
Find the common ground
We are told
Find the path
Through those
And you will be sorted
Or go mad
Trying
Simple
In response to the daily prompt Uncompromising
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Thaw
By Scott Bailey © 2018
I watch the snow melt
The green shoots of grass rise up
To greet the new dawn
Taking a bracing shower
In glistening morning dew
In response to COLLEEN’S WEEKLY #TANKA TUESDAY #POETRY CHALLENGE, NO. 74: “RENEW & FRESH,” #SNYONYMSONLY
#Tanka
Bird on a Branch
By Scott Bailey © 2018
Bird on a branch
Are you resting
Are you watching
The world below
The people rushing here
And there
Along their crowded roads
With all their forks and cul de sacs
Fly on little bird
Fly on
In response to the daily prompt Branch
#DailyPrompt, #amwriting, #postaday
Scott Andrew Bailey - Author 
