Ignite

Written by Rae-Chan

It only takes a spark to ignite a flame.
It only takes a flame to torch a city.
It only takes a spark to set the wheels of change in motion.
So light up the night like a firework,
Send sparks flying through the sky,
Become a mighty phoenix and blaze those that stand in your way,
Ignite the flames, become a burning inferno,
Shower the sparks everywhere.
It only takes one spark to ignite something beautiful.
It only takes one spark.
Be that spark.

A powerful message written simply here from Rae-Chan, but it fills us with such hope and delivers such impact in its short form. Rae-Chan’s best work is often found in succinct little gems of poetry, so we hope you love it just as much as we did. You can check out more of her poetry such as ‘Wings‘ and ‘An Ode to Low Self-Esteem’

Featured Image // Kendra Miller

Little Candle

Written by Blue-Eyed Devil

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Little Candle, keep burning bright. Image // Melissa Maples

Little candle, little candle
Burning oh so bright.
Little candle, little candle
Shining in the night.

Little candle, little candle
Kiss me with its mark.
Little candle, little candle
Shields me from the dark.

Little candle, little candle
How fast you fade away.
Little candle, little candle
Please burn just one more day.

Blue-Eyed Devil’s heart-warming short poem ‘Little Candle’ is the perfect piece to close out November’s content. Of course, it suits this month’s theme ‘Light’ to a T, but it also gives way to the season of giving. Whether you read the poem with a sombre tone or one that provides us with hope instead, it’s a lovely piece of poetry from our Haiku hero. If you enjoyed Blue-Eyed Devil’s poem, make sure you check out his superb poetry such as, ‘You’re Home‘ and the ‘Inkblots Poetry Spotlight‘ featuring a number of his smaller poems and Haiku. 

We Listen To The Song

Written by X3naurus

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Remember the pink petals, too? Image // Gazeronly

I’d never play music too loud,
just loud enough for us to sing along.
I’d never speak of praise or hatred,
only when my thoughts are held alone.
A girl who sat by me once said she’d
heard the music.

She’d never wish in the night
until a star was born, her eyes closed.
She’d always give a glowing smile
to any dawned and dusked to fear.
A man who passed her by once had
saw the smile.

He’d sometimes stop to think,
just before he’d drown in wonders.
He’d come home to collect his thoughts,
and leave for thoughts to collect.
You looked at him and asked to
share just one.

You remembered a dying light,
but forgot the pink petals underneath.
You always screamed inside your head
when anything you loved was lost.
But I could only play the music for us to
sing along.

 
Though written a few years back, X3naurus’s lyrics are still a beauty to behold today. Stripped back and subtle, ‘We Listen to the Song’ flourishes on paper, and we can only wonder what it would be like to hear with music. Twinned perfectly with our theme this month, Light, we hope you enjoyed reading it as much as we did. If you liked X3naurus’s work, you can check out other pieces such as, ‘Minor Wounds‘ and ‘Tame‘.
 

The Dawn Song

Written by Lilith

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Dawn rises, dispelling the mist. Image // James Jordan

There is a place forgotten and lonely,
Guarded by dark angels only,
Where now a loving child named Dawn,
Seeks to bring about the morn,

She has reached these lands but newly
From a classroom most unruly,
Strange forces have brought her here,
To this darkened land of fear.

Bottomless vales and boundless floods,
And chasms, and caves, and half-dead woods;
With shadows that no man can spy,
Hidden from the human eye.

Mountains toppling evermore
Into seas without a shore;
Seas that restlessly aspire,
Surging, unto skies of fire.

Lakes endlessly outspread,
Their dark grey waters – lone and dead.
Such depths are still and cold,
And haunted – by the ghosts of old.

By the lakes that hide the dead,
This young girl does dare to tread,
Singing stories of the sun,
Tales of blue sky, and summer fun.

By the mountains – near the seas
The ghostly murmurs haunt the breeze,
Murmuring lowly, murmuring ever,
Their haunting voices; wintry weather.

By the mountains dances Dawn,
Singing out her song of morn,
By the grey woods she brings light,
Beginning as End of Darkest Night.

By the dismal streams and pools,
No more the voices of the Ghouls,
But an Angel’s sweet Dawn song,
Ending the Night of Ages long.

The Dawn Song ends; the sun is high
And shining brightly in the sky,
And Dawn? She wanders home at last
Forgetting at once what has passed.

Never its mysteries are exposed
To the weak human eye unclosed;
And thus this land forgotten stays,
But basks today in summer rays.

Based on a poem by Edgar Allan Poe named “Dreamland”, Lilith’s copy-change poem is a scintillating read. As a narrative poem, the personification of Dawn signals the re-birth here, while Poe’s original poem reflected on darkness and supernatural occurrences. Originally designed to get Lilith back into the poetry groove once again, we think it has a great flow and works lovely with this month’s theme, Light. If you’d like to see any of Lilith’s other work, you should check out ‘Fridge Magnet Poetry‘ and ‘A Hedgehog Named Barry‘. 

Sleepless Nights

Written by Ashcloud

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Time is a killer. Image // Mateus Lunardi Dutra

The shrill sound of nothingness deafens.
As silent as sleep itself,
Insomnia mutes functionality.
How is it that so many hide,
Behind a facade of concealer; lies
And steaming mugs of coffee?
What they truly long for – the black blanket
To shroud their ticking minds’ wound,
Beyond capacity, the taut spring awaits
Expectantly, for the slightest nudge
That will uncoil the mind’s formal graces,
In exchange for the unknown,
feared place within us all.

Ashcloud’s poem is something many of us on The Inkwell writing forum can relate to – suffering from insomnia is probably every writer’s nightmare, though it’s probably when we acquire our best material. Stimulated by caffeine, words can magically appear, but without it we’d suffer from the inevitable caffeine crash. It’s why Ashcloud’s poetry just hits the nail on the head; a deep fear some of us can’t seem to escape. If you enjoyed Ashcloud’s ‘Sleepless Nights’, feel free to check out her other wonderful poetry, ‘Knight‘ and ‘The Root of Insanity‘. 

Monthly Editorial – October’s Content Gets A Little Spooky For Hallowe’en

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Time to do some carving? Image // Andrea Vergani

Hey Inkblotters!

Welcome back to the monthly editorial post – we’ve only been away for a month, but it’s surprisingly felt much longer. Maybe it’s the routine and the great comfort it brings when sharing some fantastic content with our readers. Either way, I’m very happy to be back writing, editing, and covering all sorts of things for magazine content.

Late summer has closed its doors and a new autumnal breeze has swept across Britain, making the tawny leaves hit your boots and probably your face. Autumn is delightfully pretty, but it’s also messy – there’s nothing worse than wet leaves sticking to your hair, specifically if it’s already curly and tangled. I’m not here to whinge, though, as it’s the start of a very spooky month here on Inkblots. With the arrival of Hallowe’en, my Pagan roots strengthen and begin to welcome in the new Pagan year. It’s out with the old and in with the new. I even find time to start carving a pumpkin for the evening celebrations!

Given the time of the year, October’s content theme surrounds itself with the idea of fear. And we’re kicking the month off with the winning Fiction Frenzy entry. As many of you will know, in conjunction with our sister site The Inkwell, we ran a writing competition throughout July and August with two themes: Carnage and Virtual Reality. We had some truly wonderful entries, with three in particular making the final shortlist. But there could only be one winner, so it was with great joy we awarded the Fiction Frenzy Winner title to Magnificent Mayhem for her horrifying tale “Rabid”. It will be published on October 5th, so make sure you check back to read it.

For the rest of the month, we’ve got poetry from Ashcloud on the 8th, a great HHC short from our veteran forum writer Rob, as well as a lovely twist on the Red Riding Hood fairytale by Bandit Queen. On Hallowe’en itself, we may have a spotlight special for stand-out HHCs under this month’s new theme: Pumpkin. So if you’d like to get your piece into the spotlight on the 31st, make sure you send us in your HHC entry. All details for submitting entries can be found on our submissions page.

And that just about covers October. Keep checking back to Inkblots regularly so you never miss a post, and you can always follow us on Twitter or Facebook too. Also, before I forget and in aid of National Poetry Day, here’s a link to see a snippet of the BBC’s Dylan Thomas animated poem, The Hunchback in the Park. Narrated by Michael Sheen, you can catch the full animation on BBC iPlayer or BBC One Wales later in October, which marks the centenary of the poet’s birth.

Have a fab October – don’t get too spooked!

– Silver, Inkblots Editor

The Root of Insanity

Written by Ashcloud

beach campsite

Logs burning, searching for a soul. Image // stockarch

Eyes that can shatter with a fleeting glance,
The pallor of wispy ashes, their steel-like trance.
The flame that never flickers, engulfs the fire of a soul,
Burning, burning, fading fast. Never to grow old.
A drop of raw emotion, a single splash of blue.
It’s clear you always see me but I never can see you.

Rough hands that craft, today they come
Squeeze solace from the soul.
Impatient tapping, deadbeat drum
Forever haunts the foal.
A pinch of raw emotion, one hand held in two,
It’s clear you always see me but I never can see you.

A gruesome grin or wicked word, countless deepening gashes.
Swaying, swaying, back and forth, in turmoil of endless lashes.
Rare the calm before the storm,
When tender breeze my heart doth warm.
A breath of raw emotion, a whispered promise few,
It’s clear you always see me but I never can see you.

Your eyes could burn,
Your hands could hit,
You never cared one single bit.
Mind games and violence made me insane,
Daddy, you’re the only one to blame.

Ashcloud’s poem cuts us to the core. It’s deep and it’s powerful, but most of all it feels raw. Though it’s written in verse and has a tight structure, it somehow feels loose with emotion as the poet’s voice struggles to keep control. We were swept away by reading this, so we commend Ashcloud’s written work. If you liked her poem, feel free to leave a like, comment or even check out her other work such as, ‘Knight‘ and ‘One Day at a Time‘. 

I Am The Night

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Does it know us, living and breathing as creatures, as humans? Image // Dave Jackson

Written by Juwan Cross

I stare into the night

It stares back

We speak without words

A sense of understanding

A welcoming feeling

A sky I’ve never seen

Presents a familiar feeling

It asks, “Who are you?”

But who am I?

A reflection

I am the night.

 

New contributor Juwan’s poem really spoke to us. It’s so sparse, yet strangely so close to home, and that’s why we loved it. Maybe you’ve had this very interaction with the night or the moon itself, the stars twinkling, and you wonder just who you are in this incredible universe. We’ve all been there, and we’re all just as scared as each other. Juwan says his inspiration for his piece was via a friend saying he was the opposite of what she expected, a little darker and mysterious. If you liked Juwan’s poem, let us know by leaving a like or a comment in the section below. 

I Walk These Streets

Written by Fuzzyears

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It’s a hard slog, at times. Image // Momper Mountainous Landscape (Commons)

I walk these streets most everyday
And all the people look the same
In a world filled with rage
Show me anger
Fierce fists clutching onto air

Well they cut me down and threw me out
‘Cause I didn’t fit in with their crowds
Well they cut me up and left me scarred
On the fringes of my sanity
How could you shelter me out?

This war doesn’t determine who’s right
This war just determines who’s left standing tonight
So place your bets
Place your bets
Cause through my eyes you reap what you sow

On a mountain I sit
Not of gold but of sin
Through the blood I can learn
And on my face is a map of the world

Don’t tell me it doesn’t matter
I’ll tell you what, what matters

Fuzzyears’s song lyrics are a mish-mash of a 30 Seconds to Mars, Globus and Woe is Me song. She says she was inspired to take the idea from her two friends, who had taken different lines from poetry in order to mould a new poem, and did the same with song lyrics. It’s an interesting idea that we’d life to see more of at Inkblots, particularly if you’re lacking in inspiration. Let us know if you enjoyed new contributor Fuzzyears’s lyrical ensemble by leaving a like or comment below. 

Knight

Written by Ashcloud

knight_armour

We all need a little protection in our lives, even if it’s hidden.

Close the bond between two souls,
Has flourished underneath the sun,
In stained glass caverns, stories made,
Vanquished now the pressing tonne.
A friendship great for eternity,
Laughter the music of precious memory,
Remember to look closely and you will find,
Your true design, your soul, your mind.

 

A short but nevertheless sweet homage poem from Ashcloud. Dedicated to a close friend of hers, Ashcloud says it’s for one “who deserves so much, but asks for so little”. We particularly admired her use of imagery here to reminisce of past times and children’s fantasy stories, stealing us from our slumber to keep us wide-eyed and wondering. An elegant and simple tribute to her friend. If you liked Ashcloud’s poetry, feel free to take a look at “One Day at a Time” – a poem for school leavers.