Prodigal Moon Poem #WeWriWa

 

Genre:

Poetry plus a supernatural coming of age story (vampires). 

Buy Link:

https://amzn.to/3vz8uXw 

Publication Date:

February 15, 2024

Ebook Price:

$1.99 or free with Kindle Unlimited

Book Blurb:

The poems, story, and thoughts included in this brief volume were inspired by the independently produced album Wayward and Upward by Spinoza Gambit. The story Prodigal Moon and the poem 401 Rush were included in the Wayward and Upward anthology published by Off Topic Press.

I opted to publish this book on my 59th birthday. It would be a wonderful gift to learn that my work inspired you or led you to learn more about the Wayward and Upward album and anthology.

With love,

Ornery Owl

Book Length:

49 pages

Excerpt

About Prodigal Moon

I was inspired by the idea of something that disappears and returns on a predictable schedule (the visible moon) and something that cannot return (a lost love.)

Prodigal Moon 

Prodigal moon

You can spin me a silent tune

But you can’t return my love to me

I dare you to try

Catch him on the fly

Before he escapes ‘cross the sea

Author Bio

Ornery Owl is a wise old bird who seeks the truth behind the lies. She uses her observations to heal the wounded soul. In essence, she is the spirit of an odd little bird whose wings were clipped at a young age. She is at once a whimsical manifestation of poetic expression and a fierce protector of those targeted for derision by an angry and unsympathetic world. Depending on how you perceive her, she can be either a goddamned delight or your worst nightmare.   

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Ornery Owl's Mercifully Brief End of Post Rumination

No one:

“Gosh, I wonder how Ornery Owl deals with imposter syndrome.”

Me:

“Well, boy howdy, I’m glad you asked! Let me tell you all about that!”

The answer:

I still haven’t got that shit figured out.

I know I’m capable of writing between 1000 and 2000 words a day, no problem.

I take on multiple writing projects every month.

I complete at least one project every month.

I submit or self-publish something every month.

Yet I still find myself thinking “I just can’t do this” and sabotaging myself every month, waiting till the last minute to complete said project.

http://wewriwa.blogspot.com

Free use image from Open Clipart Vectors

Happy Valentine's Day aka Eat Chocolate Day and One Day Before Ornery Owl's Birthday aka Resting Bitch Face That Never Rests Day from the fiends at Naughty Netherworld Press.

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Intro Extro

 

Image by AB_s from Pixabay

frozen and disconcerted

I'm more than introverted

I'm socially paralyzed

the extroverted folk seem

to live like life is a dream

but that may be a disguise

notes

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/2023-november-pad-chapbook-challenge-day-21

Write an introvert and/or extrovert poem.

I call this poem style Sevensies. Every line has seven syllables.

I added text art to the base image using Pixlr.

Let's Get Legal

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

 BY: credit must be given to the creator.

 NC: Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted.

 SA: Adaptations must be shared under the same terms.

If you want to use this image for commercial purposes, drop a comment with your contact information and I'll contact you.

The Diabolical Drama of Darius (With Pictures) #8Sunday

 

Young Darius went on a date

With a succubus seeking a mate.

Image by John Hain from Pixabay

In a twist of the plot

He thought her brother was hot.

"Curses! Foiled again!"

With the lady, he did not consummate.

notes

This poem can be blamed on this prompt.

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/2023-november-pad-chapbook-challenge-day-10

Write a character poem, they said.

It will be fun, they said.

Fun for me, sure. Maybe not for the people reading it.

Let me tell you about the poem.

One of the three stories I'm working on for this year's NaNoHellMo project is set on New Year's Eve 1999. The protagonist is a young man who has a history of dating the sort of gal who works at places with names like The Classy Cabaret. Hint: the name is the only thing that's classy about this cabaret. Darius decides he needs to change his ways in the new millennium, so he finds a nice young woman on a dating website. 

Darius makes two discoveries during the course of the evening.

First, his date, Briana, is a succubus.

Second, he's more attracted to her incubus brother Brian.

Apparently, this isn't an uncommon occurrence as the twins' mother, Lilith, admonishes Brian to stop stealing his sister's playthings. 

I can't share any snippets from the story because:

1) It's still in the train wreck stage.

2) I'm going to submit it for potential inclusion in the Digital Love anthology from Dragon Soul Press. If they don't want it, I'll self-publish it for Valentine's Day 2024. 

If you'd like to jump in the game and submit one of your stories to Dragon Soul Press, just follow the handy link. You'll need to be quick because the deadline is November 30. They are looking for stories between 3000 and 20,000 words.

https://dragonsoulpress.com/shortstorycalls/

This is a Lil DeVille story, so it doesn't hold back on the heat. 

Subscribe to Lil's newsletter here.

https://www.subscribepage.com/lildeville

Most of the images used in this post were generated using QuickWrite.

Yes, QuickWrite is an AI.

No, I don't use it to write my stories.

I use it to do things like create the image in this post. I also use it to create filler scenes so I can move along in a story because it drives my obsessive ADHD brain loopy to just write "Put scene here." Then I come back and rewrite the filler scene. 

I've found QuickWrite to be a useful tool. Monthly access is $49.99. Lifetime access is $497. You can check it out here.

https://bit.ly/ChooseQuick

http://wewriwa.blogspot.com

Remembering: An Elegy For My Father

 

Christmas tree by Tessa Rampersad on Unsplash

Remembering the day when your turn came

I knew that things would never be the same.

You went over the top on holidays

Our home was filled with the spirit of praise.

I always remember those Christmas scenes

I catch glimpses of childhood in my dreams.

It's now been thirteen years that you've been gone

The grief is not as sharp but still as strong.

notes

https://dversepoets.com/2023/11/02/mtb-lets-lament-without-the-lachrymose/

Topic:

someone close to you

someone vaguely known e.g a neighbour

someone totally unknown except through deeds or writings eg a dead poet perhaps like the recently deceased Louise Gluck

a group of people (eg as in Gray’s “Elegy written in a country churchyard”)

Form: Must include these three elements, ordered thus:

lament –expressing grief and sorrow

praise – admiration of the deceased

consolation and solace

It can be written as 3 distinct sections/stanzas or melded together but keeping the order above

Style: The elegy can be written in any metre the poet chooses.

Those of you who prefer more stricture and guidance might like to try the Elegiac metre:

rhyming coupleted lines (AA;BB;CC etc though not separated into couplets)

written in dactylic hexameter and pentameter

The last two lines aren't in strict keeping with the form, but I wanted them there.

https://girlieontheedge1.wordpress.com/2023/11/01/its-thursdays-six-sentence-story-link-up-62/

The prompt word is turn. Since I can't play by the rules and my poem has eight lines instead of six, I won't be linking up this time.

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/2023-november-pad-chapbook-challenge-day-4

Write a catching poem. 

You will find the word catch in the above poem.

Something has been vaguely steaming my ham for quite some time. It isn't a big deal, it's just one of those things that mildly perturbs me, so I'm going to get it out in the open. It has to do with my occasional use of multiple prompts.

A few years back, I used a lot more prompts in creating my work than I currently do. I believe this was partly because of ADHD and partly because of a lack of confidence in my abilities. Whatever the case, the prompts helped inspire me, as they still do.

One fellow, and I'm not going to name names, wrote an entire post about not understanding people who see the need to use multiple prompts.

These days if I use more than one prompt it's because the first prompt may spark an idea but I need more to help the idea manifest. So, I roll down my list of prompt sources until I find what I need to work my magic.

I'm explaining shit anyway because I'm sick of this foolishness nibbling at me.

My dude, what difference does it make how many prompts another poet does or doesn't use in the creation of his or her work? I'm not coming to your house, holding a gun to your head, and commanding you to use more prompts or else. I fail to see why someone else's process differing from yours would be cause for writing an entire dissertation on the subject. 

Anyway, I thought of this because I used three prompts in creating this poem, and I don't apologize for it. If anyone just can't understand why I would do such a thing or thinks the use of multiple prompts is akin to setting my neighbor's house on fire or strolling down the street naked with a strip of toilet paper clenched between my butt cheeks, perhaps consider that maybe this is a you problem. 

I have real problems to occupy me. I couldn't give a gnat's fart in a category five hurricane how many prompts someone who isn't me uses to accomplish their writing. 

Here's a tune that never goes out of style.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZH2bmbUTl4

Pretty Little Girly Things

 

Image by Jo Justino from Pixabay

the pretty little girly things

dressed like fairies with shiny wings

fear one thing above all others;

turning into their grandmothers.

a thing of beauty is a joy

admired by all the handsome boys.

boys don't ever want their lovers

turning into their grandmothers.

a pretty girl and desired so

she's adored everywhere she goes.

girls avoid if they've their druthers

turning into their grandmothers.

the pretty little girly things

turning into their grandmothers.

notes

https://experiencewriting.com/2023/10/29/oct-29-prompts-halloween-party/

Imagine you are at a Halloween party in the future. What are you afraid of before you go? Imagine it’s the best Halloween party you could ever go to and nothing goes wrong, everything is the best Halloween party fun you can imagine. Write a poem describing the experience with all of your senses.

I wasn't really feeling those overly optimistic instructions, so you got the gloomy, gritty goods instead.

http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/kyriellesonnet.html

A Kyrielle Sonnet consists of 14 lines (three rhyming quatrain stanzas and a non-rhyming couplet). Just like the traditional Kyrielle poem, the Kyrielle Sonnet also has a repeating line or phrase as a refrain (usually appearing as the last line of each stanza). Each line within the Kyrielle Sonnet consists of only eight syllables. French poetry forms have a tendency to link back to the beginning of the poem, so common practice is to use the first and last line of the first quatrain as the ending couplet. This would also re-enforce the refrain within the poem. Therefore, a good rhyming scheme for a Kyrielle Sonnet would be:

AabB, ccbB, ddbB, AB -or- AbaB, cbcB, dbdB, AB.

~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~

Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay 

It's all right being an old owl

Sometimes you even find a pal.

Obsession

 

Image by Jordan Holiday from Pixabay

he believed himself a savior

in his quest he did not waver

obsession

notes

https://experiencewriting.com/2023/10/28/oct-28-prompts-what-makes-a-villain/

For this poem, try to get into the heads of those you see as pure evil. How do they justify their actions? How do they see them as good? Either write your poem as a villain(s) praising all the good they do, OR as someone trying to see the good in everyone talking about a villain.

I didn't do either of these things. I selected a "just the facts" approach. The poetic form is compound word verse.

http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/compound.html

I added text art and effects to the base image using Pixlr. You are welcome to share my creation, but please credit Cara Hartley/Ornery Owl if you do. A link back to this blog would also be appreciated.

~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~

Inside Out

 

outside is a tree in which the birds hide

hide from cats and other such things outside

inside is a room where I can hide

hide from the outside world here inside

room like a womb and sometimes a tomb

tomb for lost dreams in my head and my room

notes

I don't have my tree up and it isn't snowing right now. The image is from December 2020. It's kind of blurry so I don't know why you'd want to use it, but if you do, please credit Cara Hartley/Ornery Owl.

Here's today's prompt:

https://experiencewriting.com/2023/10/25/oct-25-prompts-superstitions/

Describe what you see out the window. Now, go outside and describe what you see looking in through that window. Write a poem about the similarities and differences. 

The Mirror Sestet might work well with this prompt.

http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/mirrorsestet.html

The Mirror Sestet, created by Shelley A. Cephas, is a poem that can be written in one or more stanzas of 6 lines each. The specific guidelines for this form are as follows:

The first word of line 1 rhymes with the last word of line 1.

The first word of line 2 is the last word of line 1

and the last word of line 2 is the 1st word of line 1.

The first word of line 3 rhymes with the last word of line 3.

The first word of line 4 is the last word of line 3

and the last word of line 4 is the 1st word of line 3.

The first word of line 5 rhymes with the last word of line 5.

The first word of line 6 is the last word of line 5

and the last word of line 6 is the 1st word of line 5.

The Mirror Sestet can also be written in non-rhyme.

All rules must be followed except there is no 1st and last word rhyming.

I feel like I'm fighting off a cold. I'm betting my blood sugar will be a bit high when I do my morning fasting glucose reading. Nothing alarming, probably somewhere in the high 130s to 150s. It usually runs a little high when I'm fighting an infection. Also, I had snot dripping in my CPAP mask. Very lovely.

~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~

Image by koniciva2011 from Pixabay

Ornery Owl wishes she were better at sleeping.

Here's some soothing Halloween music. Don't say I never gave you nothing.

https://odysee.com/@Radioman:a/yt5s.com-Relaxing-Halloween-Music---Pumpkin-Jack-O%27-Lanterns-%F0%9F%8E%83-Dark%2C-Spooky-Sounds%2C-Halloween-Ambience:b?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16

The Demiurge Laughs

 

By Dominique Signoret (signodom.club.fr) - Dominique Signoret (signodom.club.fr), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1003233

What if I'm just the butt of a cosmic joke?

What if God is the cruelest bully of all,

Having a laugh as my dreams go up in smoke,

Loving to see me feeling two foot small?

Which is worse when everything is said and done;

A spiteful creator or oblivion?

A universe that's mean and arbitrary

Constructed by a deity uncaring.

notes

Here's the prompt for today's poem. I loosely interpreted the instructions. 

https://experiencewriting.com/2023/10/13/oct-13-prompts-stirring-the-ashes/

The form is a Rispetto.

http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/rispetto.html

The rhyme scheme for a Rispetto is abab ccdd. It's supposed to be written in iambic tetrameter, but I have no idea how well I did with that. Most lines in the examples I saw were eleven syllables, so I think of it as Elevensies, and that gets the job done.

Now for a little ornery philosophy. Or Cthulhu Mythos geekery. Or Lovecraftian fangirling. Whatever.

Azathoth really isn't a good example of a demiurge. He's primordial chaos. Nyarlathotep is closer to a demiurge, but  this poem isn't about him because he's not, in fact, a cosmic bully. He only messes with people who are asking for it, like megalomaniac wizards or power-hungry politicians.

I wrote a poem about Nyarlathotep that I'm pretty proud of. I really dig the image I included with it too.

https://poetryofthenetherworld.blogspot.com/2021/03/sympathy-for-nyarlathotep.html

I still have more to do today, so I think I'll leave it at that. If you'd like to go further down the Demiurge's rabbit hole, here's your entrance.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demiurge

~Ornery Owl Has Philosophized, Geeked Out, and Fangirled~

Image by Vogue0987 from Pixabay

"Do not ask me to choose between Tales From the Dreamlands One and Two, Owl! I will not have one without the other! Then again, The Quest for Captain Sammy's Treasure is a treasure unto itself! Of course, the short and sweet tale of Nyarlathotep's star-crossed love with Queen Nathicana always brings a briny tear to my eye. 'Tis an impossible choice!"

Free use image from Pixabay

"You've still got tentacles to spare, Squid Mage. Why not take 'em all?"

Shameless Self-Promotion:

If you like weird Lovecraftian fantasy with a touch of comedy and that certain je ne sais quoi, be sure to check out all the stories in the Tales From the Dreamlands series. All except The Quest for Captain Sammy's Treasure are free with Kindle Unlimited.

Nyarlathotep's Journey

https://bit.ly/NyJourneyAZ

This 3000-word story reveals the origins of the ancient cosmic sorceress Yadira Root, daughter of the Outer God Nyarlathotep, and Queen Nathicana of the doomed world of Zaïs. It provides a unique interpretation of Nyarlathotep, the most nuanced and intelligent of H.P. Lovecraft's Outer Gods.

Ketil and Yitzy's Adventure in the Xura Dream House

https://amzn.to/2ZHmryK

In this fix-up novella, the fate of the Cosmos rests in the hands of an unlikely team of unusual friends. Will an exiled member of an ancient extraterrestrial race, a human ghost, and two ghouls be able to outfox an ancient evil and beat Nyarlathotep at his game before time runs out? This buddy story is the first in a series of New Cthulhu Mythos cliffhangers.

The Quest For the Wizard's Key

https://amzn.to/3ZtZ09w

352 pages

The Wizard's Key is the second book in a series of New Cthulhu Mythos tales. This fix-up novel features a fascinating cast of outcasts on a quest to save the Cosmos from destruction by malevolent forces. Join them on their madcap journey.

This fix-up novel follows the events that transpired in Ketil and Yitzy’s Adventure in the Xura Dream House. The book can be read as a standalone, but for a better understanding of the characters and events, it is suggested that Ketil and Yitzy’s Adventure in the Xura Dream House should be read first. It is a fun, fast-paced buddy story with plenty of creepy, crazy twists and turns.

Once you have read Ketil and Yitzy’s Adventure, you will be In the Know so you can be In with the In Crowd! Then you can join us at the Kewl Eldritch Horrors table.

The Quest for Captain Sammy's Treasure

http://books2read.com/PirateGold

This Lovecraftian fantasy adventure is one of the tales featured in the Pirate Gold anthology from Dragon Soul Press.

Five centuries ago, Captain Sammy buried his treasure in an unlikely location before letting the sun burn his body to ash to avoid becoming a vampire. Now the spectral pirate is back in the Jungle of Kled to reclaim his treasure, accompanied by two unusual friends. 

Rilpu is a young sorceress born as a serpent but transformed into a humanoid female by a spell. The wizard Zkauba hails from the doomed world of Yaddith. They are soon joined by an impressive companion: Yadira, the daughter of Nyarlathotep. However, it is possible that even Nyarlathotep's daughter may not be able to defeat the abomination standing in the blighted clearing upon the pedestal where Captain Sammy's treasure is hidden. 

Do the ghostly pirate captain and his friends have a chance of reclaiming the treasure and continuing their mission to save the Cosmos from destruction or are they destined to fail?

🌠🌠🌠

If you've read this far, thank you! Remember, the best way to support independent and small press authors (including the delinquents at Naughty Netherworld Press) is to talk about independent and small press authors. Don't keep us a secret--spread the word!

Ten Years Ago

 

Image by Hans from Pixabay

the rain didn't stop all afternoon,

with wild wind blowing I drove in the gloom.

I knew too late I should have turned 'round,

traffic was pushing me out of town;

the winds felt as strong as a typhoon.

outside the car the wild gusts did hoon

the situation inopportune;

against the car waves started to pound.

the rain didn't stop...

with flooding as bad as a monsoon,

I wished my car could be a pontoon.

waves threatened to sweep me from the ground,

as the rain kept pounding all around;

I felt trapped inside a death cocoon.

the rain didn't stop...

aabba aabR aabbaR

Lines 9 and 15 are short - a refrain (R) consisting of a phrase taken from line one. The other lines are longer (but all of the same metrical length).

notes

Here's the prompt that inspired the poem. 

https://experiencewriting.com/2023/10/05/oct-5-prompts-every-word-a-treat/

This is something I actually experienced and have written about several times. I don't know that I've ever really dealt with it. I tend to deal with things by putting them to the back of my mind and hoping they fuck off. 

Yes, I backdated the poem. I don't think it's very good. I was going to do a Haibun, but then I thought I'd give the Rondeau a bash. I probably shouldn't have.

I'm somewhat emotionally dysregulated right now and don't feel like doing anything else with this mess. You get what you get.

~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~

Image by Alexa from Pixabay

Ornery Owl wishes this tree had some candy, but it just has pumpkins, bats, and other owls.

November PAD Challenge 2022: Day 29: A Quintet of Couplets

 

Image by SarahCulture from Pixabay

I

I feel just like a banyan buried in the snow

What the hell a banyan is I can't say I truly know

II

What kind of nightmarish choices will we have in the next election?

Someone with more brains than a turnip would be a good selection.

III

I wonder if I jinxed myself at some point in the past

So many wishes I wished on stars never came to pass.

IV

I wonder where my soul will go on the day my ashes scatter

Will I be off on a new adventure, or will it just not matter?

V

The letter in the envelope challenged me to choose between truth and dare

I put it aside for later, procrastinating without a care.

~Ornery Owl Has Coupled (or Coupleted)~

Image by Chiplanay on Pixabay

https://pixabay.com/illustrations/owl-bird-animal-hand-writing-5070039/

notes and prompts used

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/2022-november-pad-chapbook-challenge-day-29

Prompt: 

Write a truth poem and/or write a dare poem.

You may have noticed the absence of a Day 28 poem. You are correct. The prompt for Day 28 was to write a remix poem. I save my remix poem for December 1.

https://imprompt.wordpress.com/2022/11/28/day-28/

The prompt asks participants to take the following list of words and turn them into titles.

BANYAN

TURNIP

JINX

SCATTER

ENVELOPE

Yeah--I deviated from the prompt.

"Titles?" scoffed I. "Pish! I shall use these words in my couplets!"

https://imprompt.wordpress.com/2022/11/29/day-29/

Write some couplets.

Today's Playlist

https://odysee.com/@GamingAmbience:6/the-ascent-the-warrens-blossom-hill-%281:5?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16

C'mon, ya scrooges, let's get in the spirit of the season!

https://odysee.com/@Radioman:a/Y2Mate.is---Christmas-Music-From-Another-Room---Relaxing-Christmas-Ambience-with-Muffled-Christmas-Music-QeDzM6HKr5k-240p-1654936036014:b?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16

Yesterday was the 12th anniversary of my father's passing. He was always a big fan of celebrating the holidays. I hope there's music like this and plenty of cheer where he is now. 

November PAD Challenge 2022: Day 27: Artful Resolution

 

Henri Rousseau Self Portrait from L’ile Saint Louis

The artist Henri Rousseau

Painted himself bigger than life, you know

He stood at the center

Of the portrait he rendered

Where he was the best thing on show

I resolve to be like Henri

To make my life more about me

The way that I see it

I shouldn't dream it, but be it

Imagination will set me free

~Arty Owl Has Spoken~

Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

notes and prompts used

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/2022-november-pad-chapbook-challenge-day-27

Prompt: For today's prompt, write a resolution poem.

https://imprompt.wordpress.com/2022/11/27/day-27/

Prompt: The self-portrait by Henri Rousseau

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Rousseau

Henri Julien Félix Rousseau; (21 May 1844 – 2 September 1910) was a French post-impressionist painter in the Naïve or Primitive manner. He was also known as Le Douanier (the customs officer), a humorous description of his occupation as a toll and tax collector. Ridiculed during his lifetime by critics, he came to be recognized as a self-taught genius whose works are of high artistic quality.

His self-portrait, painted in 1890, is on display in the National Gallery in Prague.

Today's Playlist

https://odysee.com/@GamingAmbience:6/the-ascent-highstreet-cosmodrome-%281-hour:c?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16&lid=1efd39d91f3ef0894d6f6ec7aa4c51f99279535c

November PAD Challenge 2022: Day 17: A Song Unsung

 

Image by John Hain from Pixabay

she took a risk when she said

she liked the music that played in her head

she heard it on the radio

it felt like it was written with her in mind

in a world where she was often treated unkind

it brought her joy she thought she'd never know

though you didn't like it, you could have asked

why the music pleased the lass

instead you told her she was wrong

the music embraced her

in a world that erased her

she wished to be part of the song

many years have gone by

many tears have been cried

she remembers the sting of the words

you haven't the talent to make it

you're too ugly to fake it

your song will never be heard

the music couldn't set her free

what she dreamed can never be

she puts her words in the world anyway

is she too stupid to realize

she's nothing in anyone's eyes

nonetheless, she has something to say

~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~

Image by chiplanay from Pixabay

notes and prompts used

Ornery Owl sez: You don't have to be good-looking or popular to deserve to have your voice heard. Speak your mind! Write your stories! Rhyme your rhymes, scheme your schemes, and dream your dreams. Everyone's truth is different. Your story doesn't have to look like my story. Your song doesn't have to sound like anyone's but your own, and you don't need to look like anyone but you.

There's too much focus on looking a certain way. There's a quote that says something like "music was better when ugly people were allowed to make it." 

There aren't too many people I think are ugly. For me, ugly is behavior-based rather than a person not conforming to an arbitrary set of standards for beauty. The jist of the quote is this. Music is better when the people making it are focused on the music rather than on trying to make themselves look pretty in a certain way. 

I'll always prefer the musicianship and word-craft of Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Patti Smith, or Tracy Chapman to the spectacle surrounding a teen idol du jour. 

It's not that I don't like pop music. To para-quote Nicko McBrain of Iron Maiden, when it comes to music, I'm a right old slag, me. I like all kinds. What I dislike is the star-maker machine, which really does not benefit the stars being made either. These young people end up being subjected to all manner of abuse from money-hungry management to predatory producers and the like. I've written about this subject many times.

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/2022-november-pad-chapbook-challenge-day-17

Prompt: Write a risk poem

https://imprompt.wordpress.com/2022/11/12/day-12/

Prompt: Imagine music

https://imprompt.wordpress.com/2022/11/17/day-17/

Prompt: She said

 

I often enjoy video game soundtracks while writing.

 

Here's the link in case you can't see the player.

https://odysee.com/@GamingAmbience:6/deus-ex-mankind-divided-%C4%8Dist%C3%A1-3:e?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16

One never seems to cut the mustard. Let's have another one.

As always, here's the link in case you can't see the player.

https://odysee.com/@GamingAmbience:6/deus-ex-mankind-divided-%C4%8Dist%C3%A1-2:0?r=GTwnGJ4fFBQfzuJgpHVpfKBKaC9b8B16