Stories

My attempt to sort through thoughts, feelings, and erratic ideas using poetic forms.

Two sets of poems featuring different takes on the theme "Seasons".

It's springtime in the mighty Andiol Empire. Despite the apparent tranquillity and prosperity, all is not well in the realm. There is a never-ending war on the eastern border, the power-hungry Shadow Cross is plotting, and the emperor has not been seen in public for years. And something far more dangerous is quietly gathering strength.

Meanwhile, 16-year-old Josel and his friends are leading normal young lives in their hometown Paidos, in the peaceful south of Andiol. But a dark shadow hangs over the town, and strange secrets creep into Josel's life. Suddenly, Paidos is no longer a safe place to live, and Josel finds himself on the run.

The French Revolutionary War is finally coming to a conclusion, and after eight years of conflict, George Granger is going to have to adapt to a world at peace. While the conflict with France may be at an end, George has his own challenges to face. He has returned home to find himself richer, but estranged from his wife. His best friend and lover, Francis Calvert, has been wounded in the Caribbean and has not yet returned to England. Join George as he navigates this fraught era, which may be even more dangerous than when England at France were at war.

Thomas has his own secrets from his past, who he used to be. Zack, Thomas's manager at work, has his own secrets too, with his health declining. At first, they both support each other in their secrets, physically and mentally. However, things get a lot more complicated when they begin to develop feelings for each other and Thomas's past gets more violently involved in his present and Zack's health keeps getting worse. Can they be there for each other, despite all that life throws at them?

Simon Lorall, through a series of terrible events, discovers he is the Seeded One. Now he must embark on a journey of self-discovery encountering demons, fae, werewolves, goblins, and other creatures. As a new Wizard War threatens the world, will he find the strength to save everyone, or will he plunge the world into war and chaos?

Pink hair, piercings, eccentric fashion, and a crippling, all-encompassing fear of commitment. Which is just fear of abandonment all dressed up for the party. Internal struggles aside, River has plenty of options.

The issue is, they all pale in comparison to what will be a monumentally bad decision.

They weren't supposed to meet. He wasn't supposed to like him. It was never supposed to become more.

The universe had different plans.

Things get messy and feelings get hurt.

Written for the 2024 Poetry Anthology - Seasons

A man has reached his senior years and thinks back upon the seasons of his life.