Unveiled Pages

The sun glittered over the forest, reflecting off the the vibrant green foliage that sheltered the river. Woodnotes danced on the summer breeze, warping through the tight-knit branches to encircle the white clouds haunting the landscape. A young woman wove through the trees, her skirts catching on the underbrush in her daze. She shut her eyes, her lips forming soundless words, chaotic even as the silence chained them. Her breath came in shallow rasps, yet she drove her legs to move faster. Thunder crashed in her darkness, flashes of bright light appearing as she ran, gone before she could register more than their mere presence. The rapidly changing light pressed down on her, enveloping her mind with the tourbillion of zenosyne. Her foot caught on an unseen rock, sending her rolling into the river. The sudden touch of serenity returned her to the forest, a gasp echoing through the trees as she opened her eyes. Her hands groped the water, fighting for purchase against the slick riv

Floating all around I see a dream That taunts me As it sparkles Always out of reach Forever I have run Pace unchanging, Desire enduring, And forever I will run For my forbidden stardust I chase The impossible, The otherworldly, And yet I believe in hope I believe in dreams Someday, may I be Deserving of this dream That is my life For I believe in me

She stood alone atop the sand dune, scanning the sky for their approach. Her eyes were slits of deep violet, piercing in rarity. At a distant roar from overhead, she began to hum, a low croon that stroked the desolate horizons. Moments later, she felt them. Strong leathery wings beat the air, casting torrential gusts of wind through the desert, enveloping her in a whirlwind of sand. A wide grin split her features as she opened her mouth to sing, swallowing sand as she did. Her voice cut through the wind, clear for naught could resist her will. Dragons came into view, their wings flapping furiously against the power of her unearthly melody. A gleam in her eye, she pushed her song further, standing motionless even as the dragons fought their way closer. Flames shot in her direction, hitting an invisible wall and exploding into the sand-filled sky. She raised her arms above her head, thrusting her palms out towards the dragons as her song crescendoed to a boundless height. Relentles

Painting done by the amazing @artfully_antoine on Instagram! Dawn breaks, unending As the world awakens to Dream through another day So fleeting amongst all else A second to breathe, just a blink And so life goes on Pushing all to look to the future, For so quick does the present Fall under the grey shroud of The past, an oblivion that Haunts the future, for memory Dwells in a slower time, Tainting all that will be With all that has already been As the sun crests its noonday apex, Hope dances with pain, blended beyond Recognition, for as tomorrow approaches Yesterday has not yet gone to join the Memories of yesteryear, lingering to Tarnish all the memories yet to be made, Wilting the blossoming dreams before they Have the chance to bloom, And so life goes on, Uncaring, unyielding to the struggles of Everlasting time, forever unbroken Regardless of how memory drags on, Falling further and further astray, Unable to float atop the endless river Of past

Gentle, upon slick stones she stood Her breath bathed by the fragrant wood Lost in bliss, she lowered her hood Things were not good, things were not good Her skirts flowed atop the water Nature the world wished to slaughter A fate she resolved to alter For her daughter, for her daughter Before her a vast waterfall Shimmering mists answer the call Her barren soul do they enthrall It must not fall, it must not fall A wild melody filled her ears Brought her down to her knees in tears Naught at all could allay her fears Sweet were the cheers, sweet were the cheers How were their views so far askew After all, animals live too Evil had seized them, this is true What could she do, what could she do Around her, nature was so rich Everything so alive to twitch Her spirit, vibrant life did bewitch So joined on pitch, so joined on pitch Her eyes sparkled a brilliant gleam Ecstasy on her face to beam Along with nature did she scream So she fell to dream, so she fel

This was written as a challenge to write a 300-350 word story all in a single sentence.  White, everything was white, and she was lost within it, unable to get free no matter what she did; the stark desolation used to frighten her but now she had grown far too used to its constant presence, and even as she kept pace with her life, she could't shake it - the vehemence with which it contained her was too much even for one so much stronger than she - as things were, she didn't stand a chance, and it had been so long since she could see the world through anything other than her doomed porcelain lens, she had fallen deep into the sway of anhedonia, alone in apathetic agony; rasasvada enveloped her in the rare moments she could escape from the perpetual achromatic emptiness that formed her world, and it was so blissful, such a welcome freedom from her monotonous daily death, that it reignited her ability to dream in color, if only for a fleeting instant, but even so, it was not eno

The wind whistled as it buffeted her body. She clung to the rail, dizzy, as she watched the waves crash onto the rocks far below. Across the open water, the sky burned with blood, a dusting of clouds smattered about the horizon. Slicing through the crimson, a single crow captured her eyes. Behind her, the light began to spin in circles, adding a ghostly cast to the evening's gloaming. In shaking hands, she stroked the book for which she gave up her dream job. The binding was worn almost through, yet the pages were still somehow in near pristine condition. She could never go back now, not since she'd made the stupid decision to become a thief. Slamming her fist onto the metal railing, she felt tears come to her eyes as she cradled her hand. In her other hand, the book thrummed to the beat of her heart. Unbidden, she felt herself move as if to take a step closer to the open sky. Dimly, she knew she did not want to move at all, but yet, she could not stop her body from twitc

Her hands wouldn't stop shaking as she studied her face in her mirror. Gaunt, tired, and lonely, she barely recognized the women she was seeing. Raising her hand, she begins to drag the brush through her grey hair. Laughter bubbled in her chest as she chased her best friend through the grass. He turned around to grab her, and they fell in a heap on top of each other. As her laughter died away, she looked deep into his eyes, a wide smile on her face. He returned her piercing gaze. "Did you know you smile like you're gonna cry?" As the brush snags a tangle in her hair, she winces and lets go of the brush, leaving it to dangle from her hair. A wrinkled, unsteady hand reaches for a comb to help free the brush. She walked out of school to join the mass of preteens waiting for their parents. A hand brushed her shoulder, and she jumped, turning to see who had snuck up on her. He grinned at her annoyed expression, easily evading her unskilled slap in favor of kissing

"Alright, that's it for today. I'll let you go a few minutes early. Enjoy your weekend." She exhaled slowly as she fled the lecture hall, unable to stand the cramped presence of other people for a moment longer. Thankfully, night had already fallen, the darkness welcoming her home. In a blissfully short few minutes, she had slipped inside the ice arena and quickly made her way towards the lockers. Evading the eyes of the couple others around her, she hurriedly changed and put on her skates. As soon as her blades touched the ice, she felt a vast, relieving wave of calm wash over her mind. Even the two other people on the ice ceased to make her uneasy. As she moved smoothly from a couple warm-up laps into a routine to the chorus inside her, sound ceased to be, vision blurred, sensation itself surrendered to the melody. From within the rhapsodic oblivion, her dreams soared to fight for exultation. A perfect triple axel and the crowd roared for her. Underneath the

Continued from  Poems #51-60 . #61 Snowflakes of tears whisper Of long lost days and Bittersweet fragments of dreams Saturate the air with desperate longing #62 Shape of words echo unseen Buried beneath the woes and Troubles plaguing forgotten times #63 Time withered away the hurtful memories Nourishing new blossoms of hope As they struggled to bloom in the Dying light which blanketed the earth #64 Romance fades only as time fades Love stronger than all else Clinging on till world's end #65 Beneath the surface of understanding, The seasons turn to dust Floating on the wings of fading winds #66 Before the moment of death A sharp intake of breath All hung suspended in tense Air of gruesome anticipation #67 Beyond this moment of discord The seasons fade into the mist For without harmony, what need Have we for a cyclic world #68 In the moonless darkness, The leaves sleep in silence Motionless unless forced by One who stalks in the night #6

The propeller hitched as the engine caught, causing the plane to wobble fiercely. In the cockpit, a young woman, alone, tried the radio again, to no avail. Outside, the storm loomed, as if taunting her, telling her she'd wasted her time. There was no chance that she would make it in time now. She knew she'd done her best, but was unable to stop her thoughts from turning to the people who'd been counting on her. As her mind drifted, the plane's flight grew more erratic, buffeted by gale force winds, at times dangerously close to the dark clouds. Tears blossomed in her eyes as her hands tightened on the yoke. Desperation driven, she tried the radio one more time. A bright flash illuminated the sky, shaking her entire body for eternal moments before all fell still. As her eyes opened, she could see only darkness tightly encircling her. Faintly, she heard music, slow and solemn in its lull. After a few moments, she felt as if the darkness had lifted her, carrying her in

"We should speed up." The captain turned to stare at the tall woman who had spoken. Unable to see her eyes underneath her hooded black cloak, he let some of his confusion show. "I beg your pardon ma'am, but why? I was under the impression you were taking your students on a field trip, not a race against nothing." "What race? There's no race. We need to keep ahead of them, though." "Them?" "The Germans, of course. We don't want them to catch up to us." As the captain fumbled for a response, one of the students, a young man, spoke up, "Professor Viviani, the Germans aren't here. And the captain's right, all we're doing is going on a field trip. To experience history, you said." "I did, didn't I? But, you know, that's even more of a reason for the Germans to be following us. History, remember?" She laughed harshly, "Captain, you really should speed up, unless you want t

"We're done here." She twisted my wrist sharply as she freed herself and ran to the front door. "Wait! I'm sorry." I raised my uninjured hand to stop her from leaving. I'd screwed up, I realize that, but I can't lose her.' She turned back, halfway down the steps, her eyes cold, shockingly unlike her. "Why should I stay? You don't care about me." "I do! Jenny, I love you!" My voice was so smooth, I wasn't sure if I believed me. "No, if you loved me, you'd act like it. People don't treat those they love the way you treat me." I clenched my fists. "You don't understand. I didn't mean to, you mean everything to me." She shook her head, her eyes slightly softer. "I've already given you three chances. For my sake, I can't give you a fourth. I'm worth more than how you see me, I know that now. I won't let you take that from me again." "I can do b

This is telling the same story as my flash fiction piece by the same title,  Angel Soul . It is written in the base form of a Kyrielle Sonnet, with four quatrains instead of three. She stepped to the edge of her world Cloaked in night, her mind would not quell Wails everlasting, endless woe And as she spread her wings, she fell Exhaustion stole away her Life, desolate of all as well Not a spark of soul to recur And as she spread her wings, she fell Jagged rocks and frigid waves await Silver moon in her gaze a spell Cloud blown in efflorescent fate And as she spread her wings, she fell Lone tear in fate to defy Soft breeze her calm fear to dispel A smile to death for angels fly And as she spread her wings, she fell She stepped to the edge of her world And as she spread her wings, she fell

Continued from  Poems #41-50 . #51 Blurring at the edges, A broken promise A cracked heart Tears to fill a river From a shattered soul #52 Echo beyond this moment The last vestiges of life and love Still faint traces in the mist Yet soon to be overtaken In all but the heart of death #53 Memories of desire mourn In the moonless night of sorrow Hope and joy now dead and gone #54 Memories of harmony turn Soundless in the air of lust Passion oppressive over the silence Greed floods a world devoid of beauty #55 Pain whispers before dawn Night air laden with agony Shards of moonlight pierce the sky To dance amongst the stars #56 Memories of discord cry Damned be the new world Filled with harmony and peace #57 Spirits of harmony sing To fill the air with notes Of love, light, and hope To banish the oppressive dark #58 Memories of love embrace Before the dawn breaks Relishing in the night's peace #59 Dance echoes 'neath the cloudless sk

My debut poetry collection is now available on  Amazon  and  Smashwords ! On the Doorstep of Dreams   is a short collection of poetry focusing on the fragility and resilience of life. These poems take the reader on a journey across the seasons, showcasing the true depth of emotions that are present in the natural world. Day and night both feature to offer different takes on the same thoughts and feelings. In the end, this collection highlights the shred of hope that is present in even the darkest of times. Now available on Amazon in  paperback form !

Continued from  Poems #31-40 . #41 The seasons of pain sleep in the air Saturating all that can be felt Lying in wait to Invade even the happiest of times #42 Waves of harmony hurt after the storm Chaos electric in the air Remaining long past the clearing of the clouds The battle of the world's duality #43 The seasons of desire vanish under a cloudless sky Burned away by relentless sun Crying out in agony Begging for the moon's return #44 Evening echo in the cold earth Stars sparse in the emerging Night of the new moon Desolate winter hollows the silence #45 The sounds of death Rejoice in the moonless night World wrapped in silence As a blanket of pain Steals the joy away #46 Seasons - tormentor of dreams Dreams - bane of death and blood of life Life - fragile essence of all #47 Time passes as night blooms Starflowers hold silver pools Of moonlight as the stars emerge Twinkling high above as they dot the sky As down below, the night co