Ice Maiden

She drinks in the river and lets the ice settle in her heart,

enclosing the fire they want to steal away.

They’re gasping, gasping for their lives,

but she thinks not, should have left the cradle be.

She ignores the red blood, the blue

for hers is deep green and never runs dry.

Hers is the proud tears of mothers watching their babes grow,

the sound laughter as they sever her veins.

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Cover reveal of A Book for Pandora, my debut poetry collection!

Hello everyone, it’s been a while in the works, but I’m finally able to show you the final cover design for my first poetry collection. Here it is:

Many of the poems in this collection originated as drafts right here on this blog, so if you like the style of my works here, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this collection. I’m incredibly proud of it and how it’s come together, and I hope it’ll be just one of many collections yet to come.

The release is early next week, and I’ll provide links for where to buy it up on my home page nearer the time.

Here’s the blurb, and thank you to all of you lovely readers for always checking out my work:

The poems in this rich and imaginative debut collection speak of people, of life, loss and love. They weave threads of myth and fairy tale into commentaries of society, explorations of self, nature and humanity.

Sometimes surreal and sinister, others playful and light, A Book For Pandora is a collection with an array of flavours that will delight any reader.

Enchanted

Three steps forwards,

the girl surely took

and on her path did find

 

the boy to wake her heart

from its frozen state

and bring clarity to her mind.

 

He spoke to her,

rambling away the thorns

on every stroll they took,

 

and never for a moment

did she feel

that he hadn’t understood.

Space Hopper

If I had seven league boots,

I’d travel up to the stars.

 

If I had three point five league boots,

I’d travel to the highest mountains.

 

If I had one league boots,

I’d travel to every lush space I could find.

 

I am barefoot.

 

I can travel only until I get tired.

But there’s nothing to stop me believing

 

I have seven league boots.

Midnight dream

This time the dancing bears circle around the sun,

while the stags haunt the moon,

fleeing from the horns of the wild hunt.

The air shatters, clouds move in like ships

coming into port; great hulking cargos

unloading the spirits who holiday

so gaily, submerged under the bath of stars.

A snippet of my WIP

Rae hazarded a look back down, but then wished she hadn’t. The dragon was following them as they’d planned, but it was only seconds away from snapping its jaws around Lady Olande’s rear legs. The dragon-woman made it back out onto the palace grounds, where her kin stood waiting, also transformed, just as the outer structure of the catacombs exploded from within, spraying rubble in every direction. In its place was the dragon, and as it saw how many people faced it, it licked its teeth hungrily.

The Drengin didn’t wait for it to attack; they made for the sky, joining the Ice sparrows still fighting the Fae soldiers. The dragon beat its wings twice in preparation, then flew up after them. Sure that it was following the main formation, Lady Olande discreetly changed direction and headed for the outskirts of the city, where the Grand Lubber would – if all had gone to plan – already be waiting with Silver, Gwind and Max.

Disobedience

My lungs heave up and down, played by my fingers like bagpipes

whining into the night about the injustice of you walking away

from him. How dare you? You’re both so close, such a true pairing,

but my pen never lets you tell him how you feel. You’re

out of my control, not a character, but a person in your own right,

not mine. I want you to run with all your passion back into his arms.

Can’t you obey the ink, just once?

Elevenses

Let’s have a catch up.

We’ll sip tea and eat scones with jam

while skipping along the borderline

of countries lost under the seas

and between the stars.

We’ll pick flowers, too.

Nightshade to match your swirling dress,

Foxglove to use as drinking cups –

best not keep it for soup.

We can chart out our own paths

using chalk and chlorophyll

and a compass of needle and cork.

We’ll sing songs heard in seashells

and whisper spells into bottles

to float amongst the sea foam.

Silenced.

And the girl carrying the chest

full of the secrets from a thousand villages.

 

And the boy who followed after burying

the key in the depths of the deepest loch.

 

And the one who came smiling, tracing

their steps with coin on belt and sword

in hand.

Small Cares

 

Why do you hang your head

so low, my pet?

You may only be the size

of a snow drop or crocus,

and a puddle may appear

as a small lake to you,

but why is that a sad thing?

Think of all you can

see and hear

that no other can.

Observe the flowers as they first emerge,

seek the moment they reach for the sun!

See the bees buzzing back to their homes

and help them carry their bags of pollen.

Listen to the secrets of dormice

and ask to fly on the backs of butterflies.

Sleep in the shade of a snail’s shell,

be carried by a team of worker ants.

But most of all, my pet: live!