These are some works that I submitted for a literary magazine!
A Haiku: Playground Bully
Containing greatness
The king has arrived, fearless
Ready for a show.
Tangled Engagement
And why can’t it be two turtle doves? Sit in my tree and learn to love. Travel the world and feel the wrath of a mind well spent, bet take a chance. Take me from thy love and treasure me as a rare blossom that cannot bloom. Your heart weighs heavy at my thoughts, but mine is barred by your ideas. You cannot love me because I do not love you.
Chosen: A Short Story
The island dazzled in red light as the sky burst into flames and sent sparks every which way. A man crashed through the undergrowth, his shaggy hair caked in blood from a head wound he had received earlier. His green eyes danced with his seemingly crazed laugh as he stopped and pointed to a hunk of scrap metal that was soaring right at him.
“Get down!” screamed a voice and a body was thrown over him, knocking him flat to the jungle floor.
“Bloody, get oft o’ me! Can’t ya see that was an angel flying to come and take me, sir? Daft you are, really,” the shaggy haired man shoved his rescuer off and brushed himself off.
“That was a bomb, stupid! Now come on, we have to find a way off this damned place!” Exclaimed the rescuer.
He was no more than 20 years old, but with all the dirt on his face and strained wrinkles that outlined his tired eyes, he appeared to be at least twice his age.
“Wacko! Look, one of’em landed!”
“What the-” but he was interrupted by the sight of a man stumbling towards them.
“He’s speaking bloody Angelan! Terrific, really. You know, Mum always said-”
“Shut up! Shut up!” the rescuer turned his attention back to the man who was almost to them, “It’s a Jap,”
“ ‘Ello Champ! Funny name for an angel, really. You know, Mum always said theys was Gabrielles and such,” he stopped as his rescuer stood and walked towards ‘Champ’, his hands raised in a surrendering matter.
Champ stopped. His dark hair and pale face still and quiet in emotion. His almost black eyes were wide with fear, but slowly relaxed and a calm smile crossed his lips. The rescuer, too, smiled. They advanced towards eachother and embraced hands with strong grips.
“We have to get off of here, now…before it’s all blown up,” Rescuer started, but was stopped by Champ who was tugging his sleeve and pointing in the opposite direction.
Rescuer hesitated and looked to the rescued, who shrugged, “He’s an angel, so he pro’bly knows where he ought to be going,”
Rescuer smirked and knodded, allowing Champ to take the lead. After several minutes of travel, Rescued began to stumble and slow.
“Oh bloody hell! My ‘ead is giving me a bit of pain. Mum always said…” but he collapsed before he could finish.
Rescuer glanced back at hearing the thud and quickly turned back, yelling to Champ who followed. Rescuer knelt down and put Rescued’s right arm over his shoulder and Champ did the same on the left side so they could carry him.
Finally they escaped the thick jungle maze and came out on the soft sand. They gently rested Rescued against a palm tree, wrapping his head with their shirts to try and stop the blood flow.
Rescuer pointed to Champ and then went down the beach. Then he pointed to himself and down the opposite side of the beach. Champ knodded to show he understood and they spread out.
Rescuer searched desperately for anything that might help them. A yell came from across the island and he saw Champ waving his arms excitedly. As fast as his legs could carry him, Rescuer bolted over the sand to Champ’s gleaming face. He had found exactly what they needed- a raft. It was damaged and small, making it capable to carry only one person.
Champ pointed at the raft, then to Rescuer, and then to the ocean surrounding them. Rescuer’s eyes rimmed with tears and he shook his head. They stared at eachother and then turned to Rescued, who had begun to mumble. He was to go.
They quickly drug the raft to the edge of the water and ran back, picking up Rescued and moving him to the raft. Champ ran back to the jungle edge and pulled out two snake looking vines from a tree and came back. He tied one end to the raft and pointed to Rescued’s foot, indicating that’s where the other end should be tied.
Rescuer knodded and turned away to adjust Rescued, not watching what Champ was doing. Champ smoothly tied the second vine to himself and the other side to Rescued’s foot. The other side of the original vine he quietly fastened to Rescuer’s foot, making sure it was secure.
Rescuer turned back and in a rushed state, pulled Rescued onto the raft and, with Champ’s help, began to shove him into the water. When the water was up to their chins and a strong current began, Champ turned and swam back. Rescuer stayed until he couldn’t touch the ocean floor any longer.
He sighed and began to turn back when Rescued was suddenly pulled off the raft and drug back towards the island! With bewildered and pain stricken eyes, Rescuer stared unbelievably back at the island. He could see Champ pulling Rescued to the beach.
“Why me!” Rescuer yelled, tears streaming down his face, “Oh God! Why!? Was HE really…he’s an-” a whistle interrupted his thoughts as Champ saluted and was lost in a flash.
Four Way Stop
The daylight broke to reveal a man walking alongside the road. He was short and thin, but possessed the longest chin one had ever seen. His eyes were blue and his hair was no particular color at all. “Good day, good day,” is what he sang as he walked down the dusty path before him.
No one ever spoke to the man or knew his name, but he always still sang, “Good day, good day,” and went on his way.
One particular day, he came to a four way stop. Now which way?
"Dear sir,” said a man riding his horse to town, “May I help you?” But all the road man ever said was, “Good day, good day.” So the rider went on his way.
Next came a shepherd and angered with the road man and his lack of answers, he shot him dead, but how terrible he felt! He cringed and cried for what man kills another who always wishes him a good day?
This poem won runner up in the Riverland Community College Poetry Contest
Silent Waters
Quiet streams trickle down from high shores
In endless beats.
Carrying, whispering, swirling; continuous.
Such gossip plays out in their
Bright blue churning tongues.
A neverending and seemingly
Timeless change of events have occurred
Since last meeting.
And then a
Ripple.
A pulse.
Smooth as crystal glass all talking
Comes to a close
And once again,
The water is
Still.
More random poems!
Pulses
A dark light
A full moon.
A casting shadow throughout the gloom
Standing, waiting in
Silence.
No one dares to say
“He’s not coming, not today”
For fear of breaking
A heart
A pulse.
Tapping, tipping, waving
And then a breeze.
A breath and a sick dawning.
He didn’t come today and he won’t show tomorrow,
But do not worry.
I was not there. I did not die.
Untitled
All people keep acting
Plastered behind
Crooked masks breathing
Blood.
Why can’t I be free of these freakish
Nightmares?
When will they want to hear my story?
My struggles, sufferings,
And pains? What happened to
All the friends I loved and why have they forgotten
My love so lost?
Where will they be when they lose me?
By my side?
Or out my window?
Why can’t I keep them quiet
And stop loving
Them?
William
I’m glad it’s out on the table,
But that table is turning.
And where it will stop
I cannot tell.
Please let all be at peace and
Everything well.
I wish not to bruise
A heart re-mended.
Light
I am once again sick.
Trembling, terrorizing
Not knowing quite where I stand
My legs feel sore
My body aches
I have so much pain and yet
No rest to help
Why did this all go wrong
Where
Is
The
Light
I once knew so well
I will
Search
And I will
Find
That light once more
And then
I shall dance with joy
For being sick no more
Would make me free.
The Tap Dancer
Tap tap, scribble, scratch
Slowly jogging words to life.
Like dancers, graceful and light,
Writers seem to glide and flow.
Pencil in hand, like small tap shoes,
Tap tap, scribble scratch.
Jubilant
Jubilant
Bright yellow
Childish laughter
Like cool vanilla on a hot summer’s day
Or a tangy sip of sweet lemonade
Delightful splashing through puddles after spring rain
Endless joy, even in an abyss
Eric Paul
Days fly by and others go on with their lives, but I remember you always.
I stop in the midst of the rushing people and I turn and look for you.
Though you’re not here, I always feel you near,
For you are the one I think of most.
Dry these tears and set my heart and feet straight so I can finish this day to start the next.
