Wednesday 12 October 2011

Friend Get Friend

Yes. If you haven't yet read the Skulduggery Pleasant Series by the brilliant Derek Landy then do so now.

Follow the link!

http://bit.ly/qNJYCP


Just look at that awesome cover! Thanks Tom Percival! It's outstanding!

Sunday 9 October 2011

Island Challenge Thing

Hmm.... well apparently I must rewrite this with out Kal in it.


Challenge One: Washed Ashore



I wake up on the shore of an island, the water from the sea washing over me, going into my ears. My eyes snap open and jump up. Where am I, I think. What is this place?
My clothes are torn and tattered, I’m barefoot. I look forward, and see a giant forest. The trees are thin, but block any sunlight from getting in.
I trudge toward the forest, and before I step in, I hear something behind me. I turn and see--



Kallista Pendragon in a tattered military uniform, alone and shivering on the same beach I had washed up on. As I raised a hand in welcome something dragged me back into a small barely noticeable cavern carved into the cliff face. I screamed in surprise, only to fall silent as something wrapped a tentacle around my face.  I heard the dull thud of someone- presumably Kallista crash face first into the rock face, only metres from the hidden cavern entrance.

“I must go over and see if she’s alright.” I thought. But first I had the tentacle creature to deal with.

I struggled to turn around and face the unknown monster, but it was futile, all I could see was the stormy grey clouds and the frenzied green waves. Satisfied that I was silent, the creature loosened the grip of its tentacle. As I turned around to stare at the creature that was holding me captive I noticed another monster emerging from the ocean depths. It seemed to be heading towards Kallista, who was rolling around on the sand by the sheer cliffs.

“Oh goody! Two monsters to deal with.” I murmured. Through the glimpses of the beast behind me I could make out a giant violin shaped body covered with writhing mass of multiple crimson tentacles.

“I never did like string instruments.”

 Suddenly a different tentacle wrapped itself around my face, a transparent one, with what looked like tiny hairs growing from it. But as this tentacle made contact I realised that these were tiny little stingers like jellyfish. The pain was immense, my whole face burning with spots of red hot agony. A strangled moan slipped from my mouth as something warm trickled down my legs. I had wet myself. I barely noticed the damp patch around my crotch grow; far too distracted with the stinging sensation that was crushing my face- sending tendrils of pure suffering deep into my brain. And as my consciousness started to shut down the only thing I could think of was “LET GO OFF MY FACE!”



Suddenly the pain withdrew as the creature backed away in discomfort. A hole was appearing in one of its tentacles and I realised that it must have brushed against my soiled trousers. The urine appeared to be an irritant, more; it was like some potent acid. “Huh, it really doesn’t like urea, I guess” I muttered and then “I need some new trousers”...

I turned away as the creature dissolved behind me, too disgusted to look. As I made my way to the entrance of the cave I saw Kallista battling with the other sea weed encrusted beast. A smile burst across my face- she was still alive.

“I drowned the fiddle in wee!” I yelled in surprise- the first thing that came into my head.

Kallista turned to look at me and a determined look spread across her face.

I glanced up at the cliff and saw I large boulder balanced precariously on a ledge directly above the monster. It was wobbling crazily; the vibrations from my screams must have unbalanced the finely placed boulder.

Suddenly it teetered and fell onto the creature- squashing it flat.

“That was easy” I heard Kallista mutter as she suddenly keeled over onto the sand.

And even bedraggled, wearing rags, and covered in sand and monster pulp, my love was still beautiful.

Sunday 2 October 2011

Seeking Starlight In Your Soul

Well at last I have completed my goal of a 1000 word poem. This was written as I gradually fell asleep as can possibly be guessed. I wonder who will guess where it was that I started to drift off. But still it adds a dreamy quality to the poem (I hope) as opposed to a dreadful words put down done sort of a quality. Either way enjoy!


Seeking Starlight In Your Soul

A thousand words inside my brain
About the stars or sky or rain
I dream of fame I dream of love
Of splendour and the worlds above

So many strands of poetry
Adrift and alone on a wide, wide sea
Ideas soaring through the air
Each beacons of wonder, a talent filled flare

My mind and my imagination
Buzzing with the familiar sensation
Fitting the multitude of words into place
Giving life, giving breath, forming body and face

Of the poem that sprung from a single quotation
The source of my newly born fresh inspiration
“Reach high, for stars are hidden in your soul,
Dream deep for every dream precedes the goal”

I read these words of purple brilliance
A basis for me with my lasting resilience
To move on from a recent fall
And clamber over another wall

A mighty wall that seeks to prevent
The one thing in life that would make me content
To not be forgotten, remembered as one
Who succeeds in his dreams, to shine bright as the sun

To build something lasting, inspire a friend
To leave something behind when I come to the end
To achieve an ambition, accomplish a goal
Uncover the stars that reside in my soul

So I draw words together, and add in a meaning
A dash of emotion and then starts the cleaning.
Polishing the diamonds, pruning a verse
And finding the rhymes which I have to coerce

Pleading they somehow will work in some fashion
Without spoiling the sincerity or dampening the passion
And the rhythms conspire against me to flow
I can practically hear them refusing to go

Where I wish but no matter, for though there’s never perfection
 At least I achieve quite a rhythmic inflection
Emotion to thought, and thought into word
If I stick to this rule, then I shan’t be deterred

And I end up with a poem so pretty and pure
And better, a poem that wasn’t, before
And I reach for the dizzy heights and dream of the goal
And seek out the starlight that shines in my soul

And not only do I make, but enjoy what others made
And build upon their former work, in a gleaming cascade
Of idealness and wonder and laughter and defiance
As I stand on the shoulders of previous giants

And although I know the future, is but an unspoilt past
And though existence is so temporary, yet words are built to last
I seek out the starlight, for mile after mile
So that I may share it and bring about a smile

So I write about a susurrus, and Night’s Plutonian Shore
 A tangled web of gossamer threads, and many many more
I tell the story of the cavernous pit, and the tale of the frying pan girl
And I sing of the sadness on the Elvianic Coast, and of pearl, after pearl after pearl

I relate to the teddy bear massacre, and to a beautiful goddess queen
And Golden Gods and Gentle Assassins, and alpacas that munch on the green
Infernos and tempests and defiers of dusk, of evenings forever disturbed
A thousands tales, a million sights, until the pen is curbed

And so I sail the maelstrom and the storm born silver waves
I trek through fields of clover and pass crumbling mossy graves
I write and dream and love and live, I ache, and quake, and see
I think, and work, and hope, and pray I run, and do, and be

I carry a simple message, though the message is unknown
For only you can understand what only you are shown
For every word that ever was has significance to all
From darkest dismay to rapturous enthral

So I sleep so long and deep
I laugh, I speak, I weep
And strive to reach the goal
And the starlight in my soul

I watch over the plains of endeavour
A land that lasts for ever
With no known boundary
Except that of eternity

And I go on and on and on
Until my inspiration’s gone
In my gentle lulling way
On this fine and halcyon day

For I don’t know when I’ll cease
In this wondrous magic peace
Softly softly sighs the moon
And the lapping of monsoon

Lapping lapping at my door
Seeking silence on the shore
As the restless rabble roam
Yet every road will lead to home

As I submerge into the dark
And the subdued shining spark
In the sleepy soothing dreams
Where nothing’s ever as it seems

“Better by far you should forget and smile,
Than that you should remember and be sad”
 The rustling of pages on a distant isle
The only sound that ever made me glad

And soon the lines that fingers gently type
Emerging from an almost sleeping brain
Shall drift into the comfort of the night
Or washed away by crystal rain

Musing from thought to random thought
As way leads onto way
Voldemort is terrified of cats
As day turns into night and night to day

Disturbing my haze
With a short jab of fear
Strange glowing lights
Can be seen on the pier

Wittering, flittering, slumbering rush
Silver sheen dolphins, silent hush
Quiet jubilance from on high
Frolicking beneath a silver sky

No more innocent
Sleep chocked rambles
Focus,
On the drowsy shambles

Penned whilst drifting far away
In cold cut clear as crystal clay
  And yet this is a brief respite
From the somnolent grasp of night

Soon again I’ll droop and dream
And linger in a land serene
Yet still the gush of words they flow
With no force saying where to go

So spread aimlessly round the page
Bereft of passion, heat or rage
I gradually bring them back to might
And reclaim the eternal height

Of ethereal sunless spires
And the thrum of cedar lyres
Caverns caught in ice and flame
The knowledge of an unutterable name

Splendiferous sentiments
Seemingly whole
The spirit recaptured
Completing my goal

So I stop and look back
At the way that things are
And smile at the soul
Brim with light from a star

An Evening Disrupted

This poem didn't make it either. Enjoy!


An Evening Disrupted

The calming rustle of leaves
As the wind brushes by
The patter of rain
From an overcast sky
The scratching of quills
The creak of a chair
The sounds of the evening
Are beyond compare

The crimson of sunset
The glow of the moon
The silver of raindrops
That cause the monsoon
The cream coloured parchment
The indigo sky
The sights seen at twilight
They pleasure the eye

The scent of a candle
The odour of ink
The cleansing fresh downpour
The minty lamb stink
The pleasant aroma of
Grass and of dew
The fragrance of nightfall
A tingling brew

The warmness of cocoa
The sharp tang of blood
The sour yellow bile
The choking thick mud
The salt and the sorrow
Of sweat and of tears
The bitter of panic
The black taste of fear

No smooth sensuous sheets
No coolness of silk
No plump juicy apricots
No spiced asses’ milk
Instead the rough touch
Of a coarse choking hand
The squeeze at the throat
A cold metal band

An evening disrupted
A lifetime disturbed
Sold into slavery
Psyche perturbed
Removed from their home
Beaten instead
Calm dusk destroyed for ever
Bought, ruined, dead

Final Days

Well this poem and the next poem I wrote in July and sent into a competition. Alas they didn't make it so I am now allowed to share them with you.

Enjoy!


Final Days

The greatest war
Run
Planets fall a million score
Run
Roiling, broiling, seething, breaking
Run
Burning, screaming, dying, waking
Run
The very sky is stained with blood
Run
A writhing, ochre, sanguine flood
Run
A torrential, never ending rain
Run
Of blood, and pitch, and death and pain
Run
Planets burn in ghastly fire
Run
A never ceasing funeral pyre
Run
A massacre of eternal men
Run
Born, slaughtered, born again
Run
Gassed, shot, stabbed, sliced
Run
Burnt to husks, atomised, diced
Run
Shattered, broken, ruined, dead
Run
Ground soaked, warm, red
Run
Mighty citadel, tumbles down
Run
Liquid metal, people drown
Run
Minds are destroyed, mad, insane
Run
Raging, weeping, tortured, slain
Run
Plume of smoke blots out the sun
Run
Final days have just begun