21.
Lily white, her crown of snow
In curving light her petals grow.
Bird in flight sees her below,
Moved by sight of such a glow.

22. Spring
First won't look like much
but it smells and sounds and feels
like coming alive

23.
“I hope you dance,” whispered Moira
To Neal at their very first ball
“Sweet lass!” he said as he kissed her
They were wed before the next fall.
“I hope you dance,” Cora’s brother
Teased as he saw her big chance
But the man who made eyes at his sister

Chapter 1: Chased into the Dark…

REDSHAFT

CHAPTER TWO

"Be wary of the walltop guards," I whispered as we jogged across the grass. "Let's not head to the forest, though."

He turned to me, slowing his pace, "Why not?"

"The stretch of ground is too vast, we risk being seen and shot. Let us head to the marshes," I motioned to the yellowing ground that stretched away to the left of the woods, cloaked in blue mists. "We will reach it in under three minutes instead of the ten or so to the treeline, and our position will be veiling by the fog."

These are two poems I wrote for my creative writing class. We had to take seven of the poems in our collection, and imitate them, seeing where we could go with it...

(imitation of Twilight: After Haying by Jane Kenyon)

“Summer Storm: After Planting”

Yes, the sun falls over

the sky’s arch; and yes, today

must give way to tomorrow;

what else could it do?

Did I read the stories wrong
Were all the old songs untrue
The tapestries woven, long and grand
Told endings that I thought would be
I didn't think that I would stumble
Or get lost within my feelings

Yet Love, dressed in her gown of red and white
Danced before my eyes, transfixing my gaze
Passion pushed me near her,
I took her hand in mine,
With her I danced for hours as the stars shined
Joy sweeping through me like a warm summer's breeze,
Nothing as sweet as when I kissed her soft cheek

Used to be I could see
into the sunset of my future
Everything smiling at me
and just crying "adventure!"
Somewhere between then and now
I caved to fear somehow
Next thing I know he has
stolen my hope from my hands
and I find my dreams
on the ground at my feet
in pieces

And now I'm locked up without even a view
captive, without a hope of finding you

Come find me tonight
I need you to fight for me
If you don't come, nobody will
and I'll be left all alone
in this cold stone castle

It's the rage of all the ages


it's the cry of all our hearts


it's the sin that drowns the beauty


tearing us apart

It's the ache we feel with silence

it's the voice that goes unheard


it's the times when we are troubled


it's the times we're not assured

It's the helpless little babies

it's the blessing never known


it's the line that needed drawing


it's the the love never shown

It's the heart that bleeds with longing


it's the times we're far away

A heart is cold
A beam is sold
For souls so beautiful
but hearts of stone

Now wounded He cries
for the heart that has died
and pain looks
from His penetrating eyes

He loves with a love
that’s despised and rejected
The priceless is sold;
the cost of our souls

Love is sold like a piece of cloth
For the merchant is broken
and the seller a thief
who steals unworthily

Are we dead to love
dead to see
our Savior who hangs
just because we
are waiting for a king

I watched my shadow falling on the pavement. It was strangely still…shoulders sagging. My footsteps echoed down the street as my feet came in contact with the hard ground. A shiver ran all the way through me. It was cold for September.