CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

This week’s verse moves from a a science fiction piece of blank verse about someone in the vanguard of a world-wide evacuation to a verse that plays with repetition and rhyme spoken by a person listening to a waterfall. It is taken from 366 Days of Poetry , a collection of mixed-genre poetry released in 2016. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------   Calls the Waterfall I stood upon a mountain tall and watched the way the water called. I watched the way the water called; I listened to the waterfall. The water fell, so clear and bright, reflecting gem drops in dawn light. Reflecting gem drops in dawn light, the water called, the water bright. Bright it danced upon the dawn, as dawn’s bright colours lit its fall. As dawn’s bright colours lit its fall, I listened to the water call. I listened to the water call, in the brightness of the dawn. Bright sun colours lit its fall, as I stood upon the mou...

This week’s verse moves from a fantasy villanelle about unicorns toan urban fantasy verse in an unknown form about trolls. It is taken from 366 Days of Poetry , a collection of mixed-genre poetry released in 2016. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Do You Know the Troll Wind? Did you know the troll wind blows cold and hard and dry. From deep beneath the ground it grows, swollen with tortured cries. I know the troll wind blows from the otherworld. It’s a blight. When you feel it, turn your collar, lest your heart grow chill with fright. Did you know that when the troll wind blows you must beware, be aware, for close by has a bridge gate opened to let the trolls wander our world fair. I know, and I pray, that when the troll wind blows, it brushes by me on the brightest days and that, by nightfall, the gate is closed. --------------------------------------------------------------...

This is the third new feature for this blog—or semi-new, if you’d prefer, given I’ve touched on it, before. This year, every Wednesday, I’ll be taking a poem from one of my three poetry collections—including the one to be released later in the year—and putting it on my blog as a free read. This week’s verse is from Another 365 Days of Poetry , a collection of mixed-genre poetry to be released later in the year, once both collection and cover are complete. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Waking Dead   I heard them screaming Screaming? Screaming. Screaming fit to wake the dead. The dead? The sleeping dead. The sleeping dead who waken Waken? And from their sleeping rise. The dead that rise to walk the earth. The Earth? The ground beneath our feet. Beneath our feet, as the whole world turns, the earth that lets them sleep until the dead do seek to rise, and with the living, compa...

Welcome to a new segment for this year. I'll publish a single poem each week, on a Wednesday. Today's verse was written 'into the dark', and started with the first line, and the genre - and echo verse variant. You can find out about echo verses at: https://www.youngwriters.co.uk/types-echo-verse . For those wondering where I find the inspiration, sometimes I don't feel inspired when I write and I use the challenge of writing a particular style of verse to get me started. Here is today's poem: Death from on High What is it that roars on high? Why? I need to know what that shadow casts. To know, though, is to breathe your last. What is that heat that scorches rooves? Tis fire that flies and sears and moves. What is that curious whistling sound? The sound of swift death too soon found. What is that chill that creeps through bone? Tis fear, for we are not alone. What is that sudden urge to run? Don’t bother, for the ...