Scott Clawson

Flickers of Faith

2010-01-30T21:31:00.007-05:00

Majestic in movements brought forth,

Of one's soul beams beacons of light,

Reverent prayers whispered in hallowed halls,

Pressing dutifully on faithfully bended knees.

Remembrance of days long since convened,

Wisps of fragrance linger on ghostly winds,

Echoed chants praising Regina coelorum,

Solemn scenes pass painted glass of form.

Stately masses flow in faithful tide,

Reaching upward with spiraling longing,

In shadows of alters prostrate fall,

Harmonizing requests of loved one's fate.

The Man Looking Back At Me

2010-01-28T20:18:00.004-05:00

Rolling into what used to be a subdivision but was now just masses of wind swept rubble, Rob noticed the stranger sitting on the side of the road. Cutting the engine and coasting to a stop, Rob opened the door and got out. Walking around the car he stood above the man who sat idly drawing random runes into the dirt.
"Seems to me you're all alone, my friend." Rob stated matter of factly.
"What makes you think I'm all alone?" The stranger replied opening his duster to display a sawed off shotgun without even looking up.
"It just seems odd, you sitting here, in the middle of nowhere."
"It's because all that I ever had and all I will ever have is here. Here in the middle of nowhere, amidst this rubble and decay." Replied the stranger solemnly as he slowly raised his head to look at Rob. "Besides, why the hell do you care? I didn't ask you to stop. You could have just cruised on through heading out to wherever the hell you're heading to with no mind to me!"
"Listen, fella. I didn't mean anything by it; I was just stopping to see if you needed anything, a ride, something. You just looked like somebody that needed something, that's all."
"Where you headin' to anyways?" The stranger asked sharply.
"Rumor has it there were more survivors of the holocaust and that they are gathering out west. That's where I'm heading, hoping to find my family there. You got family? Maybe you could head out west, see if they are there?"
"They're not there. They're here." The stranger said pointing behind him amid the rubble of a collapsed home. "They survived the holocaust, same as I. Those that survived with us, left, looking for god knows what. But we stayed because this was our home, our life. Then one day while I was out scrounging for food, a marauding gang came, murdered my family for what little we had left. I came back to find them all dead. All I had left was gone. I buried them myself back there and I have no intention of leaving them. So I will sit here, and I will grieve until I have had my fill."
"We've all lost." Rob replied. "Everyone alive today has lost. In this we are kindred spirits, destined to try to find some semblance of what was. I hope to find my family and to find some piece of my former self. It is this hope that I hold on to. This hope is my beacon that I must follow to the end."
"And what happens when you get there and all you see it this!" the stranger exclaimed sweeping his hand across the scene of devastation surrounding them. "Then what? Then where will your hope get you?"
"I have to go. Why don't you go with me, try to find some hope for your own life?"
"Because I am a shell of a man. My spirit is broken; I am empty yet filled with agony. There is no hope left, no reason left. Every night I go to sleep I wish that I never wake, but every morning I am here. In my own hell. No, you go on. Do what you have to do, seek what you have to seek. I'll not be joining you." With that the stranger returned to scribing his random figures in the dirt as if Rob was not even standing above him.
Slowly turning, Rob walked back to the driver seat and got in. Starting the car he drove away, watching the stranger slowly disappear in his rear view mirror hoping who he just met, was not his future self.

Written for 3WW. The three words used are in bold. Thanks ThomG!

Life Was Simpler But Love Is Stronger

2010-01-25T19:57:00.006-05:00

Rob scanned the horizon, desolate for as far as his eyes could see. Only the occasional wisp of smoke lazily spiraling skyward in the far distant could be seen. No movement of life. No birds singing or rustling of leaves or trees. Nothing but total devastation from east to west, north to south.
It hadn’t always been like this. His previous life had never prepared him for what he was experiencing now. He had been mildly successful. Married shortly after college he pursued his career with the same amount of energy and reckless abandon that most twenty-somethings do. Still young enough to believe they can change the world, not old enough yet to be disappointed by the cyclic burdens of daily pursuits. But still, he had tried to live the ideal life. Living within their means, he and his wife had bought a nice home, started a family with the birth of their two children and lived the dream. When he left for the business meeting half way across the nation, he had no idea it would be the last time he would talk to his wife, kiss his children or see his accomplishments of a middle class life.
Unbeknownst to him, powers larger and darker than he had ever imagined had invented a future. A future in which mankind itself had become the victim. He was one of the lucky ones. He was able to escape the rain of fire from above. He was able to escape the nuclear terror which had devastated the landscape and left the human race to teeter on the brink of annihilation. Information was non-existent. Rumors and myths were the words of the day. But rumor had it that there were survivors and that they were gathering. It was these rumors which drove him in his quest. He found it his sole thought to find his wife and children. This belief that they were survivors and were gathering with others was all he needed to continue.
Shaking his head, Rob returned to the present. Climbing out of his ride, he took measure of the situation. The world was now a dangerous place, where only the crafty and the hard could survive. Displayed before him were the wrecked remains of the opponent who would have seen him dead, for nothing more than the fuel and little food that his heavily modified car carried. But today was different. Today it would be Rob who would be taking the remnant fuel worth more than all the precious metal left on this god forsaken planet. Removing his newly acquired Desert Eagle from its holster, Rob strode to the driver side of the wreckage and surveyed the broken body of his adversary who lay moaning from mortal wounds. Driven by the animalistic desire to return to who he knew, his family and any shred of his former life, he raised his gun and squeezed the trigger. And to think three months ago he would have thought twice about swatting a fly.

Written for 3WW. The three words used are in bold.

Darkened Void

2009-08-17T22:37:00.010-05:00

Through the desolate wasteland of my mind I ponder,

Days spent traveling meadows of painted colors,

Hours spent in the sweet fragrance of love's embrace,

Increasing days yield the horror of shifting memories.

Doubts arise from deep within my hopeless abyss,

These wretched circumstances have left me raw,

From my isolation I peer into a distance time,

Wondering if my love has released her grasp on hope.

Tears of wanting mercy streak my heavy soul,

Overwhelming dreadful silence my only companion,

Challenging my every thought and questioning my reason,

The shifting of time through cold fingers of regret.

My heart breaks with a sound of unequalled thunder,

Reminiscence if the mighty ship which abandoned me here,

Pieces of mortal man's great achievement scattered like broken dreams,

Skeletal remains to remind me of my unending plight.

Humbled and broken I cry out to deaf ears,

Prostrate I fall without an ounce of resolve,

I fear my darkening heart is winning this battle,

Like a tattered sail, my hope wanes, covered in desperation.

For you see, the horizon holds my love, my all, my salvation.

Freedom Eagle

2009-03-02T19:49:00.004-05:00

Here is a sketch of a starship in my upcoming novel "The Outer Rim" with a excerpt straight out of one of the chapters explaining the ship. Just a little taste of what to come. As you can see, I'm not a very good artist! :-)

As his boots clicked across the ultra smooth hanger floor he walked up to a very smooth, very black and very sinister looking craft. This was not your normal Xanthanian style craft. It didn’t mirror the surroundings. As a matter of fact, it didn’t mirror any thing. Though its skin seemed metallic in nature, light seemed to be absorbed by its unnaturally black skin. A shiver went up Fram’s spine as he stared into it. He found it hard to take his eyes off of it, as if the ship itself was latching onto his soul and dragging him inward.

“Welcome Colonel.”
Fram spun around suddenly startled back into reality and with a feeling of relief to have been torn from the eerie draw of the strange ship. Standing before him was a very tall, very thin and very pale intelligence officer. It was apparent to Fram that this man had spend way too much time below ground as his skinned looked as if it had not felt daylight in years.
“I see you have found your way to your new ship. What do you think?”
“Uh, well, I’m not sure what to think yet,” Fram said haltingly. “It is definitely dark and foreboding isn’t it.”
“If you're referring to the ship's skin, yes it is. It’s a new technology designed to allow the ship to blend into the blackness of space without notice. The skin has the ability to cloak instantaneously when ever the ship is scanned. You could leave this ship in orbit, say around a planetary moon, and it would remain undetected for an indefinite amount of time. Her detection and avoidance software would automatically maneuver the ship out of harms way. It is the ultimate in stealth technology.”
“Well, that’s all nice and dandy,” stated Fram dryly, “but what about defense and assault posture? I need something that can take a hit and return fire with a vengeance. I also need a ship that can get me out of a situation quickly when needed.”
“Relax, Colonel. This ship has all that,” the intelligence office stated with a raised eye brow. “This ship has the most advance jump technology available. It can open a sub space entry point on demand for immediate sub space departure. It also has the most advance sub space navigation software know outside of Zerlik technology and also has sub space tracking ability. As far as firepower goes, well let’s just say it packs more of a punch that any ship in her class. Her shield technology has overlay capability enabling it to regenerate effortless and automatically over areas of the ship which begin to breach. In other words, if you take a direct hit in a certain area and that part of the shield begins to drop, other parts of the shields move to compensate without input from you or your crew. It’s automatic. It also has the largest pulse cannon that a ship of her size can accommodate. And with her compliment of self tracking missiles, plasma mines and ion cannons, she is a force to be reckoned with!”
“Well, that is very impressive. There must be a catch somewhere though. Every ship has its weakness, am I right?” stated Fram inquisitively.
“How very perceptive of you, Colonel. Well, yes, there are a few drawbacks. First being with her jump engines. Yes, you can immediately open a jump point and travel though subspace to any given coordinate without having to follow standard subspace navigation beacons. However you are limited to how many times you can jump concurrently. You see, her new jump engines develop an extreme amount of heat during jump generation and these engines must cool before they can jump again. If they are not allowed to cool, core breach could happen and you, your crew and anybody within a couple thousand meters would cease to exist. So when you come out of sub space, you must allow the engines to cool to acceptable limits prior to the next jump. The main pulse cannon is also a concern. The amount of energy required to fire the weapon is extremely large. In other words, your shield will drop for few seconds after it fires leaving you vulnerable to return fire. Also its rate of fire is limited to one shot every 15 minutes or so, so choose your targets wisely Colonel.”
“Once every 15 minutes! That’s a light year when you’re in combat. I wish it had a cycling rate a little faster than that and I don’t like the idea of shields dropping or flickering in the heat of the battle. We may have multiple targets that we have to engage at any one time.”
“Like I said, choose your targets wisely. You have plenty of firepower with the ion cannons and missiles to keep multiple targets at bay. It’s the best we can give you, Colonel. And trust me; it is light years ahead of anything you have flown in your career. You just have to trust the technology more, that’s all.”
“Yeah, that’s what scares me. It's not your butt up there getting shot at now is it!” Fram stated sarcastically. "Tell me a little about the range, some of my jumps will most likely be extended depending on where I need to get to and how fast I need to get there."
"Well, like any other standard plasma driven jump engines, you will need to refuel. However these engines are very economical in terms of burn rate. Most fuel is used in opening a jump point and re-entry. So, the less jumps, the better the range. Another item to keep in mind is the extreme turbulence created upon re-entry from sub-space. Scanners will be fuzzy until you clear the wake, a normal occurrence in sub-space travel. The good news is that the target acquisition computer is fully automatic, meaning it will acquire and lock on to multiple targets immediately. The only thing that your fire control officer will have to do is to select which to fire on first. All missile components are fire and forget allowing you to consistently maneuver the vessel during an engagement without worry of having to track a missile all the way to the target. Your ion cannons also lock and track their target and they give you a 360 degree spread capable of covering your position should you need to perform a fall back maneuver. I must say that this craft is top of the line in armament. You will be impressed," stated the intel officer non-challantly.
"Great. I guess all of these systems have been tested thoroughly and run through space trial and acquisition scenarios?"
"Um……….sort of. All tests have been completed here in the hanger using the best in simulation hardware and software."
"What?!" exclaimed Fram, "Are you telling me I'm going to be the test subject, that none of these have been used in real world situations, its all been done electronically?"
"I assure you we have the best simulations available and we have sent every system through every conceivable situation."
"It's not the logical situations that I am worried about; it’s the illogical ones that keep me awake at night. It is those kinds of situations which get you killed. I have to say it will take a few fire fights before I will be completely confident in the craft. How about med stations and forced entry protection?"
"She's fully stocked in the most advanced medical equipment including long term stasis boxes for those patients who require more extensive and critical care that can be provided onboard. Once the patient is stabilized, they can be placed in the stasis box for the ride home where they will be kept in a biomedical cryo state. It really is a very impressive piece of medical hardware."
"I hope I never have to use it, just good to know it's there if it is."
"There is also a complete bio-mechanical repair lab for any cyborge work that may need to be completed to include flesh foam reproducer and installer. No need having any of your cyborge crew running around with their foam flesh hanging off after a fire fight. It can be quite distracting, you know!" the intel officer said with a smirk.
Fram gave the thin man a half chuckle. "Ok, you were saying about the force entry protection?" wanting to keep the dialogue moving.
"Of course the entire aircraft skin uses the best detection software available, you couldn't breathe on it without the craft sensing it and displaying it on the command console. Should the perpetrators make entry, there is an EMP protection system which could be set off to knock out their electronic equipment to include any armament which uses tracking and acquisition software. The bridge console is armored and protected against EMP. However anything in your crew quarters will be fried. Engineering is completely armored and protected against EMP as well as any outside hacker trying to take control of your plasma drives. All armament and maneuvering systems are isolated from the main electrical system on the craft so if someone decides to sabotage your power grid or send a surge through an umbilical cord at a station, it won't harm those systems."
"Well, I believe you boys have outdone yourselves this time," Fram stated with a little hint of sarcasm. "Let's go on in, take a tour of interior systems."

Soul Wanderer

2008-11-06T08:34:00.004-05:00

Gently gliding through clouds of newborn stars,
Casting glances back at worlds in translucent darkness,
Riding wings of hope while clutching the mane of destiny,
Softly caressing dreams common to distant travelers.

I travel alone, always looking forward, never behind.
This ship is my home, a refuge in the vast domain.

Listening to echoes of ancient songs in rhythmic time,
Meandering mindless fields of sobering thoughts,
Finding solace in gentle tugs of wayward gravity,
Searching timeless realms of silent wanderings.

My destiny calls me to this realm, once again solo.
This life is my own, a hell of my own creation

Coasting along this thoroughfare which never ends,
Lightly touching the shadows that always surround,
Grasping aimlessly at anchors of uncertain hope,
Looking for even a nuance of recognition in this despair.

Slowly fading, sinking into my own abyss.
All prospects seem to disappear as in a black hole.

Seizing a safe mooring which floats in this gloom,
Remembering hazy whispers of distant arenas of time,
Calmly soothing rough edges of fractured dreams,
Discovering tranquil peace that transcends all ages.

You grab hold, clutching me, securing the line.
Hopelessness fades as I gaze upon your face.

This poem is in reponse to the promt on 3WW . The words are in bold. This is also a collaboration between my wife and I. Hers are in italic. Enjoy!

Ave Regina coelorum

2008-11-04T16:55:00.004-05:00

Forged by fire of a smith's hand
From molten form comes symbol of power
Elegance carved into each corner of imperial metal
Symbol of wealth and blood of sovereign accord

Vibration of rhythmic hymns to Queen of the Heavens
Dutiful monks of ages past treading softly over stone
Ghosts of incense drifting lazily in lofty heights
Find the faithful on bended knee reverently clutching

Of coronations and lay of state in centuries past
Courts of countries pass through hallowed halls
Crusades beginning in pronouncement of God's will
Balance of sovereign power dully colliding in ancient realms

Spires reaching towards lofty heavens
Carved dedications to pursuit of holy heights
Symbols of national treasures abounding within
Echoing scenes of red music of burning glass

Lost

2008-09-27T16:11:00.005-05:00

Across the starry divide I peer
Where heavens coincide with the sea
Where stars dance to the eerie moon
Where echoes of the past come haunting

Time has left me with mocking laughter
I see no end to my dismal plight
I see hope galloping across moonlit waters
I see my life as it used to be known

For ages my heart has beckoned for love
When fields where green and skies were blue
When laughter of joy filled the room
When tears of compassion drowned every sorrow

With increasing despair I wait
My love keeps the rhythm of my heart
My love calms my agonizing soul
My love strengthens my will to persevere

Come my love..........come soon

Echoed Silence (Quatern)

2008-09-25T09:59:00.006-05:00

Slowly, I scan the barren wasteland

Fatigue, it seems, has become my partner

Endless twilight fills the portals

Mocking my thoughts of restless wonder

Ghostly sounds of monotonous creaking

Slowly, I scan the barren wasteland

Caught upward in this icy entrapment

I think lovingly of my love left home

Relinquishing thoughts to my secluded surroundings

I listen intently for past conversations

Slowly, I scan the barren wasteland

Tearfully realizing I'm in echoed silence

I smooth the embroidery passionately sewn

Hoping love will thaw this isolation

Fearful of a coming darkness

Slowly, I scan the barren wasteland

Sailing Barque (Tyburn)

2008-09-06T12:35:00.007-05:00

Reaching

Tacking

Rigging

Sailing

Sailing barque, reaching, tacking upward.

Minding her rigging, sailing onward.

Sacrifice

2008-09-01T09:28:00.004-05:00

With no moonlight on her hair-
She's saddened by her ebbing chi,
A sea strand of land
Like a finger reaching
Through the sea amid roses, beckoning.
Her hand gliding away like imperial
Seagulls on a breath of air.
She's going to become less as
A watery mermaid amid earthed boundaries.
Crashing waves echo one conversation
In this cruel moment where
love was forever left away.
Clouds came in concealing unrivaled
Content in finding her moon.

Tic Toc

2008-08-18T20:40:00.007-05:00

tic toc, tic toc, tic toc

restless sand slipping through idle fingers

tic toc, tic toc, tic toc

rivers of time meandering past endless shores

tic toc, tic toc, tic toc

continuous cycles of setting suns and moons

tic toc, tic toc, tic toc

torrential tides constant in ebb and flow

tic toc, tic toc, tic toc

fleeting moments fading from memory, tic

names and faces disappearing from view, toc

tic

From Beneath

2008-04-15T07:03:00.007-05:00

Aphrodite by LXZP from Photobucket

Silently vying for space in a jungle

Souls march on in determined way

Decisions made and contracts confirmed

Hurried in pace, narrowed in sight

Time bought by advanced technology

Disappearing sand lost to efficiency

Net gain and loss make the bottom

Fulfilled life find quality a loss

Sun shining through a crystal realm

From beneath a view of chaos

Amusement found in a maze of mice

Wonderment over a multitude of fuss

From a position of calm and contentment

Wishing more would stop to enjoy

This life of enjoyment and discovery

Jump the wagon to see nothing you'll miss

Up a creek......

2008-04-10T19:24:00.004-05:00

"C'mon you piece of crap!" Lance yelled as he slapped the transponder once again with his gloved hand. He knew he was going to have to get it up and going again. If he didn't, he wouldn't see the next day as he would slowly freeze to death on this frozen ice world.
Can't believe I have traveled half way across the galaxy looking for a stupid relic, only to crash on this damn place with a busted ship transponder. Lance thought to himself despairingly. Standing up next to the unit he took a good look around. Ice as far as the eye could see, which wasn't very far in the ever present twilight. The system's star was too far away to provide much light or warmth at all. Hard to believe anyone would try to inhabit this place. Lance thought. Shaking his head he decided it was better to come back to the present to try to figure a way out of this mess. The extreme cold had made everything he touched very brittle and hard to work with. The big gloves didn't help either, but his hands would freeze in seconds if he didn't have them on he knew. "The signal is just not getting out! I've got power, the couplers are energized, but the transponder circuit is not transmitting! Hell, I'd use some aluminum foil if I thought it would do any good." Lance yelled at himself. Realizing that he had done all he could outside, he decided to go back into the ship and try to bypass the circuit and send an emergency signal using the ships onboard high frequency beacon. Slumping down at the command console, he shook his head, letting the snow fall across the console like salt from an oversize shaker. Watching it slowly melt, he started to formulate the plan to get his message out. Turning on the vid screen he took a look at the distant star. The picture outside looked washed and faded like you would see in the ancient Polaroid pictures of an era long since passed. Suddenly it came to him. Use the emergency beacon to bounce the signal off the magnetic field produced by the star! Using the star to boost the frequency just might give it enough range to reach the other ship, giving them his position. It was a long shot, but the only one he had. There was no way in hell he was going to let a second rate transponder skunk his chances of getting off this rock. As the distant star began to slip lower in the alien sky, Lance started to input the frequency codes into the emergency beacon. Maybe, just maybe they'll still be there….listening. Damn its getting cold in here!

At Journey's End

2008-04-09T20:06:00.005-05:00

A glance aft shows black weather
Seas confused by Poseidon's daughter
Off the bow last glimpse of horizon blue
Sightless fury make sails take shape
A few more leagues and she'll clear the point
If all goes well this ship will bear me

Weeks at sea this life has found me
Through calm seas and horrid weather
Pressing to hold our lead at point
Looking to glimpse the keeper's daughter
Following nightly stars of a different shape
Keel steady in the ocean of blue

Spin a yarn to chase the blue
Do I hear boards creaking or me
Scrub daily to keep the decks in shape
Watch the sails as they show some weather
Fancy the tender be the ship's daughter
Steady the helm to keep a compass point

Trace the line from a charted point
Dream of my love dressed in blue
A twin image of a mother's daughter
Remember the day she betrothed me
I'll need to skirt the increasing weather
To make our port in truly good shape

As the storm begins to take shape
The crow cries of a darkening point
There is no escaping this dark weather
No more can I see a sky of blue
This enraged tempest has found me
In the wrath of a king's daughter

Waves breaking over the bowsprit's daughter
Lightning fills the sky with a mocking shape
I can feel death's icy hand on me
Mutinous crew held together at sword's point
Watch the lee or we'll rest in deep blue
Cursing the day we set before the weather

Morning's broken weather quelled a deep blue daughter
Sliding through channels of blue shows a growing shape
Just around that point my love waits for me.

These Hands

2008-04-08T18:26:00.004-05:00

Right extended in air
Sworn to serve and protect
What have they done
Where have they gone

Trained to fit the trigger
Squeezed round of devastation
Where have they gone
What have they done

Given new life on cold steel
Belching monsters of raw power
What have they done
Where have they gone

Bruised and beaten for cash
Mangled to meet the ends
Where have they gone
What have they done

Reborn to salty paradise
Blown to far reaches
What have they done
Where have they gone

Gentle touch on a tiller
Soft lullaby of the rig
Where have they gone
What have they done

Felt the sweet embrace
Held love for ten and nine
What have they done
Where have they gone

Always cherished the soft caress
Always melted through golden silk
Where they have always gone
What they have always done.

Echoes of Stardust (Palindrome)

2008-04-07T19:42:00.006-05:00

children from stardust

travelers of galaxies

across suns of distant light

through softly spoken rings

stir echoes of enchantment

settle lightly down

down lightly settle

enchantment of echoes stir

rings spoken softly through

light distant of suns across

galaxies of travelers

stardust from children

Firefly (Lune)

2008-04-07T17:54:00.005-05:00

Firefly From The Sky

Blinking Bright

Freedom Borne Through Glass

Arise, Crusader (Mirrored Refrain)

2008-02-14T22:30:00.011-05:00

Crusaders of a distant past, bear thy cross,

Across strange lands carry the church's will,

With deeds of honor, loyalty and faith you stand,

Let holy justice prevail through custom steed and steel.

Answer the call o rare men of ancestory,

Go forth and gather armies of wealth and blood,

Let holy justice prevail through custom steed and steel,

With deeds of honor, loyalty and faith you stand.

Farewell to gentle rolling lands, lush and green,

Travel bravely onward in dusty lands to spread God's will,

With deeds of honor, loyalty and faith you stand,

Let holy justice prevail through custom steed and steel.

Brought forth to reclaim holy place of old,

Sacred shrines cleansed by a heavenly flood,

Let holy justice prevail through custom steed and steel,

With deeds of honor, loyalty and faith you stand.

Distant Song

2008-02-14T15:09:00.005-05:00

Songs of a foreign and distant star

Travel across an ancient sky

Wailing stardust floating free

Settle softly on thee

Free from a skew course

Arithmetic

Together

Always

Softly We Met

2008-02-13T11:39:00.007-05:00

Softly we met with a kiss,

Dreams of two become one,

Separate paths no longer apart,

Glowing warmth from an internal sun.

Softly we met with our eyes,

Golden glory flowing through,

Piercing blues mirror the soul,

Soft alabaster tender and smooth.

Softly we met with a touch,

Embarking on a timeless quest,

Travelers of uncharted waters,

Coming to rest in a humble nest.

The Reason for the Season

2007-12-16T21:19:00.002-05:00

Through the night sky a star so bright,
Travelers of a different land guided at night,
Beast of burden with cherished essence and spice,
An entourage to escort kings of thrice,

A census city full at every Inn,
A dark manger the only space for a night to spend,
Man's earthly possessions secured in their pen,
The only place to rest for a holy virgin,

Stories shared among friends of a shepherd's fire,
Watches of lamb and ewe that will not tire,
Conversations broken by announcement of a heavenly choir,
The arrival of Immanuel in line with David's sire,

At a time when only a Father would see fit,
Came favored grace from the Spirit,
The birth of the Son sent to every nation.
To bring a lost world an eternal salvation.

Together (Nonet)

2007-11-23T13:18:00.002-05:00

My love abounds through the distant stars

With you by my side we will soar

Touching new worlds of wonder

Endlessly exploring

Forever loving

Hearts intertwined

Sharing fate

True love

Lives

Eternity

2007-11-02T12:12:00.002-05:00

From across the void I travel
Oh how has time spread it's wings
Distant are the footsteps of the past
Silence has become my unwitting partner
How will I ever know your touch again?
Have I forgotten how you feel?
Does the fragrance of your life elude me?
Do I stand a chance to hear the soft whisper of your voice?
Languishing through the stars I hear the faint melody
Just over the next horizon I may find you
A little farther and someday this journey will end
On the wings of despair I persevere
Driven by forces tugging on my very soul
Anguished and torn I continue this plight
An eternity I have searched
For an eternity I have loved
For an eternity I will continue on
For an eternity my love shall never wain
I will find you my love, in this eternity.

An Epitaph (Prompt on Poefusion)

2007-11-01T12:11:00.002-05:00

To Our Beloved Jud

Six feet under he does lie
We all came to say goodbye
No better friend we will miss
So here he lies in eternal bliss
To lose a friend is such a shame
However there is only one to blame
He would not have pass this way in vain
Had he only heard us all yell "Train!"

A Tribute to the Clippers

2007-10-30T20:53:00.002-05:00

Fleeting Moments

As the morning rises on the harbor, a lone ship can be seen rocking gently to the lullaby of the passive ocean roll. So tranquil is the scene that the only movement that can be noticed is the slow and subtle rising of the mist that surrounds her. With the night watch dozing and the crew sound asleep, the perfect silence is only broken by the occasional slap of the rigging. In a few moments the decks and gangways will be bustling with activity and the harbor coming to its frantic life. But for now, the powerful clipper slumbers quietly in a state rarely experienced by even the saltiest sea dog.

Another Tea Race

With the sails full and crews on edge, another race is at hand. The boards creaking and the rigging taunt, only winning is on every man's thoughts. Gale force winds push ship and sailor to the limit as even the gulls seem to labor to keep pace. As the salty sea sprays on each crew member's face, the famous ribbon awaits at the end of the race. For the winner it will be proudly displayed, and will be challenged for at every race day.

Endless Quest (Quatern)

2007-10-30T19:05:00.002-05:00

Quietly passing through heavy blackness
Soft spoken whispers of an ancient past
Silently gliding in breathless movement
Mysterious creatures abiding within

Centuries abroad these traveling vagabonds
Quietly passing through heavy blackness
Endlessly searching far flung reaches
Unflinching sacrifice of sorrowed souls

Longing for days long since past
Renewing vigor for unspoken dreams
Quietly passing through heavy blackness
Restless in heart of unfailing dedication

Children of light and of stardust
Wayward bound for all eternity
Forever flowing on swift solar winds
Quietly passing through heavy blackness

Hope (Sestina)

2007-10-18T19:47:00.002-05:00

As the torrential river flows under
Falling embers of burning bridges
I stand precariously on the rocky edge
Filled with contempt and pride I cry
Why hast thou forsaken my spirit
My faltering voice hangs in the chilling fog

Harrowing wrath echoes in the fog
What kind of spell have I fallen under
I share this cell with a dank spirit
Locked in a heart of dark towers and bridges
With icy fingers and a morbid cry
It takes my soul to the frightful edge

Dazzlingly I circle the abyss' edge
I listen as a voice rises through the fog
The spirit with me shrieks its ghastly cry
Writhing in pain searches for a rock to hide under
With a tear I scan the skeletal bridges
The resonating sound begins to warm my spirit

Come to me and crush this sinister spirit
Pull my soul back from the edge
Give me the strength to rebuild these bridges
Bring the sun to burn this fog
Break this spell I have fallen under
On tip toes I passionately cry

Straining to listen I hear the soft cry
In a heart beat I recognize this new spirit
I look up to see the stars I stand under
I peer beyond my abysmal edge
My sight no longer obscured by fog
I begin to recognize my heart's new bridges

Running now I cross one of love's bridges
Weak kneed and sobbingly I cry
Your love has dispersed the choking fog
Your love has rescued my lost spirit
Your love has pulled my soul from the edge
It is love's wing I race to rest under

I see the serene river flowing under rebuilt bridges
With soft sand at the edge and a stout gull's cry
I recognize love's spirit through banished fog.

Where Have All The Knights Gone? (Monchielle)

2007-10-17T18:28:00.002-05:00

Where have all the knights gone?

Underneath stars so bright

Riding ivory mares

Sheathed swords of many fights

Blushing maidens do stare

Where have all the knights gone?

Custom armor shine bright

Beautiful castle spire

Rolling hills in peace sway

Of young lads do inspire

Where have all the knights gone?

With unmasked chivalry

And unbridled honor

Of only truth doth speak

No merit to ponder

Where have all the knights gone?

To speak of days long past

Fills my heart with sorrow

Never more will we see

Brave knights on the morrow!

Still Loving You I Wait (Message in a Bottle)

2007-10-15T20:47:00.002-05:00

Through endless nights I stare

Fateful decisions running endless

Haunting guilt carried on the mare

Tidal optimism crushed by crashing swells

Echoes of harrowing fright carried breathlessly

Wind ripped sheets, storm tossed rig

Cracks of sightless thunder, Flash of mocking lightning

In laughing blackness I dwell

Heart beating in rhythmic desire, Soul void of life

Cries unheard in unabated isolation

Shakenly I taste sweet salt of tears

I close my eyes and feel soft breathing

Long flowing hair so gold and pure

Skin wonderfully delicate and delightlful

Silently I wait, For an Eternity I wait

Our love will bring us back together

Your Love Protects Me

2007-10-14T13:14:00.002-05:00

Today a gale blows and a tempest doest rage,
Poseidon’s wrath borne with menace,
With decks awash and hope lost,
I think of my love so fair,
As the winds plays a mournful tune in the rig,
I remember the calm nights spent,
The warm days and short walks,
Nay, I will not give up,
Batten the hatches, stow the gear, lads!
Hold course, watch the lee and stay fast,I will see my love again this day

Friday 5 poem

2007-10-13T11:37:00.003-05:00

Gears of War

Bloodshot eyes rolling through

Pinion soldiers grinding gears of war

Endless movements of gypsy travel

Devastation hangs in heavy mizzen

Beckons forever thirsty for conquer

Across the Sea

2007-10-13T08:52:00.002-05:00

The midday sun warms my soul

A gentle breeze stirs tendrils of salt air

Minnows gingerly nip at my toes

High above the lone gull cries

You laughing at me again, silly bird?

Pay no never mind, nothing can dampen this spirit

For you see, I have deep joy in my breast

The return of my love may be today

From across the sea he is long overdue

With all my heart I worry not

For on the day my love departed

The long embrace and soft kiss

Told me of his safe return to my arms

So laugh you silly bird

For on the morrow it may be "Sail Ho!"

Your Love Surrounds Me (Paradelle)

2007-10-12T22:07:00.002-05:00

Soft as the wind blows
Soft as the wind blows
Stay close to me heart of love
Stay close to me heart of love
Wind of love blows close to me
Stay soft as the heart

Silently, Secretly, warm my soul
Silently, Secretly, warm my soul
Love so gentle, Love so strange
Love so gentle, Love so strange
So gentle, so strange, secretly love
Silently warm my love soul

Through lofty heights it beckons
Through lofty heights it beckons
Flowing lovingly, soft as a whisper
Flowing lovingly, soft as a whisper
Lovingly flowing through lofty heights
Soft as a whisper it beckons

Lovingly warm my soul
Flowing wind blows silently through lofty heights
Secretly stay close to me
As the heart of love beckons
Love so strange, so gentle
Love it soft as a whisper

Your Love Surrounds Me

2007-10-12T17:58:00.002-05:00

Soft as the wind blows

Stay close to me heart of love

Silently, secretly, warm my soul

Love so gentle, Love so strange

Through lofty heights it beckons

Flowing lovingly, soft as a whisper

Sweet essence, pure and comforting

Majestic in rhythm, Mighty in melody

Unflinching in desire, Unfaltering in compassion

Hope eternal wraps my soul

Joy forever lulls my deepest thoughts

In comfort I rest, In peace I stay

You Love surrounds me every day

Check out this blog site

2007-10-11T20:13:00.001-05:00

Found a blog site for poets.......it's awesome with some serious talent on it. Check it out:

Poets Who Blog

Just a little tidbit...........

2007-10-11T18:31:00.001-05:00

Here's your first bite, its basically a prologue paragraph to the first book. It is short, but it sets a tone which will foreshadow events that take place in the trilogy. When I decided to try my hand at writing a novel, I originally decided on just a sci-fi novel. But something happens when you start writing, your characters seem to become more real, more flesh and bone. You start to feel like you know each of them intimately and so this realization sort of change my direction for the book. I decided I need to develop a relationship between two of the main characters which I hope will bring more of a twist to the storyline than just a straight sci-fi adventure novel. We'll see, anyways here is the prologue and I will post part of the first chapter soon.

The Outer Rim - The Awakening

Prologue

It’s dark. Space is always dark…..and cold. Sure there are stars, galaxies, gaseous anomalies and objects older than time itself. Even with these however, it remains dark and cold. There is no comfort in staring into space. The mind wanders, memories good and bad vying for attention. Mainly it’s the coldness and emptiness that gets you. One day, maybe the pain will stop. Maybe…..one day.

So, this is a blog eh?

2007-02-05T14:51:00.001-05:00

I finally decided to try my hand at blogging. "Why?" do you ask? Well, naturally because my wife told me I should! She has all the good ideas anyways.

Hopefully here I can keep you abreast of my upcoming first book and I plan on posting some excepts from the manuscript to tickle your fancy.

So stay tuned and have patience with me, I am a first time blogger after all!