Day Six of National Poetry Month: Under the Orange Tree #NaPoWriMo

Under the Orange Tree

Summer winds blow strong,

carrying the scent of love

You and I beneath the orange tree,

the shaded heavens above

Remembering the citrus scent,

our stolen kisses like sweet Chablis

The shaded heavens above,

you and I beneath the orange tree

And such love will never pale,

nor that precious memory of

you and I beneath the orange tree,

the shaded heavens above

© All Rights Reserved A. F. Stewart

National Poetry Month - #NaPoWriMo

As faithful readers know I've been busy with the launch of my new poetry book, Colours of Poetry, and the upcoming book launch party/poetry slam on Facebook, but I'm still writing a poem a day this April (inspired by prompts from one of my poetry groups). So I'm posting a bit of a catch-up post here, with my daily poems.

Day 1: Posted on my April 1st, Drabble Wednesday post: 

http://afstewartblog.blogspot.ca/2015/04/drabble-wednesday-april-fooling.html

Day 2:

Swords and Dragons

Wake the kingdom, bang the drum

The gloried knights, raising steel

Gather the host, what may come

We will make the dragon squeal

The gloried knights, raising steel

Rouse the fervour, swing the blade,

we will make the dragon squeal

March to grandeur, lead the raid

Rouse the fervour, swing the blade

Dragon fire, bring all to die

March to grandeur, lead the raid

See the shadows o’er the sky

Dragon fire, bring all to die

See the shadows o’er the sky

Gather the host, what may come

Wake the kingdom, bang the drum

Day 3:

A Willow in the Yard

Weathered,

a little broken

like me

But still standing

Weeping willow

they call you

bowing, bending

But still standing

Like me

Day 4:

Memento

Bitter smoke and lingering

reminders

The open window doesn't

alleviate

The smell of your cigars

permeates

the room

me

our broken lives

I miss you,

but you’re gone

Despite the scent of your cigars

Day 5:

Crossing Between

Dividing periphery, a flow

perchance to intersect, schism deep

Soft immersion, treading slow 

Dividing periphery, a flow

wholly submerged in the undertow

Surrender, to the undercurrent sweep

Dividing periphery, a flow

perchance to intersect, schism deep

~*~

© All Rights Reserved A. F. Stewart

And check out my giveaway page for a chance to win Colours of Poetry:

http://afstewartblog.blogspot.ca/p/blog-page_4.html

Colours of Poetry Slam on Facebook

On April 7th, I'm releasing my new book of poetry, Colours of Poetry, and to celebrate that release and National Poetry Month I'm hosting a Facebook poetry party!

 

Check out the Facebook Event:

https://www.facebook.com/events/357548374428534/

The Party Rules are simple:

1 - Post a poem inspired by our theme: colour
2 - Post a poem inspired by or in honour of National Poetry Month
3 - Post any old poem
4 - Have fun

And as a treat for participants, I'll be picking three random poems for a feature here on the blog: http://afstewartblog.blogspot.ca/

And there's a Rafflecopter giveaway of my book:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So, come over and post your poems and have some fun!

And feel free to invite your poet friends, the more the merrier.

Drabble Wednesday: April Fooling

This week Drabble Wednesday falls on April Fool’s Day, so of course today is a celebration of fools…

Today is also the start of National Poetry Month, so I’ll begin with a short acrostic poem:

The Fool

Jokester, trickster, crawling inside my skin

Eager to escape, to spread a bit of sin

Slathered perpetual, my impish fresco grin

Tread the spotlight, innuendo jokes wearing thin?

Ever no, welcome that eternal audience chagrin

Rousing iniquity served with a prankster spin

~*~

Behind the Mask

“Bring me the jester! He has poisoned the king!” There’s an agitated edge in my voice, but I cannot help it. The body of my husband lies at my feet, and the spilled goblet of poisoned wine stains the marble floor. Guards scurry from the throne room as the apothecary covers the king with a shroud. They soon return, but produce no jester.

“We did not find him, your Highness. Only this.” The man hands me a mask. I stare at the painted grin with relief. He escaped. I thought for certain the fool had botched things changing the plan.

And here’s one from my drabble vault:

The Lot of a Fool

“Forsooth, I will go, and bring this cheddar and wine,” I reply with a smile, accepting the tray from the cook. But verily my grin vanishes as soon as I follow the servants from the kitchen heading to the dining hall.

Oh, twaddle and bother. Now I must play the fool again for my lord at the supper, and no doubt have grease or wine stains upon my purple velvet pantaloons come day’s end. Leastwise I shall endure the horrid sight of him devouring a leg of pork to its rind.

Why didn’t I heed Mother, and become a scribe?

Book Spotlight: The Serpent's Eye

Today I'm venturing back to the dark side, with horror front and center, and shining the spotlight on the novel, The Serpent's Eye by Thomas H. Brand. Enjoy, my darklings...

The Serpent's Eye by Thomas H. Brand

When George Sandings is sent to Buenos Aires in the summer of 1816 to deal with the estate of the late Earl Edgar Leer, he sees it simply as an opportunity to prove himself to his employers and advance his career. However, as he delves deeper and deeper into the Earl's dark and immoral past, he discovers that not everything is as natural as it should be. Soon be begins to realise that something from the Earl's past, from the Earl's father's life, and from many centuries before them, is following him. Haunting him. Is this spectre real? Or is this simply a plot to undermine him? As George tries to rationalise what is happening to his life, he must decide whether the only rational answer is the irrational.

Links

Kindle edition - 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00M66IHY2

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M66IHY2

Paperback edition - 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1503390454

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1503390454

https://www.createspace.com/5127132

Author Bio:

Thomas H. Brand is a writer and project manager, living and working in London. In his spare time he gets confused as it was so long since he last had any spare time he's not sure what to do with it.

Originally from Hampshire, he now lives in North London with his wife and a one-eyed ginger cat. He finds he spends more and more of his time sitting staring at the computer screen or notebook page. He loves every moment. When he isn't doing that, he can usually be found reading things other people have written instead.

Please visit www.thomashbrand.com for more information on the author and his writing.