Yes, I know it's late but you know me... I'll be late for my own funeral (I hope).
What does Halloween mean to you?
For me, it signals the transition into winter. The leaves are turning and falling and the branches are starting to look bare. Soon we'll have a frost and then snow. The dark nights will really kick in when the skies are grey and the sun doesn't stick around for long but that's ok, I'll get some writing done.
I have my fabulous new office (a mess at the moment, so no pictures) up in the attic of our house. The views are great - not incredible, that may come later - I can see over fields from one window. I have a lot of ideas rattling around in my brain-box - not just ideas on characters, stories and plots, but ideas to get the most out of my chosen career. Yes, I think I've finally made that transition too. My hobby has become my career.
I wrote a piece for a fabulous site: The Review and that gives a little insight into my childhood beginnings as a storyteller.
I wrote a couple of poems a while ago and they're Halloween themed so I thought I'd share them here too.
Halloween
'Twas the night of Halloween, when all through the house
Some poor hungry creature was killing a mouse;
Her stockings were holey, her cloak was threadbare,
An anorexic Vampire in need of health-care;
The humans were rotting, still tucked in their beds,
She kept coming back with a need to be fed;
She had just started wondering if her body would keep,
If she settled down for a long winter's sleep,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
She sprang from the floor to see what was the matter.
Away to the window she flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to her wondering eyes should appear,
But a Vision in black, on his face was a sneer,
He thrust out both hands, so fast and so slick,
She thought for a moment it must be St. Nick.
For held at arm’s length and struggling lots,
Were two frightened children, a pair of twin tots
"Now, come out of hiding. Come and see here!
You’ve a choice on this night and you have to be clear!
You have to make haste and you have to come now
You want to be a Vampire, but do you know how?
Come partake of this feast for soon we must fly,
If you come with me, we shall take to the sky.”
So down from the window she dropped to his feet,
And devoured the two children he’d brought for her treat.
And then, in a twinkling, as she wiped her mouth,
He took her hand and they rose to head south.
She felt so secure as they flew all around,
Descending on victims where they could be found.
Soon she was dressed in her victim’s clothes,
And her beauty shone through like a new budding rose;
As he glimpsed at her feeding from every new throat,
He started to realise he had good reason to gloat.
His eyes -- how they twinkled, his manner most merry!
As red dripped on white, each drop like a cherry!
His humourless smile was drawn up like a bow,
And the fangs that were glimpsed were as white as the snow;
He was distracted, by a Slayer they were seen,
But laughing and killing she slaughtered him clean.
When sunlight was nearing they decided to hide,
In a purpose built coffin a new double-wide.
He admitted then, he had watched a long time,
“I waited most patient till you could be mine.”
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave her to know she had nothing to dread;
He spoke no more words, but went straight to his sleep,
And filled near to bursting she started to weep,
Then waking once more he took her in an embrace,
To give her reassurance, the future they’d face
Together forever not even death could them part,
For long ago, far away, she had captured his heart.
“I was lost and alone till you came to my sight,
My saviour, my darling, we shall rule the night.”
It Wasn’t...
The fleeting shadow that passed you on the darkened streets that you thought was a stray dog?
The person behind you that you thought was coincidentally going the same way that you were?
The feeling you got that there was something behind you that you thought was your imagination?
It wasn’t.
The glint you thought was the lights on a car passing the house?
The caller that hung up as soon as you answered the phone you thought was a wrong number?
The movement you saw from the corner of your eye you thought was your imagination?
It wasn’t...
The flicker of a shadow you thought was the wind blowing the branches of the tree?
That noise you thought was the central heating switching on?
The sound you thought was the cat bumping against something?
It wasn’t!
The shadow was someone checking you out.
The person was seeing where you live.
The feeling was instinct, you should have taken notice.
The glint was light reflecting off a knife.
The caller was making certain you were alone.
The movement was the knife being raised to cut the phone line.
The flicker was someone in the garden.
The noise was someone forcing the window.
The sound was someone on your stairs.
Are you scared yet?
Happy All Saint's Day!
What does Halloween mean to you?
For me, it signals the transition into winter. The leaves are turning and falling and the branches are starting to look bare. Soon we'll have a frost and then snow. The dark nights will really kick in when the skies are grey and the sun doesn't stick around for long but that's ok, I'll get some writing done.
I have my fabulous new office (a mess at the moment, so no pictures) up in the attic of our house. The views are great - not incredible, that may come later - I can see over fields from one window. I have a lot of ideas rattling around in my brain-box - not just ideas on characters, stories and plots, but ideas to get the most out of my chosen career. Yes, I think I've finally made that transition too. My hobby has become my career.
I wrote a piece for a fabulous site: The Review and that gives a little insight into my childhood beginnings as a storyteller.
I wrote a couple of poems a while ago and they're Halloween themed so I thought I'd share them here too.
Halloween
'Twas the night of Halloween, when all through the house
Some poor hungry creature was killing a mouse;
Her stockings were holey, her cloak was threadbare,
An anorexic Vampire in need of health-care;
The humans were rotting, still tucked in their beds,
She kept coming back with a need to be fed;
She had just started wondering if her body would keep,
If she settled down for a long winter's sleep,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
She sprang from the floor to see what was the matter.
Away to the window she flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to her wondering eyes should appear,
But a Vision in black, on his face was a sneer,
He thrust out both hands, so fast and so slick,
She thought for a moment it must be St. Nick.
For held at arm’s length and struggling lots,
Were two frightened children, a pair of twin tots
"Now, come out of hiding. Come and see here!
You’ve a choice on this night and you have to be clear!
You have to make haste and you have to come now
You want to be a Vampire, but do you know how?
Come partake of this feast for soon we must fly,
If you come with me, we shall take to the sky.”
So down from the window she dropped to his feet,
And devoured the two children he’d brought for her treat.
And then, in a twinkling, as she wiped her mouth,
He took her hand and they rose to head south.
She felt so secure as they flew all around,
Descending on victims where they could be found.
Soon she was dressed in her victim’s clothes,
And her beauty shone through like a new budding rose;
As he glimpsed at her feeding from every new throat,
He started to realise he had good reason to gloat.
His eyes -- how they twinkled, his manner most merry!
As red dripped on white, each drop like a cherry!
His humourless smile was drawn up like a bow,
And the fangs that were glimpsed were as white as the snow;
He was distracted, by a Slayer they were seen,
But laughing and killing she slaughtered him clean.
When sunlight was nearing they decided to hide,
In a purpose built coffin a new double-wide.
He admitted then, he had watched a long time,
“I waited most patient till you could be mine.”
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave her to know she had nothing to dread;
He spoke no more words, but went straight to his sleep,
And filled near to bursting she started to weep,
Then waking once more he took her in an embrace,
To give her reassurance, the future they’d face
Together forever not even death could them part,
For long ago, far away, she had captured his heart.
“I was lost and alone till you came to my sight,
My saviour, my darling, we shall rule the night.”
It Wasn’t...
The fleeting shadow that passed you on the darkened streets that you thought was a stray dog?
The person behind you that you thought was coincidentally going the same way that you were?
The feeling you got that there was something behind you that you thought was your imagination?
It wasn’t.
The glint you thought was the lights on a car passing the house?
The caller that hung up as soon as you answered the phone you thought was a wrong number?
The movement you saw from the corner of your eye you thought was your imagination?
It wasn’t...
The flicker of a shadow you thought was the wind blowing the branches of the tree?
That noise you thought was the central heating switching on?
The sound you thought was the cat bumping against something?
It wasn’t!
The shadow was someone checking you out.
The person was seeing where you live.
The feeling was instinct, you should have taken notice.
The glint was light reflecting off a knife.
The caller was making certain you were alone.
The movement was the knife being raised to cut the phone line.
The flicker was someone in the garden.
The noise was someone forcing the window.
The sound was someone on your stairs.
Are you scared yet?
Happy All Saint's Day!
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