Covid Is Here

 

Photo by Sarah Kilian on Unsplash

COVID IS HERE

 

Contemplating life

pondering death

all because

Covid is here

touching all things

I hold dear

I did my best

followed all the rules

used all the tools

vacce'd and masked

still, it pierced my defenses

now I face all the consequences

 

Covid is here

as it ravages and burns

I've come to terms

there will be no rest

not with this unwelcome guest

so I stumble and stagger

a human half dead

filled with disease

and plenty of dread

 

Covid is here

It haunts through the night

tossing and turning

my body fights

this invasive intruder

as it tests and taunts

all my weakest spots

the pain unbearable

the rest denied, unendurable

 

Covid is here

and I'm trying to survive

praying for reprieve

I have to believe

all my preparations

will eventually payoff

but days in

this evil is not backing off

and I've no more tools

 

Covid is here

It's not fair

I did everything right

but no matter the caution,

or how hard you fight

this sneaky devil

always had you in its sights

 

Covid is here

a parasite that

subjugates your body

befuddles your brain

I thank God

at least

the soul is free

of this unholy beast

 

Please understand

I don't fear death

I'd welcome the change

I just don't want

to give Covid

any more fame!

***

Yolanda Renee © 2022

STAY SAFE!

WEP - Please Read The Letter

It's that time again. A new prompt for all those who love a challenge. Are you ready to take up the baton?

It's simple really, the important part is to remember to have fun! Here's my version called My Letter.

Tagline: Unrequited love - a curse

Photo by Álvaro Serrano on Unsplash

My Letter

 Please, read my letter

return to sender

cuts to the core

why have you discarded me

why am I spurned

 please read my letter

it details my love

I gave to you wholly

my heart and soul

I belong to you only

 please read my letter

you’ll see it’s all true

I didn’t betray you

lies were construed

vengeance out of the blue

 please read my letter

my devastation runs deep

the devil has spoken

and I am broken

still, your memory I keep

please read my letter

your answer might be the cure

for the constant replaying

of love-filled nights

and memories so pure

please read my letter

nothing could be worse

unless love one-sided

was meant to be

my curse

Yolanda Renée © 2022

It Really Does Matter

 Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

It Really Does Matter

Another Mother's Day

has come and gone

no word from the two I've born

no text, no call

no card or bouquet at all

makes me sad

and tears do fall

they are better than this

they really are

but without a man to mentor

they've failed the biggest test of all

The man, my husband

once yelled

 when asked why?

"Don't look at me. You're not my mother."

then the tears did fall

each year the pain does lessen

from this sharp arrow to the heart

someday

maybe anon

they'll truly understand

and be better champions

to the little ones

and the women that make them

men.

 

Yolanda Renee © 2022

WEP - A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall

 It's that time again. 

A new challenge was posted by the gals at the WEP. Write...Edit...Publish

Flash fiction at it's best! Are you game?

Then join the fun!

***

A Hard Rain

She gazes and sighs

at the angry clouds

the surprisingly calm ocean

and the horizon so far

A Hard Rain is Gonna Fall

she questions her motives

is she validated

or just an attention seeker

all she wants

is freedom

independence

a life less hidden

but to achieve that goal

others will suffer

many will shake their heads

and say, what’d you expect

the girl's been off balance

her entire life

never did know

when she had it good

always seeking

never satisfied

I swear

even in death

she'll look for a third option

unsatisfied with Heaven

or Hell…

Yolanda Renee © 2022

****

Your turn, just give it a try. 

A poem, a short story, flash fiction, or another artistic expression!

A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall has been described as the ‘most idiosyncratic protest song ever written.’ Bob Dylan, the Nobel Laureate and another 60's icon, wrote, composed and sung it in 1962 when he was only 21. It’s been covered by many artistes including Pete Seeger, Joan Baez and has never really stopped being sung ever since. Dylan has sold  more than 125 million records/albums making him one of the most popular artistes of all time.  

The form is modelled on the traditional ballad in the question and answer format, the themes being human suffering – pollution, warfare, isolation, angst. Sixty years after Dylan presented it at a performance at Carnegie Hall, the lyrics are striking in that how relevant they are still, how contemporary their feel and the depth of their appeal. Read more about the song here and here.

This one is wide open to all kinds of interpretations. Because human suffering – it’s as wide, deep and long as life is, of a trillion takes potential.

Use it to zoom in on our current ‘hard rain’ of covid. Chisel out your own pandemic flash from what’s going on around you.

Or weave a tale of some other woe – bleeding hammers, broken tongues, dead oceans, homes in the valley meeting damp, dirty prisons. The lyrics are epic, apocalyptic and offer rich pickings. Set your tale around the climate issues; the refugee crisis; the endless hardships that the hard rains of bullets and bombs, volcanic eruptions, oil spills have brought.

Or bypass all the bleakness and melancholy and simply spin a conversation between a parent and a child on some deep life issue. Or a light-hearted one. A million directions to go. The possibilities are endless.

 A freehand is what we give you,  you give the song a listen and see what happens...

Copied from the WEP Challenges page

**********

 

Murder! Mystery! Mayhem! & CassaDark By Alex J. Cavanaugh

 Welcome, Alex J. Cavanaugh, author of a new space opera, CassaDark. He's here to discuss the elements that make his current book a fitting read for all readers even those that love a good murder mystery. Please, take it away Alex!

Murder! Mystery! Mayhem!

 

Wait a minute…my book is science fiction, space opera/adventure. Nobody is murdered. There’s no mystery to solve. Mayhem? Hmm…maybe my book does have those elements.

 

All right, there isn’t an out-and-out murder. No police or detectives are involved. But there are people being killed. In a way that is hidden to the rest of the galaxy. Many live in a world where death lurks around every corner. And people do die. Maybe not murder, but death happens. (Of course, people on the planet kill one another, so that technically is murder.)

 

Mystery…actually, for the main character, there is a lot. Bassan is a bit naïve. He believes even as he doubts. He begins to see things are not as he assumed. There are mysteries to unravel—what is the truth? So, there is a bit of mystery.

 

Now, mayhem. There is a lot of that! Bassan is sent across the galaxy. He gets dumped on a strange planet. People try to kill him. And the people he’s with. His future is completely in disarray. Dogs and cats, living together—mass hysteria! No wait, that’s Ghostbusters. But you get the idea. There is a lot of upheaval and peril, and Bassan is put through the wringer.

 

So, I guess CassaDark does have a lot of those mystery elements. Who knew?

 

Alex J. Cavanaugh works in web design and graphics, and he plays guitar in a Christian band. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is known as Ninja Captain Alex and he’s the founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.

 

http://alexjcavanaugh.com

https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/

https://twitter.com/AlexJCavanaugh

 

 

CassaDark

By Alex J. Cavanaugh

 

His world is unraveling…

 

Bassan’s father is stepping down from command. His best friend almost dies when Bassan freezes. Now, he’s being sent across the galaxy to speak at an important conference. Despite saving the eleven races years ago, he’s paralyzed by fear and doubt. Could things get any worse?

Once there, new acquaintance Zendar convinces Bassan to visit his planet for a humanitarian mission. Bassan’s special connection to ancient technology is the key to saving Zendar’s people. One problem though—it’s a prisoner planet.

 

On Ugar, he discovers things aren’t so straightforward. As each secret reveals itself, the situation grows more desperate. If he can’t find the right answers, he might die along with Zendar’s people. Can Bassan summon the courage to be a hero again?

 

Released on–April 6, 2022

$16.95, 6x9 trade paperback, 226 pages

Science fiction - Adventure (FIC028010) / Space Opera (FIC028030) / Space Exploration (FIC028130)

Print ISBN 9781939844842 / Ebook ISBN 9781939844859

$4.99 Ebook available in all format

Buy Links:

iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id1574189874

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0982FL3SH

Barnes & Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940164947033

Kobo – https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search?Query=9781939844859

Scribed – https://www.scribd.com/search?query=9781939844859&language=0

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58461762-cassadark

*****

Thanks so much, Alex, for allowing me to share your exciting news!

Well folks, have you gotten your copy yet?

My Review is HERE!

Ukraine

 

Photo by cHoLoNg cHoI on Unsplash

My heart is crushed

my mind confused

the world has imploded

And again

the Innocent pay

while the Devil, 

Putin

dances and plays

Dear God,

Please Intervene

there has to be a way

for Leaders who can,

Won’t

while trying to avoid

an even more drastic peril

Ukraine the sacrifice

and the Hope of the World

Heaven forgive us

as we watch

unveiled

our deficiency revealed.

Copyright 2022 Yolanda Renee

WEP - All You Need Is Love

 WEP is proud to announce 

the Challenges for 2022

A Musical Influence

And our first challenge of the year is...

All You Need is Love,

What could be more appropriate for Valentine's than All You Need is Love, by The Beatles? (Listen to this number by clicking on the title.)

The Beatles were an iconic band formed in Liverpool, UK, in 1960 that revolutionized Western popular music. Their music was a crucial factor in the development of the 1960's counterculture. And their influence on contemporary music and performers cannot be overestimated. They are revered as the most popular band of all time. Pioneers in recording, songwriting, and presentation, the Beatles' works were pivotal to popular music being recognized as an art form in its own right. They have sold around 600 million records worldwide, their music has shaped the entire music industry of the 20th century and beyond. Read more about the Beatles and this song by clicking on the links.

 All You Need Is Love – interpret this any which way you like.

Tell us a story about lovers overcoming insurmountable odds with the power of their love.

Or spin a flash about parental love, unconditional and endless.

Or about platonic love, the support network that friends provide without which individuals can't function.

All You Need Is Love...or do you? Turn it on its head and tell us how insufficient it is to get by on love alone.

Put the words of the title into the mouth of your MC. Or a minor character. Or have it play somewhere in the background, barely noticeable...

You see, there are as many takes as there are forms of love.

Remember, there are no genre restrictions – it's unnecessary to write a traditional romance just because it's February. Interpret the prompt in the most unValentine-y manner if you like – satire, horror, fantasy, all are welcome here, except erotica.

Just sign up below starting on February 16th

And remember to have fun!

I thought I'd give it a try.

~~*~~

All You Need Is Love

The Beatles say

All You Need Is Love

Maybe that's true

I know I've searched

but failed to find

that deep emotion

Where did I go wrong?

part of a large family

where love was nowhere

to be found

married at eighteen

a mistake

quickly discovered

a heart shattered

when he admitted

he'd never felt a thing

tried once more,

for life, I thought

Love is what's proclaimed,

even vowed

but for some strange reason

always disavowed

I’m done searching

Love, if, it's all you need?

maybe that's why

it's such an elusive thing.

Yolanda Renee © 2022

*****

*****

Since I cannot participate fully, 

comments have been blocked. 

Thank you so much for visiting.

I will do my best to read all entries.