Category: Uncategorized

Read Poem: The Long Road, by Shobana Gomes

At first glance, it seemed easy,
I, the traveler on a weary road to perhaps fame,
I tamed my mind to think in ways one would want to impress,
But like a toddler taking baby steps,
I fall, struggling to get back on my feet.

The route I took seemed all too ready to steady that feet,
Through stumbling tears, I made my smiles just as effortless,
I cried first, then I laughed,
Isn’t laughter sometimes created from tears?

The road was long, the road was windy,
The road took me to eternity,
I wondered at some point if I would reach eternity, yes, eternity,
But stop I did not, I traveled through time, I traveled through eternity.

There were days when I thought “not a second to waste”
Until one day I realized that it took time to reach eternity,
It was the long road I had chosen,
Through much travail, none of which man can know or hear of.

I trudged with time on the long road to eternity once,
Right now, I face, I stare ahead,
I have not seen the end,
No, there is no end,
I have only been on the trail to the “beginning.”

THE END.

Read Poem: Darker than Death, by ~~Shree~~

Darker than Death
Is now a bonding,
Which was supposed to be
Sweet and simple,
Lucid and natural –
But not anymore, sadly.
It has become increasingly
A threat to my existence,
And intimidating to my respect.
There exists no more purity,
No more genuinity.
Alas I have to hide in disguise,
And wear a plastic smile.
Although my heart aches
Like a carbuncle
Filled with rotten pus and blood.
I am always pushed
To match the criteria
Of so-called “good human being”,
Where I find nothing but
Arrogance and hatred.
Where love is ignored.
What matters is performance
To meet the bottomless expectation.
Care and compassion is not valued.
What is valued is the sound of silver.
Sad, very sad I am….
I should not have to prove
What I am.
Love should flow automatically,
But unfortunately it doesn’t anymore.
All my tries are shunned,
My best feat
Is never enough.
I am brutally blamed
For anything and everything.
Strings are now gossamer
Like fragile feathers.
I am more scared now,
Because darkness looms over
My feelings and emotions,
Where there is no respect
But a bitter spin of my words.
Although I was compelled to
Express my sorrow,
But then they were trodden
Like unwanted pests.
Punishing the trust
With major upheavals.
Dead… darker than death
Are now my apprehensions.

© Shree 24th November 2018, Houston USA
Inspired by the famous quote of Paulo Coelho
“The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.”

Read Poem: A fairy’s face, by Jeanette E. R. Cook

I listen to the fairy stories

Of my aunt’s and I envision

Their garden,

Enchanting with the pastels

Of growth and the swaying

Blooms spreading the fragrance

In the bright light of morning

After the dew is gone,

Where a perilous journey

Is hidden from human eyes,

The stars are uncounted

And a fairy can’t be caught

But they have their own

Net of words that they share,

They memorize me in the garden,

As I digest their world,

The view is beautiful and untouched.,

Where they love so much without

hate,

Opinions buried and not shared,

A fairytale world,

Joyous and with all happy endings

Celebrated inside their group,

Grace in their land with hardships

Overcome through teamwork,

Usually comforting all,

Witnesses always helping out,

They can

Not be unmasked or sequestered to a

Box by us,

It is blistering difficult to be patient

To steal a glance at them,

Unaware of my presence

And they let me see them.

–J. E. Cook © 2020

NOVEL Transcript Reading of The Alice 65, by Kyle Michel Sullivan — Novel Writing Festival

BUY on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Alice-65-Kyle-Michel-Sullivan/dp/0692141022 After his father was killed in a robbery, Adam Verlain used his love of books to hide from the world, something his job as a rare book cataloguer for a small university in London is perfect for. But then that university acquires a newly discovered 1865 edition of “Alice’s Adventures in […]

via NOVEL Transcript Reading of The Alice 65, by Kyle Michel Sullivan — Novel Writing Festival

NOVEL Transcript Reading of The Alice 65, by Kyle Michel Sullivan — Novel Writing Festival

BUY on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Alice-65-Kyle-Michel-Sullivan/dp/0692141022 After his father was killed in a robbery, Adam Verlain used his love of books to hide from the world, something his job as a rare book cataloguer for a small university in London is perfect for. But then that university acquires a newly discovered 1865 edition of “Alice’s Adventures in […]

via NOVEL Transcript Reading of The Alice 65, by Kyle Michel Sullivan — Novel Writing Festival

NOVEL Transcript Reading of In Bad Company, by Ke Sol — Novel Writing Festival

Genre: Drama Inside the male dominated world of the Outlaw Motorcycle Club, families do exist. Performed by Brian Carleton **** Producer/Director: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com Festival Moderators: Kierston Drier, Shepsut Wilson Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne Editors: Kimberly Villarruel, Kyle Drier, John Johnson Festival Directors: Mary Cox, Rachel Elder, Natasha Levy Camera Operators: Hugh Fraser, Andy Camp, Aser […]

via NOVEL Transcript Reading of In Bad Company, by Ke Sol — Novel Writing Festival

NOVEL MOVIE: The Adventures of Larson and Garrett: Epic the First, by Aaron Dennis — Novel Writing Festival

Narration by Val Cole BUY Novel on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Larson-Garrett-Epic-First/dp/1731228902 A wicked daemon bestows great power on evil men in exchange for worship. An unlikely duo find friendship amidst war and chaos. Godly forces collide. Larson and Garrett are two simple, young men, yet they both have their own daemons. In the face of danger, of […]

via NOVEL MOVIE: The Adventures of Larson and Garrett: Epic the First, by Aaron Dennis — Novel Writing Festival

NOVEL Transcript Reading: SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE, by Linda Palmer — Novel Writing Festival

Performed by Norma Dawn Dunphy BUY on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Somewhere-Middle-Linda-Palmer/dp/1499121377 Though Everly Sayers makes every effort to be friendly to new student Roone Thorsen, he doesn’t actually acknowledge her until he needs help with physics. Tall and a little on the teddybear side physically speaking, Roone falls somewhere in the middle when it come to the […]

via NOVEL Transcript Reading: SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE, by Linda Palmer — Novel Writing Festival

Read Poem: THE DARK WEB!, by Vijetha Shenoy

GENRE: Dark

She was young, naive and innocent! He was in his adolescence…
He was fond of her and she was fond of his presence…
She aged less than a decade but he was older to her by more than a decade…
She played with the dolls but he played with her, unafraid…
She was swayed by his candy treats unaware of his intention…
He had the little kid’s attention as he had created admirable impression..
He weaved his web in a pleasing way with a strong blockade…
Andthere she was, his fun prey to his worthless beak, dismayed…
The Child in her thought it was a fun game of tickles…
It was too late when she realized that it wasn’t just about laugh and giggles…
His sleazy trap was desperate for a toy to try-on…And she was a fresh and free coupon to tread on…He was like a camouflaged snake in the beautiful green grass…
As he tried but not succeeded to crush her courage like a broken glass…
She wished she was a bit older to act upon then…To break his nib and put a stop to his playpen…
She may try to forget as she grows older and stronger by the day…
Yetthis haunting memory make her nerves fray every single day…
Her heart says to forgive that deficient boy who is now a middle aged sad man…
But there is a desire deep inside of her to unfold this sad story to his clan…
For, he may have young daughters and she really hopes and prays…
That they don’t get caught into this desolately woven dark web of dirty play…
©VJ

Read Poem: Pacific Theater, by Michael Ventimiglia

I’m swallowed in soil, engulfed in a trench
On shorelines where I outlive better men.
Does that sense of resentment get to them?

As rounds fall in sand and the ocean breaks
Blood red is distilled in the tide and the wake
Immersed in the water where waves pummel my chest
My feet sink in sand and I struggle to tread

For every step that I take is traced by guns
And fire and blood fill up in my lungs.
I stumble. I choke, so damn desperate to breath
The fresh breath that stationed me overseas.

I pick the pockets and bags left on men
For whatever scraps of metal are left
With names and numbers still etched in them

Then orders reach my men and I
“Collect what you can. We’re leaving tonight.”

So many were left mangled in Earth
Their bones eroding into the dirt.
Soon no relics or remnants of their hearts or souls
Just folded flags for their widows to hold.

Forget the intent that garnished those days.
The pride and the glory of those who decay.
The flowers and medals can never repay
The honor that dug so many graves.