Category: poetry

Fantasy, poem, poetry, Sonnet2 Comments

Dive and Shift

Melinda Kucsera

Dive and Shift He leaps, falls, hits mirrored water, shifts– human skin flips to scales. Gills breathe water, exhale oxygen into blood; the shift continues, webs his fingers, toes. Water caresses his sleek new body as he swims. The current tugs him out to sea, its siren call he can’t resist. It carries him out into deep water where old wrecks fallen prey to storms litter the seafloor. Check out their remains, he does, until a shadow’s pass draws him out. The kraken’s come to play. Chitinous claws extend to uphold vows. Tentacles swing, stab, miss–he strikes to slay. He evades its limbs, slashes … Continue reading Dive and Shift

Curse Breaker, Fantasy, poem, poetry, Sarn, Sonnet33 Comments

Writing 101 Assignment 5 – Legacy

Melinda Kucsera

“All that is gold does not glitter…” — JRR Tolkien Legacy (the Legend of the Curse Breaker) Not all gold glitters while some lies hidden. In caves deep and under waters sweet, bides that which can set all to right. Unbidden it rises from the depths to hand the guide knowledge true to right a wrong God still sees. Cursed since birth this child of a magic ban, to his hand draws kingmaker Legacy– the blade that shattered in the traitor’s hand. There it merges into a gleaming whole– Blade that regicide and fratricide broke– to heal a sundered land and … Continue reading Writing 101 Assignment 5 – Legacy

poem, poetry, Sonnet

Leaving on a Space Ship – A Daily Post Sonnet

Melinda Kucsera

Leaving on a Space Ship If I leave earth and trade it for the stars, never can I return home. The rocket’s red glare, escape velocity, no bar. past our planet’s dance in our space pocket, I go into outer space to explore, to boldly go where no woman has gone before. To sail the milky way, to soar past alien suns and watch a new dawn bloom on exoplanets while you grow old. Earth spins your years away while mine slow down special relativity, I’m told, works like that with light speed; it makes me frown. I ride the light, push nine-tenths of light speed … Continue reading Leaving on a Space Ship – A Daily Post Sonnet

Fantasy, poem, poetry, Shayari, Sonnet19 Comments

Flash Fiction Challenge – Zombies vs Healer

Melinda Kucsera

   The Necromancer vs the Healer The necromancer raised them row by row, ripped from death’s sleep, the zombies sprang from graves. An army shambles bent on overthrow, its mauve-robed leader can’t ever be saved. Drawn by death’s cold touch and stench of decay, a healer comes with life’s power in his veins. His touch turns zombies to dust, and waylays the necromancer’s plans. No innocents slain, no kingdom overthrown–Necromancer faces Healer, but life always prevails. One touch removes un-life, Necromancer falls, his mauve robes puddle, his bargains fail, for power he swapped salvation, enslaved himself to Death, but he can still be saved. ~ ~ ~ … Continue reading Flash Fiction Challenge – Zombies vs Healer

poem, poetry, Sonnet21 Comments

Dawn – Writing 101 Assignment 4

Melinda Kucsera

Dawn In quiet he sat, watched the rising light falling through stained glass to illuminate the church. Watched the dark driven out by light, a sun created to eradicate darkness wherever it falls. In the heart, under cloud, in church–wherever shadows linger, light shines and does battle apart from life flowing on the earth. On it glows, its mission never complete. So he sits quiet, and contemplates night’s fade to dawn. God’s free gift to us all, calling to spirits young and old, a bright reminder that dawn makes all things new as it showers blessings, renews all in need, this light offering. Continue reading Dawn – Writing 101 Assignment 4

Fantasy, poem, poetry, Sonnet5 Comments

The Road Calls – Writing 101 Assignment 4

Melinda Kucsera

The Road Calls I watched the sylvan world fade away. Through my long watch, cities rose up and fell. Ancient magic no longer holds sway. Now comes the day to bid a fond farewell. My watch is done when this day ends in night. Weep not, my friend, the sun’s last glimmer leads me home. Over hill and dale, through passes tight, over ice-crowned mountains where my road leads. Back to lands that still dream, where magic dwells. The road is now calling, silver streams sing. My feet itch to dance my way in its swells. Say farewell. The road calls. Your blessing sing– I … Continue reading The Road Calls – Writing 101 Assignment 4

poem, poetry, Sonnet11 Comments

Black Hole

Melinda Kucsera

Black Hole I write from a black hole, where I riddle. I’m slowly being spaghettified* by tidal forces’ stretch, squeeze to a noodle. Light can’t escape its pull; no last ditch fly by or rescue attempt. What the black hole catches, it keeps. It lets nothing escape save one thing its embrace can’t hold–my soul– its needs no velocity to escape. It travels faster than light to the source, away from its earthen birth, its black hole confinement, to the spark that set its course. Shot out of the black hole, flying fast, still whole, that soul,  that spark that once leapt in my flesh, ’til black … Continue reading Black Hole

Curse Breaker, Fantasy, Mount Eredren, poem, poetry, Sarn, Shayari, Sonnet3 Comments

Poetry 101 Rehab: Father

Melinda Kucsera

Blocks Ran sat used Papa as a backrest while he stacked blocks woven from wild reeds. Magic rushed ’round under Papa’s skin; it beguiled the child listening to its rhythmic music. Magic beat with his heart and sometimes in counterpoint. Ran’s hair stood up; Papa’s arm draped across his lap securing him in place. Green sparks raced across his father’s arm, leapt over Ran’s head outlining a loose sphere that winked in and out of view. Ran pushed blocks at the peak-a-boo curtain of power there. The block stopped mid-air within the sphere locked. Ran laughed and pushed on Papa’s magic wall that had become a new … Continue reading Poetry 101 Rehab: Father

Fantasy, poem, poetry, Sonnet12 Comments

One Word to Hold in the Gray Between – Writing 101 Assignment 3

Melinda Kucsera

The Gray Between There is a place between, a gray between life and death, a place where all crossroads lead. Darkness hangs there and shadows lay the scene. No light goes there unless kindled by need. Hope, love and faith ignite a soul with fire brightening the Gray Between. As you walk, the darkness stalks, it feeds on emotions. Hold your hope tight, its your torch, and don’t balk. Cling to your love. Sing hymns while in motion, Don’t pause or the Gray Between’ll suck you dry, leave a darkening husk trapped in the woods with no path to follow. Cold you will die, never … Continue reading One Word to Hold in the Gray Between – Writing 101 Assignment 3

Curse Breaker, Fantasy, poem, poetry, Sarn, Shayari, Sonnet1 Comment

The Sky Cries Rain Tears

Melinda Kucsera

The Sky Cries “Why’s the sky cry?” asked Ran who walked beside. His question aimed at his somber father. “It’s raining not crying,” said Sarn, who tried not to look back, not to decipher her last words, not to dwell on things now ended. His eyes followed the lake’s curve to her home. But she’d gone back to a life upended— without a freak with a magic syndrome. Ran pipped up suddenly, “I know why it cries.” Sarn regarded his son for the answer, “Because you don’t cry, so for you, it cries.” Ran squeezed his father’s hand, looking wiser than his scant years. “You can cry, it’s okay. ‘Cause when I’m … Continue reading The Sky Cries Rain Tears

Curse Breaker, Fantasy, poem, poetry, Shayari, Sonnet

Photo-fiction Challenge #6 – Upended

Melinda Kucsera

Upended Keysta leaned against the upended couch wondering what to do now that they’d gone. He had turned the house upside down, that grouch, but he’d not found her. Her bro went to pawn a trinket that wouldn’t fetch enough to pay the men off or make a dent in their debt. despair crushed her, ground her down, left no way to recoup or energy to try. Threats still echoed when her bro returned. Coins clink, his boots scrape to a stop at the scene, eyes scan for signs of his elder sis, then blink to take it all in. He moves fast and … Continue reading Photo-fiction Challenge #6 – Upended

poem, poetry, Sonnet9 Comments

Favorite Things – A Sonnet in the Form of a List

Melinda Kucsera

Favorite Things Here are a few of my favorite things: baking apples, cinnamon scents wafting. Struck-coin medallions and two tone earrings. Lean beef cuts in barbecue sauce stewing. Writing sonnets but not in a list form. Making poems out of scenes from my stories. Sipping hot tea while watching a snow storm. Accessing my digital libraries on my smart phone from under the covers. My small apartment fragrant from baking Walking while overhead a storm hovers. Writing books ’bout a world of my making. An army of imaginary friends at my back, who’re with me through all life’s bends. ~ ~ ~ There you have it.  A sonnet in … Continue reading Favorite Things – A Sonnet in the Form of a List

poem, poetry, Sonnet15 Comments

I Write Because…

Melinda Kucsera

I Write Because I write ’cause I created characters, gave them lives and they want their stories told. I was lonely, so I made characters to keep me company–an army bold to slay my fears and friends to quell my tears. To my sibs, I told their epic stories. I developed their world for many years, happily writing most of a series– until my sister died. Her last request I honor by working towards publication of the stories she loved and the new quests I’m writing now. Writing’s my vocation, my reason for being here. Through it I speak to those I’ve lost, find the closure I seek. ~ ~ ~ Photo caption: Many Mels (a … Continue reading I Write Because…

Fantasy, Jacora, poem, poetry, Sarn, Shayari, Sonnet4 Comments

Photo-fiction #10 – When Words Fail

Melinda Kucsera

When Words Fail Words shifted on the page, jumped up, rearranged. Sarn wrestled them, tried to glean meaning from the handwritten letters so estranged from their spoken counterparts. Divining nothing from it, he looked out at the street but felt no desire to go abroad until his son climbed up and took a seat on the table. Sarn felt less like a fraud with the closed book pushed aside by his son. Ran fingered the book. “Why you look so sad?” Sarn wanted to read stories to his son, the ones he’d loved most,  like a proper dad. He opened the book. Each word he sounded out; his son sat … Continue reading Photo-fiction #10 – When Words Fail

poem, poetry, Sonnet14 Comments

Halloween

Melinda Kucsera

Halloween Pumpkin faces blazing, death surrounded, their bright unbroken circle holding tight ‘gainst that specter’s might. Death’s skull face shrouded, his bones gleaming white on that hallowed night. Pumpkin faces blazing, windows alight, welcoming trick or treaters young and old, offering leave-stuffed frights and sweet delights on lawns where costumed scarecrows , their court hold. Death’s skeletal face leers from masks all night. Kids running with gleaming scythes, wear his face. Ghosts prance past plastic graves, their sheets a sight. Devils seek to win the great candy race. Another Halloween draws to a close Leaving all in a candy comatose. ~ ~ ~ Happy Halloween. Continue reading Halloween