Jump to content
The Pen is Mightier than the Sword

Recommended Posts

Posted

This thread is for the only purpose of reposting a few of my old works that were once at the Pen. It should be actually at the Vault, but since that's a read-only forum, I'm placing this at the 'live' Banquet.

 

If you feel like commenting, you're welcome to - however, please be aware that these are technically Archived works, and I don't have any intention of revisiting them other than posting here.

 

Thank you! :)

/Tanny

 

~

 

Quill Quest (part one: A-L)

Quill Quest (part two: M-Z)

Postings: 2004

Postings: 2005

Postings: 2006

Postings: 2007

Carnival activies

Posted

QUILL QUEST - Poetic Portrais (part I)

Mostly were originally posted in the second half of 2004.

These were also gradually added to even after my QQ, but I don't have the individual dates of posting anymore.

I have archived several version of these Portrais. These versions posted here should be the ones I chose to go 'live' at that time; if any of the recipients of these has another version, please do PM me so that I can correct or add the one originally posted!

 

Thanks

/Tanny

 

~

The Portraits are in alphabetical order, and continue in the next post.

~

 

 

Ayshela

Wood-elven maid, fair and fast

Wary of strangers though always gentle

Skilled fighter and magic user

Guardian by nature and heart's choice

Walks in shadows, ready to act

Kindness hiding a fierce protector

Loving heart lending support

Caring deeply for treasured friends.

 

 

Azuran

Subtle touch

serene look

wisdom hidden

by tender age -

an open heart,

a dear friend,

driven by the search

of comfort in knowledge.

 

 

Cryptomancer

A raven circles and lands softly

Pecking at a Coke with gleeful caws

Charming Mage who goes disguised

Using words as source of power

Silver wand scribbling symbols

Revealing to eyes the Raven's thoughts

Easy-going, tolerant man

Skilled in combat when words fail.

 

 

The Dreamer

Strands of grey hair whip in the wind

Escaping from the crown, a black iron band

Eyes ever-changing, liquid in color

Flicker with wisdom, power, madness.

Past long forgotten in deep slumber

Godslayer who chose to embrace Chaos

Wielding Pain, ghostly spirit in blade form

Walks the planes, Scourge of the Void

Tall and thin, scarred by many wars

The mortals he leaves to their narrow worlds.

 

 

Finnius

A little blue man

Napping under an oak tree

Dreams with ages past...

 

Saint of Terra Lost

Protecting friends as he can,

Mage of unknown skills.

 

Blue from old school crush,

Borrows names from time to time

Loving a good prank.

 

Awakened, he smiles:

Good-hearted and full of mirth,

Curious and friendly.

 

 

Gryphon

Ascendant lord, weaving Air

channeling magic into patterns of power

artisan and mage, friend and foe

balancing skill and fierce strength.

Leader and follower of challenging paths

faithful mate of a feline beauty

smiles and works, weaves and casts

wielding with care leylines in the air

- noble heart driving actions,

gentle soul protecting and caring.

 

 

 

Gwaihir...

Unwary visitors find surprised

A beautiful garden behind the Pen

Shyly screened by protecting trees

Every seed finds a chance

Even weeds will find their spot.

 

Keener to plants than life outside

Gwaihir the gardener, soft-hearted elf,

Talks to plants to know their mind

Absent-mindedly kneeling in the dirt

Letting green magic flow with skill.

... and the Wiggly Cabbages

Wiggly Cabbages help and guard

Sending thoughts to find new friends

Always talking and relaying news

Iridescent beauty found by chance

Enemies they move or shock away.

 

 

 

Gyrfalcon No'Dessun and Daryl Carnsilion

Roaming the forests looking for danger

Fiercely defending his friends and the Pen

Cheerful Ranger but deadly enemy

In past ages a powerful Archmage

Redemptio, his blade, a sign of redeeming

Immortal half-elven enjoying mortal lands.

 

A moment of peace and deserved rest

The Coutyard invites a relaxing mood

A Ranger thinks, writes and smiles,

Draped on his stomach a werefox dreams.

Gentle sun reflecting on pen

Playing on fur of sleeping fox

Golden eyes in cunning face

Quick of hand and light of heart

Changing in shape but not in mind

Loyal friend to faithful Ranger.

 

 

Katzaniel

A tiger in hiding, studying her grounds

Prowling about in forests unknown

Adventurous spirit split in two souls

Man and feline in hybrid form.

Sharp and arrogant, meek and intelligent

The tiger leads, the man speaks

Spear in hand, speed in paws

A cat sometimes, Katzaniel observes

The tigertaur smiles, waits and works.

 

(A promise was made to the Pen long ago

Not to eat who applies and a friend becomes

Fear not her hunger unless otherwise

And even in this case love can be found.)

 

 

Leif the Bunny

Blurred grey with glints of steel

meets the eye in a practicing ground:

a bunny and an ogre feint and parry,

grunting and laughing in their friendship.

Chivalric code engraved on his heart,

steadfast friend under his bunny guise,

to help his village and protect his own

adventures he'll meet with courage and skill.

Once a protector of a mighty king,

He also offers warmth and brew:

come to the Ogre's Breath

and enjoy the beer, wine and stew.

 

 

Lord Panther

Under the hooded cloak

concealed in frayed robes

sparks the flame

of skill never lost.

Warrior of many wars,

loyal and fierce

Fire is his element,

honour, his code -

a mage from old times,

diplomat in many lands,

prowler of Terra lost.

Posted

QUILL QUEST - Poetic Portrais (part II)

 

~continuing~

 

 

Merelas

Fiery temper, liquid rage

Elven eyes hot in anger

Brillemire flares and enemies burst

Protecting his friends in burning faith.

Turning to nature, healing as gift

More power he has than meets the eye

Merelas en'Bella, half-elven, fire-elven

Fire that warms, protects, consumes.

 

 

Mynx

A robed figure bearing a scythe

Lurks in shadows, quietly listening

Wandering about with curious eyes

Flashes her paws with feline grace

Adeptly conjuring whatever she needs

Shaping energy but never the mind

Skilled with blades, defends her friends

(However beware when temper flares!)

 

 

Ozymandias

Blue hooded robe covers his armor

Akhenaton at his side in times of need

Arrogant king expelled by two gods

One for his faith, other for necromancy

In Terra he wandered and found new purpose

Reaching new land to love and protect

Powerful master, Phantasm Archmage

Quick to anger to defend his friends

Lover of irony, vodka, and coffee

The Steward of the Castle smiles and writes.

 

 

Elrond Peredhil

Half-Elven of ageless face

Warrior and Counsellor in a mythical past

Left the Undying Lands searching for his peace

Wandered through worlds until finding the Pen.

Compassionate guide, wise advisor

Offers his understanding, smiles, and hugs

Healing when it's needed, sharing his love

Politedly guiding and helping to grow.

 

 

Salinye Celestialgrace

Weary traveller arriving anew

A homely Hostel he sees from afar

Grace comes from the lady awaiting

Celestial in name, high-elven in shape.

 

Haunted in heart by shadows past

Powerful wizardess in her own right

Born to love and live in mirth

Ever playful, a caring friend.

 

(There's a story unraveling now

How she faces a dread Necromancer

The Keep rushes to help their friend

Will she win? - Go and read!)

 

 

 

Stephen Hascodem

Veiled in darkness,

bathed in light,

prowess coming

from sharpened skills...

 

A staff swings

- enemies fall

Arrows fly

- to never miss.

A fine humor,

a steady friend,

the ranger rests

(smokes and puffs)

feeling from earth

what he can't see.

Posted

~2004~

 

Seasons (Feb 13 2004)

 

Autumn comes

brings change

colors fade

feelings strong.

 

Chill winds

around me

cold skies

Winter comes.

 

Sweet breeze

dripping sounds

Spring comes

love grows.

 

Sunny blue

children play

slow river

Summer comes.

 

 

 

Irony (Apr 22 2004)

 

War.

Enemies.

But who do we fight

If not ourselves

Our fears and our despair

Looking at faces

That could be our own?

What do we defend

If not our friends

That could be them

If just better known?

For peace we fight

For peace we kill

For peace we bury.

 

The irony of war.

 

 

 

Me, beloved orange? [Citrus Sympathizer contest] (May 19 2004)

 

This came up for the Citrus Sympathizer contest , which in turn came from the Citrus Crooner one . As I kept to verse, I opted for posting it here at Banquet. Hope you have some fun reading it.

 

The lines in italics are from Katzaniel's original poem (Citrus Crooner).

 

-----

 

O shining sphere of radiant orangeness!

 

"Huh? Who's that?"

I blink my sleepy eyes

(Unseen eyes of course)

And seem to discern

The shape of a human

And odd, adoring eyes.

 

O smooth hard surface, so round and right!

 

"Hehe... Hey, that tickles!"

A finger touches my skin

So softly that I giggle

(Unheard giggle that it is)

It follows my round body

And suddenly I'm held

Cupped in a loving hand.

 

O crisp tangy aroma to erase all sorrows!

 

"Don't sniff so loud, you'll make me deaf!"

Sniffing around my skin

So loud my ears hurt

(Don't try to find them, they're my secret)

Now upside down I am

And dizzy I get

Can you please turn me up again?

 

O shining sphere of radiant perfection.

 

"Ah... this is better...and thanks for the extra height"

Held so high, I blink in delight

It's been some time I saw things from any height

(I wish I had wings to fly me back to my tree)

It doesn't seem much for you

Always many feet from the ground

But poor me! I almost forgot the beauty of heights.

 

The way you languish in the sun's rays,

Letting the warmth outline your shadow on the table.

 

"Yeah, a sunbath is so good..."

Feeling the warmth of the sun

I stretch and relax

(Can't you feel my skin thinning?)

You know, I've never noticed

How beautiful my shadow is

...As beautiful as myself?

 

The way you look at me so coolly,

Although you move not there is a subtle shake of head.

 

"Well, you do seem to be getting smarter..."

You seem to know how to make me happy

But I'm nodding and not shaking my head

(Well, actually you're holding me sideways...)

See, now I'm looking at you

Trying to be fair and decide

If you do deserve my smile and my thanks.

 

But you woo the others,

Lying incautiously amidst the apples in their skins.

 

"No, not back there... please!"

Low in the basket again...

You are pretty insensitive, I see!

(And I dared to hope a human would understand)

The apples are so naive

No roughness and no tang

Don't put me with them!

 

With your ever imprudent stare,

You seem to be stroking the grapes with your cheek.

 

"Who else would I stroke, tell me?"

It's nice to rub and feel

Those smooth skins against mine

(Sure you know that?)

These purple sisters are always nice

Smiling and whispering politely

They know how to show respect!

 

O why must you disdain me, shining sphere?

 

"You ask me, after what you've done?"

What a whiny creature

Not even aware of her ways

(With such a big head, there's room for more brains!)

First praising, and adoring

Giving the height, and the sun

... To throw me back into a basket?

 

O why am I like nothing to your whims?

O why can't you just acknowledge my tokens?

 

"You almost got my heart..."

I blink again, sighing

Wondering at the longing

(Why, oh why am I here, and alone?)

Looking again at the apples

And the sisterhood of grapes

Where is my kin, my mother-tree?

 

O why must my love shatter against the hard edge of your perfect indifference?

 

"You just don't understand."

And now I remember

Why I slept

(Should never have woken)

To dream of love

Of perfect life

And Citrus family.

 

 

 

 

Page (Jun 1 2004)

 

Looking at that big book

I get lost over the alphabet...

The mirror helps me

P-A-G-E... ah, that's it.

 

"...both sides of a sheet of paper..."

 

Books are lovely

Stories they tell

Worlds they show

Feelings they share

 

"... boy servant..."

 

To serve is important

To learn, and to teach

Humility as an example

Of the strength of a heart.

 

"... to call aloud for..."

 

The distracted, the lost

The waiting and others

Paging is what they need

To go along with life.

 

What's this?

P-A-G-E-A-N-T

I'm part of it...

 

"... splendid public show..."

 

Opportunity to laugh

To talk and have fun

Pageants give chance

To having new experience

 

The small set of letters

Smiles in delight

Closing the dictionary

Looking at the mirror

It puffs its chest

And looks very proud

For meaning so much

In just four letters

 

 

 

Test Day (Oct 8, 2004)

 

Heads bowed over creamy desks,

blank stares at the low ceiling,

nervous glances at restless friends:

what rushing thoughts come

on reading the ramblings of a devious mind?

 

Papers rustle in answer to sighs,

a glint of hope catches the eyes:

just the sun playing on pens

of tired students lost in the mysteries

of tests full of wondrous questions...

Posted

~2005~

 

 

Blown Away (Apr 24, 2005)

 

Words come and go

blown away by the wind

running down in the rain

fading out in the sun.

Nothing remains

but the scrabblings of a child

who in innocence believed once

that the quill created worlds.

Ink wasted on paper

that holds lies as much as truths

transforming dreams in useless babbling

deceiving hearts and living on dellusions.

 

 

Summer Class (May 8, 2005)

 

"Es, the first to be born,

responds to need, relates to pleasure..."

 

Pleasure...

 

The mind wanders, rolling the word,

while eyes seek the sun outside

through the window which bars life,

to teasing Summer just out of reach.

 

Responds to need...

 

The heart sighs, the eyes close

the need for rest, the breeze's caress,

coming first into a tired mind

rocked into sleep by droning words...

 

 

"... but the Ich is able to see the impulse

and balance it against reality..."

 

Reality...

 

Eyes that open, suddenly reminded

of painful reality that comes with tests.

Summer's grinning, but before it settles

there are weeks of torturing lessons.

 

Impulse...

 

Why would it be so bad

to accept the lure of the inviting smile,

the sunrays coming, carving the shadows,

pushing away the cheerless winter?

 

 

"Über-Ich, the moral part

the conscience that dictates right and wrong..."

 

Moral...

 

The word strikes hard

in a mind half gone,

jarring it back

into hard reality.

 

Right...

 

School needs to be attended,

lessons must be learned,

no sleeping and no lazing

when there's so much to be done.

 

... and wrong...

 

But why, o why

is it wrong to dream,

to long for rest, and respite,

when Summer's out there?

 

 

 

Random Words (Dec 20, 2005)

 

Puppy

 

Playing

running

chasing a tail

fluffy ball of restless energy

 

Yapping

jumping

suddenly yawning

curling up in innocent sleep

 

Looking

begging

puppy-eyes

"Be my friend, let's play?"

 

~~~~~~

 

Eyeball

 

Staring

unseeing

reddish tint

scaring the unwary

 

Lidless eyeball

grinning teeth

untainted white

Halloween skellie.

 

~~~~~~

 

P?

 

P for poke

P for ponder

P for pesky

P for pastry...

 

Such a mix

so many options

life's not easy

- an alphabet soup.

 

~~~~~~

 

Butterfly

 

Soft kisses

inebriated by scent

fluttering away

following the wind

 

Colors in the sun

flashing gently

wings carrying

a lonely butterfly.

 

~~~~~~

 

Cookies

 

Crunchy

chocolate-y

yummmmmmmy...

 

Crumbling pieces

of tempting delicacy

homemade cookies.

 

~~~~~~

 

Coterie

 

Stalking along

folowing the leader

finding the Haven

under the night

 

Brothers by blood

consumed in secrecy

Brothers by fate

embracing undeath.

 

~~~~~~

 

Hearth

 

Dancing happily

at crackling sounds

dressed in reds

oranges and yellows

Warmth spreading

as a lover's blanket

full of life

of fiery desires.

Posted

~2006~

 

 

Big White (Feb 17, 2006)

 

White, soft,

blanketed in wind,

cold and alluring

- dangerous temptation

draws the eyes

grips the heart:

rushing past

a fading world,

drunk exhilaration

on the edge of control

- steep slopes

where speed rules,

fear hiding

from the joy of living.

 

 

Amorphous (Apr 16, 2006)

 

Blurring the edges, translucent flow

filling, expanding - restraints gone

flickering and changing, fading away

black and white into amorphous gray.

 

Giggling softly in surreal suspension,

undefined wisps in silvery traces

scatter slowly into gentle light

merging again into amorphous shade.

 

 

Spheres (Aug 13, 2006)

 

sphere of darkness

sphere of madness

swirling black

pulsing red

uncontrolled feelings

feeding on fear

growing on nightmares

of feverish mind

 

tendrils of warmth

wisps of fire

reaching out

from grayed core

wrapping the orb

of glowing insanity

dispelling wraiths

of balance lost

 

sphere of darkness

involved in light

sphere of madness

drained by fever

spheres incomplete

fading away

sent back to timeless void

held outside

 

by burning light.

Posted

~2007~

 

 

Liquid Sunshine (Feb 12, 2007)

 

sheet of rain

veiling the land

cooling the air

soothing the heart

sunrays dance

shy and frail

twirling around

watery arrows

golden light

shining through

wispy clouds

and pearly curtain

sunshine bright

merging with rain

in my cupped hands

- liquid sunshine.

 

 

Ouroboros (Sep 8, 2007)

 

It goes full circle

from beginning to end

from black to white

from midnight to dawn

spring through winter

or fall through summer

a needle that threads

the fabric of illusions

circle of life

of death and undeath

breathing into the night

breathing out of the light

weaving the enchantment that binds

breaking the keystone that holds

back to infinite singularity

back to singular infinities.

Posted (edited)

Carnival Activities

 

Note: these are poems that were once posted as their own threads in the Banquet Room. Poetry that was posted within a 'master tread' at Carnivals can be found here.

 

-----------

 

Dreamless Night [This poem started as a repetition exercise, for the Summer Solstice Carnival]

(Jul 22 2004)

 

Cold.

When did it settle, blanketing life?

Where has it gone, the warmth of fire?

 

Cold.

Sheets of ice whiten the land

Encasing softness in crystal armor

The wind blows, constant and arid

Keeping the desert of cold existence.

 

Nothing touches the dreamless night

Settling around the wounded core

Cold protects and keeps at bay

The battering rams of an invisible world.

 

Cold is what exists

Cold is what protects

Cold is what breathes within

Cold is the fate that waits beyond.

 

Does the fire still exist,

That burns away the winter veil

Thaws the ice and bans the cold?

 

 

 

Lizard-y (Jul 14, 2005) [An activity for the Summer '05 Carnival]

 

The little Teddy

- a bear so nice -

looked around in puzzled confusion.

It looked like an island

- a blue sea all around,

a yellow sun up in the sky,

and a friendly lizard waving at him.

 

So nice in his yellow shirt,

so smily in his curiosity,

so lost in this small island,

the little Teddy Bear blinked,

hearing the strong accent

- the hiss from his new friend.

 

"Little friend, I'm sorry"

said Teddy to the lizard,

"But understand you I cannot..."

 

And the lizard jumped and hissed

squirmed and danced

pointing its tail at Teddy's shirt

- brightly mirroring the yellow sun

and the yellow of the lizard's skin.

 

"Sorry still I am, little friend..."

sighed Teddy, squinting at the yellow reflex

of the sun on the sea

"Your accent is strong, understand I cannot..."

 

And the lizard danced, and hissed,

from between its teeth

"yellow" came, a hissed word.

And Teddy smiled, and nodded

seeing the yellow of the sand

of the lizard

of the sun and his t-shirt.

 

And lost in the accent

so strong, so hissy,

so lizardy,

he sat down to talk

to understand why yellow

was so important for this fellow.

 

 

[Task: create a story with some elements:

  • A teddy bear somewhere in the piece.
  • The colour yellow figuring prominently.
  • A "main" character (loosely defined) with a strong accent.
  • Taking place on an island. ]
Edited by Tanuchan

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...