I will admit that, while writing this poem, I got really confused about what it was actually about. It started human and ended up abstract, although it was meant to remain human, and now it feels oddly macabre – at least, to me. I honestly have no idea how you’ll read this and what you’ll take from it, but it left me with a feeling that was a little like an echo, whatever that means. I hope you enjoy it, anyway!
Battle
I am currently, as I write this, engaged in a terrifying battle of wills with a rather bold spider who has decided that my bedroom curtains are now his home. This is not a true fact – the bedroom curtains belong very firmly to this house where I live, and where the spider does not live, but he is continuing with his antics regardless. So, what is a writer to do but write a poem about this experience and hope that the spider sees it and becomes so ashamed with his brazen behaviour that he promptly moves out. Well… here’s hoping, anyway.
Consider Magic
I guess I’m in a bit of a whimsical mood today, because this piece is more of a contemplative one. We’ll be glancing at the concepts of magic and energy within the world and perceptions of reality and nature – a bit deep, I know, but the inspiration for this poem must have come from somewhere so I might as well entertain it. Without further ado, please enjoy the poem!
Heatwave
It’s scorching outside, so I thought I’d write a flash fiction piece about summer and childhood memories and all those lovely topics that bundle together so well, mixed with a little adult pessimissm. Oh, I’m eighteen now – this is my first blog post that has been written while I’m an adult! Very exciting. But anyway, please enjoy this short flash fiction piece!
Walking Home
This week’s piece, as you may have guessed, was inspired by my walk home today. It’s funny how you can be taken from inspirational happiness to existential sadness by a single walk, but that’s the way the world is. I tried to combine nature with the impact of the manmade world, but I think the nature always shines through a little more in my poetry. In any case, here’s Walking Home!
On Printers And Blue Paper
This week’s piece is a poem inspired by my English Literature teacher at college, Chris, who was rather upset when he discovered that someone left blue paper in the printer. This caused a relatively small stir in the classroom, since he had to print out worksheets twice, but, in the moment, he suggested that the poets we study would turn this moment into a poem. Taking the opportunity, I grabbed a notebook and jotted down a poem. Upon reading it, he was surprised and said that it accurately portrayed his feelings in the moment, so I thought I’d share it with you today!
Engagement
Just to start us off on the right foot, let’s get something straight: I haven’t got engaged. To be honest, I don’t know where the inspiration for this poem came from and, since writing it, I have no idea where it went. I guess inspiration is just like that. I can’t watch a movie or documentary without having a writing idea pop into my head–or even just sit through a lesson, some days, without thinking up an entire novel. Inspiration is strange. But I hope you enjoy this poem!
Comfort Within Walls
To be honest, I could’ve titled this poem ‘Comfort In Bed’ or ‘Comfort Within The Sheets’ or some other sleep-related phrase, but I decided to look a little further than that. The poem isn’t just about sleep. It’s not even just about the comfort of a bed and the security that blankets and sheets bring. Instead, it is a poem about how the inside world is safe and the outside world is scary and threatening, even if it is in a small way. I think my studies of Tennessee William’s ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ made this idea clear to me, as we always seem to find some sense of safety when we are within walls and separated from the outside danger, whether that is other people, animals, insects, storms, or something else entirely. In any case, please enjoy this poem!
Her Wordless Love Song
This week’s blog post is a poem that recently won Star Gazette Magazine’s Summer Melodies competition in the poetry category, which was really exciting! I was so happy to have my work picked as the winning piece and to be involved with an interesting and inspiring prompt. This poem was largely inspired by the theme of the competition and the idea of nature and love melding together in one beautiful piece. I hope you enjoy it!
History
Today, I’ve got a thoughtful flash fiction piece ready for you. It covers the way that history is taught within education and how that often separates the past from the present, as historical figures become names and dates instead of people. It’s an unreal sort of feeling that is difficult to describe and there’s no one person to lay the blame onto, as I am also unsure of how it could be fixed. In short, much of history as it was taught to me through primary and high school felt strangely distant, as if I was being told about a fictional novel rather than the truth, despite logically knowing that it was truth. In any case, I hope you enjoy this piece!
Oskar Leonard 