Cynthia A. Morgan's Blog, page 65

BnV???- A #Blog About #Words, #Shakespeare, #Poetry, #Positivity and so much More!

BnV???

So, here we are, post number two already and you’ve come back for more.  More, in spite of the askance glances you may have received or the incredulous responses to your description of your initial experience here to your friends or colleagues or strangers on undergrounds and, yes, perhaps, even against your better judgment.  Yet regardless of your reason(s)… Welcome back intrepid voyager!  And while I cannot offer you a tiny cup of refreshment or a miniscule packet of peanuts to fortify you on your journey, I might just be able to offer a few potential explanations as to why you may be here.

Morbid Curiosity?  A Predilection for the Bizarre?  Sheer Insanity?  Or maybe….just maybe….although you can’t positively say why, you actually enjoyed that preliminary assay into The Book and Volume of this Distracted Globe.  If any of these are the case (and even if they aren’t), let’s get down to it, shall we?  The Book and Volume of this Distracted Globe, Book and Volume, BnV…what does it all mean?  I’m sure you’d love to gain some insight, apparently, since you’re here again (a state of affairs about which I am over the moon, by the way), with that perplexed look on your face.  Lucky for you, I’d love to elucidate on that very topic.  (for clarity’s sake, the BnV topic, not the puzzlement on your face.  We’ll leave that for another post).

First and foremost there’s the obvious (and almost certainly not all that innovative) Hamlet reference (my absolute favourite Shakespeare play ever, of all time, always). For those of you unfamiliar with this marvelous tragedy: the following is Hamlet speaking about his Father, now a ghost, who only just told his horrified son about his foul and most unnatural murder…  (Go ahead, read it…I’ll explain, I promise!)

Ay, thou poor ghost, whilst memory holds a seat In this distracted globe. Remember thee ?
Yea, from the table of my memory I’ll wipe away all trivial fond records…
…And thy commandment all alone shall live Within the book and volume of my brain,
Unmix’d with baser matter!

OK, so there you go…(although you had no idea you were going to read Shakespeare tonight and hopefully it wasn’t especially horrific or scarring for you.)  This Distracted Globe is, to put it bluntly, Hamlet’s skull and The Book and Volume is his mind and all that it contains.   So Yes, BnV- otherwise known as Book and Volume- is my brain, in all its splendid absurdity and eccentricity poured out for you…yes YOU…on the pages of this otherwise non-descript little blog.

I know…its positively intoxicating (or potentially terrifying), isn’t it?

Secondly, ( you forgot already, didn’t you, that I was talking about the blog and not the whirlings of my  mind) , BnV is a blog about nothing and everything, about the commonplace and the atypical; it’s a place where you may find poetry I’ve woven or tales I’ve spun;  it’s a place for me to share insights (or revelations, as I like to call them ) that I might have on any given day (which, with any luck, will hold some significance for you as well and not leave you sitting there wondering, yet again, what exactly it is that I’m blathering on about.)  Visiting BnV could also lead you to discover a new recipe I’ve created or could find you reading all about some character I’ve come across or created, or why I loved, hated or generally became nauseated by the latest flick I’ve seen or book I’ve read (although I am more often found writing my own rather than reading one by another). Potentially, you could also find yourself looking at a pictorial review of my day, should I have the most inconceivable impediment imaginable and find myself without anything to say (which, if you know me at all or even if you are just getting to know me is something you must be quite certain never happens).

So, BnV?  Yes.  And now you know why….or why not.

The Book and Volume of this Distracted Globe -#A #Blog’s Humble Beginning

In Honor of BooknVolume’s Eight Blogoversary I am re-posting the very first post that brought us all together….

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The Book and Volume of This Distracted Globe

Or Book and Volume

Or BnV

Admittedly, I am an amateur.  Sure, I’ve heard about blogs for years, heard people talking about posts round the proverbial water cooler, but I’ve never actually read one.  Nope, not a single one, but I know how to spin a tale; I understand and appreciate the basics of English grammar (although I don’t always obey proper form and I do love a split infinitive) so I thought, why not?  Give it a go.  Have a bash, what’s to lose, really?  Bit of time.  After all, how hard could it be, sitting at my laptop listening to the sounds of the ocean, or a nice thundery rainstorm, or the ethereal music of Delirium all thanks to the wellspring we know as You Tube.  And even If the only person who finds said blog interesting, amusing or, if I’m lucky, entertaining, should be me than that’s just splendid; because if you can’t take a little time out of your day to amuse yourself, then perhaps you’re taking things a bit too seriously. (but I digress)

So here it is, entry one.  Or post number one.  Or what have you.  Now, for those of you who do not know me (yet) perhaps this would be an opportune moment to insert some sort of disclaimer, alert you to some of my comparatively annoying idiosyncrasies, and enlighten you to some of my peculiarities. (Most of these are one in the same by the way)  So here goes: first and foremost I’m a word enthusiast, aficionado, and devotee.  I love, admire, aspire to emulate and find myself positively piqued (by) Shakespeare, Dickens, Austin, Blake, Poe, or the like.  Odd, perchance, but I’m quite certain you’ve probably already ascertained this for yourself.  Yes, words….words….words.. (to quote the Master).  They fill me with inspiration, they bring me to tears or sometimes they make me LOL, ….they can often, also, bore me to bits (insert government or math related blather here).   So you may find yourself reading ten pages of paragraph long sentences brimming over with 6 syllable words just to find out that all I’ve really said is I don’t actually have anything to say.  Yeah, I’m good at that.

I should also probably warn you that, although I find a great many things interesting and will, most likely, remark on any number of them in a given post, I don’t have a particular objective in mind ( at this point anyway) for this blog.  Variety is the spice of life after all, so one never knows what I may sit down and prattle on about, at length, mayhap insipidly, but at the very least ( and dare I say, hopefully!) you won’t find yourself feeling preached at when you’ve reached the end.  That, you may be sure, is not my intention.

So there you are and here I am, two partners in time; one sharing, one gaining (little or nothing, but perhaps at least a smile…if I am successful) giving and receiving, for better or for worse….(yes, I see the direction this metaphorical segment is taking and I would break off, but where this is going illustrates so well another of my quirks, which is, though I hate to admit it, that I do tend to find meaning in even the simplest things)…so to get back to my metaphor… if you think about it, being a writer and a reader is rather like being in a relationship ( I was going to use the M word, but we barely know each other yet).  There’s good, there’s bad, there’s mutual intrigue, there are laughs and tears, arguments and betrayals of one form or another, but in the end, it’s generally worthwhile.  (there, that wasn’t too bad, was it?)

Ok, so you’ve read four paragraphs now and, although I’m only going on instinct, I’m thinking I should probably begin to wrap this up.  Not very educational, to be sure; not very interesting, conceivably, but maybe, just maybe, when you are at work tomorrow talking to your friends ( or if you haven’t any of those at your job ) your colleagues, or when you’re stuck in traffic on your way in or way home talking to one of the aforementioned on your cell, or when you’re chatting with some stranger you just met on the tube, you might just tell them about what you did last night.

How you were sitting at your computer/laptop/iPad/electronic devise of some sort, bored with the mundane, hum-drumness of Facebook and Twitter and you decided, (possibly against better judgment), to strike out on your own.  It was then that you happened upon the most… (insert adjective of your choice here) (yes, interactive blog….nifty, eh?)… blog you’ve ever read in your life and, although you’re not sure if it was about anything in particular, you did have a laugh once or twice, but it didn’t last long and, while it seemed inane at the time and, although you thought you’d never be interested in reading it again, you can’t stop thinking about it.  In fact, you can’t even say why.  What you can say is that the author might just possibly be off her hinges, one pie short of a picnic, not quite reaching warp speed; still, she had a way of writing that made you want to read more….maybe,…although you can’t be certain because there was only one entry.   And now you’re left with the most annoying set of circumstances imaginable because all you really want to know is, what the heck is she going to be nattering on about next?

~Morgan~

Understated Yearning – #RomanticTuesday #Love #poetry

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My Heart Longs for You

Soft in rush

Loud in the hush

Such Understated Yearning

Expresses this burning

Each Beat,

Each Breath,

A Fervent, radiant Blush!

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~Morgan~

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Beautiful Original Artwork by:  ANDRE KOHN

Undiminished Belief

Shadows may capture the Noontide Sun,
Before the Day is over and done.
Fleeting and Transient, Unstated, Undirected,
Chasing delusion, with Intentions Deflected.
Yet, Residing O’re this Continuum of Sound,
Blessed Inspiration continually Abounds;
Sweet Lyric of Delicate Harmony Sings;
As Faith unfurls her Literary Wings,
Unfettered by All that is inconstant and brief,
Strengthened by Love,
And Undiminished Belief.

~Morgan~

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Beautiful Image found on Google…Credit Acknowledged to the Original Photographer

Fervent Melody

The Majestic Spectacle of this Brassy Night,
Filled with Clangor and Dismay,
Speaks to me in its Awe-Inspiring Sight
Of Resilient Bedlam amidst Chaotic Fray,
For, Although the Sky has Broken,
Pouring Treasure to the Yawning Ground,
This Tempestuous Urgency is a Simple Token
Of the Deafening Crescendo of Unspoken Sound
That my Heart would make, if Nature it Obeyed,
To Orchestrate its Candor in the Fervent Melody it Played.

~Morgan~
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Amazing Photograph found at: Wallpapersus.com

Insidious- #BookTeaser #FreePreview #Fantasy #DystopianFiction #DarkFantasy #Reading

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A brief excerpt from The Mercy Series

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Insidious laughter echoed from the darkness clawing at him like a ferocious monster.  He felt the sensation of spinning, yet knew he was lying on the cold stone floor of his cell.  Strangely, his body no longer burned with pain so intense it threatened to tear his reason from him.  Instead, he felt nothing at all.  Weightless and spinning, he tumbled into the abyss that yawned greedily before him.

“He is lost.” It was the same deep, resonant voice he always heard, but now it spoke from somewhere above him.

“He is not!” Another voice rebuked the first, its tone more determined, but equally far away.  He recognized this voice as well and struggled to answer, but he could make no sound.

“He allowed them to vanquish him.”  The first continued, sounding both angry and accusatory.

“He cannot be vanquished.”  Again, the second rebuked the first. Then a third voice leeched into the darkness, its words a rasping, guttural hiss

“He is human. He is weak and worthless.”

Angry cries filled the darkness in response to the serpentine voice, but it continued more loudly.  “Your plan was faulty and has failed!”  This claim was echoed by peals of rancorous laughter that faded into utter silence.

The silence was long and deep.

The blackness around him was heavy and thick.

“Don’t let him die.”  A small, unobtrusive voice permeated the impenetrable blackness.  It, too, was a voice he recognized, but it was overpowered by ruthless shouts of obscenities and derisive howls so vulgar he felt ill to hear them.

Vile demons!

He would not allow them to take him.

He was neither human, weak, nor worthless!

Concentrating with intensity he had not summoned in many eons, he reached up through the darkness.  It opposed his effort, pulling at him insistently, but he didn’t surrender to it.  Straining against its oppressive pull with all the force his essence could summon, he looked upward and saw a shimmer of light.  He grasped for it, clawing his way upward through the thick, slurking darkness that clung to him.  His determination was greater than its malevolent pull.  Exerting himself to his limits and then beyond them, he growled vehemently with effort, reaching for the light, clambering upwards against the energy of a thousand demons dragging him down.  He writhed up from the clutching blackness as every ounce of strength he possessed poured out of him like blood.

He awoke screaming.

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A Teaser from Misericorde (Mercy Series Book One)

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It’s the year 2446, and the first three Horsemen of Revelation’s Apocalypse have ridden.
Pestilence, War and Famine have changed the world into a dictatorship ruled with an iron fist. Commoners have few rights, and liberty is a distant memory.
Before the final Horseman is released, the Archangel of Mercy – Tzadkiel – makes a bold plea, asking for permission to find even one human who remembers the meaning of mercy and compassion. He is given 100 years, until Death will sweep across the land.
Taking human form and coming to Earth, he finds a place ruled by greed, hatred and fear. With time running out and Death growing impatient, can Tzadkiel find what he’s looking for… and how much will he need to sacrifice?

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~Morgan~

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Artwork found on Imgur.  Credit Gratefully Acknowledged to the Original Artist.
Thank You~

 

#Podcasts, Previews, and Possibilities – An Insight Behind #TheMercySeries

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Podcasts are not necessarily new.  There are nearly as many as there are blogs, but for me, they are a new venture.  To be a guest on a well-produced, popular podcast is an exciting honor and, to be that podcast’s First Ever author narrator makes the honor doubly amazing.

Author, international speaker and, yep, you guessed it, podcaster Dr Victor Acquista invited me to participate in his show by narrating a scene from Misericorde and then sharing some insights behind that scene. Typically, he reads the narrative himself, but he gave me the opportunity to narrate the scene on my own and liked it so much, he incorporated it into the podcast.

So, without further ado, I’d like to share with you my first ever podcast presentation, and Misericorde’s debut on the airwaves.

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Dr Acquista’s podcast- Podfobler Productions is a mashup of fiction, nonfiction, ideas, and commentary created and narrated by Dr. Acquista.  You can find more shows, as well as learn more about Victor on his website or via his Facebook Page.  In addition to YouTube, shows are also on the following platforms: ANCHOR, SPOTIFY, APPLE PODCASTS, BREAKER, GOOGLE PODCASTS, POCKET CASTS, RADIO PUBLIC

Dr. Victor Acquista is a successful international author and speaker following careers as a primary-care physician and medical executive. He previously helped to co-found The Collaborative for Community Health, a non-profit, is a founding member of Rivervalley Market, a food co-op, and authored a syndicated Health and Wellness column. He is known for “Writing to Raise Consciousness” through his non-fiction and workshops that focus on personal growth and transformation, especially as pertains to health and wellness. As well as his fiction, which includes social messaging intended to get the reader engaged in thought provoking themes.

I am truly thankful for the opportunity Victor provided, not only to be part of such an amazing podcast, but because through the process, I’ve learned a great deal.  So much so, that a podcast of my very own is now among my projects for 2021!

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~Morgan~

 

 

 

Permeate My Soul – #Poetry of #Spirituality

Dancing Guides my every step,
Rhythm beats with my heart in Time,
Twirling fills my Thoughts like snowflakes,
Smiles Permeate like words that Rhyme.
In Your Presence Answers Happen
With You Life Becomes Bright and New
Beside You Walking is Much Easier,
Because of You, I know Love and Truth.
Dance with me Through my Every Step,
Beat with my Heart, like Rhythm in Time,
Fill my Thoughts like Pristine Snowflakes,
Permeate my Soul with Rhyme.

~Morgan~

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Beautiful Photograph found at: 25.media.tumblr.com

Solitude – #Poetry of #Inspiration and #Meditation

“I have never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude.”
Henry David Thoreau

Peace in Abundance

Flow over me,

Soothing,

Enticing,

Beguiling,

Free.

Calm these Fears

Of Darkest Night,

with your Soothing,

Enticing,

Beguiling,

Light.

Peace in Solitude

Whispering Sweetly,

Soothing,

Enticing,

Beguiling,

To Me.

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~Morgan~

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(Absolutely Gorgeous Image found on Pinterest…Acknowledgment given to the original artist.)

All Life Is – #InspirationalQuotes

Life is All you Ever Want it to Be,
When you spend the Least amount of Time
Worrying about how to Make it Be
All it Is.

~Morgan~
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(Beautiful artwork found on Pinterest: Acknowledgement given to the original artist, whoever they may be)