C.M. Selbrede's Blog, page 14

Poem: Blackfire

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The darkness burns as it consumes you.

From the inside out you are engulfed.

These dreams are not yours;

These desires are dangerous.

Yet still, your hand is drawn to the flame

It burns and scorches but you stand still.

 

You pray for release from that which has you, consumed.

You tear yourself apart into bloody clumps and try to wash the colors out.

But they remain.

You are stained.

 

You can dream of losing control, but in the end,

That which has infected you is you.

Just Be Kind

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I know why you did what you did.

I understand that you wanted to protect me,

I love you, and I always will, but—

–No, listen to me—

You were wrong.

 

You tried to do the right thing

Right up until the end

And then you gave up.

You chose me over the right thing.

You did this.

All of you did this.

For centuries, you’ve perpetuated this cycle.

You’ve used family, friends, religion, morality as an excuse to cause more pain.

 

No more.

 

I’m not giving up on her. I will never give up on her. So you can fight me for my body, you can fight each other and kill each other and just keep destroying or, for once, you can forget about your “morality” and “reasons” and just be kind to the person next to you.

 

Just be kind.

Poem: Beach Blue

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The tin-foil star was torn from the sky but burns a bit in sunlight.

The beach chills me to the core, today.

I’m wearing shorts.

 

My hollowed chest is a tree trunk.

       Blackened burning in my nose

       Roaring drowsiness tugs at my fingers

       The grass sparkles dully and I see

       Ash tickles my tongue

       I hear crying and it’s bright blue

Life feels like an overripe lemon.

 

Carl can’t sleep anymore.

       Woke people are sometimes still dozing.

If we move forward, time stands still

Inertia is a property of matter.

 

Remember this:

What you breathe may never truly leave.

 

The stars whisper into my tired ears.

Take them to the beach, tonight. They can be our alarm clocks.

Now Available: Book One Library Edition!

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The Valley Chronicles: Library Edition, a brand new hardcover with beautiful new cover art by Jenette Harris, will be available in local schools and libraries shortly! Check out this work of art below!

Poem: Ode to the Turtle

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Turtle, turtle, stay away

No sir, no sir, we shall not play.

I know you seem alright to me

But still, a snapper you could very well be.

 

Don’t look at me like that! I used to love turtles.

But one day one murdered my Great Aunt and now my blood curdles

Every time I see so much as a bright green shell

Or smell that distinctive, boggy smell.

 

Turtle, turtle, leave me be

No sir, no sir, there’s no chance you see

I know you seem alright to me

But so did Suicide Squad and that movie was crappy.

 

Don’t get me wrong, most turtles are cool,

But one once stole my wallet at the neighborhood swimming pool

He stole my identity just like that

And ran off with his friends to buy some crack.

 

Turtle, turtle, please don’t cry

Fine, fine, I’ll give you a try

Holy hell what’s that I see?

Where did you even buy an AR-15?

And why, oh why, do turtles hate me???

Poem: Sky

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I know I swam through clouds, once

Creation swirled around me in pearly wisps

But the ground came calling

And now I fight for air.

 

Creation swirled around me in pearly wisps

Never will I forget those deepest blues

And now I fight for air

My ribs broke and I bled on.

 

Never will I forget those deepest blues

But the ground came calling

My ribs broke and I bled on

I know I swam through clouds, once.

Looking Forward: two

Looking Forward / Looking Backwards is a series of articles discussing ACC PUB INK’s former and upcoming projects.

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Coming this April (hopefully) from INKblot Press is AC3’s first webseries: two.

Scout Stevens (C.J. Selbrede), a cynical and selfish stoner, and Angelica Cooper (Cristin Von Schlag), a compassionate and dedicated AP student, find their lives irrevocably altered when they awaken to a mysteriously changed world– One where they share their lives with fraternal twins, Sawyer Stevens (Jordan Lowman) and Andrew Cooper (Joey Heitzmann). Aided by the mysterious Kayden Cooper (Emily O’Keefe), Scout and Angelica attempt to unravel an age-old conspiracy while avoiding the clutches of the violent Knife Man (Matthew Island) hunting them.

The series is produced under INKblot due to some mature themes and language. If completed, the project will air its 8 episodes over the course of 9-10 weeks this Spring. While a second season was planned, it will likely not be produced due to a lack of time for production.

Yes, I am crediting myself as C.J. Selbrede. It’s a little bit of fun I’m having with my three roles, crediting my acting as C.J. Selbrede, writing as C.M. Selbrede, and producing/directing under Craig Selbrede. I think it’s funny. Your disdain is noted.

Anyway, if I sound tired because of this project it’s because I am. This show has been a nightmare to produce, and has the blood, sweat, and tears of myself, Cristin, and so many others in it. Also, none of us are really actors except for Joey so get ready for that.

I’m excited. Hopefully you are two. Learn more here:

Click Here

Poem: Below & Beyond

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Like a bird with no wings, I

I flounder through faded fields of ash

I taste the faintest fury beneath my tongue

I scrounge for substance in my self-shame.

 

Why was I born wingless to a world without

Mercy? Why was I made maimed and

Separated from the sky, so blue, so tall, so

Beyond, beyond me.

 

Like a bird with no wings, I

I sit alone in the crowded classroom and wonder.

I wonder where courage is kept

I continue to crawl past muck and raw roots, alone.

 

Why do I keep walking through a world without

Mercy? I press on for the dream

Separated from me by miles but so blue, so tall, so

Beyond, beyond me.

Poem: Sadie

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Her hands are worn from walking the Earths and

Moving stars in the dead of night.

She wears rings for utility and because

She likes their sheen.

They are scraped and ephemeral

But still vivid.

 

She cups some moonlight in her hands,

Allowing it to dance around before

She tosses it for me to catch.

I do, barely, and let loose a cutting retort.

She matches it easily with an obscene gesture.

 

The room is empty, but not absolutely.

Light flickers in the center as we gaze

Out, into wide windows,

Open jaws bearing the brunt of space.

I see the stars

And suns

And moons

And Earths–

Flecks in the Engine’s teeth.

 

I want to ask her how long it’s been, and

How long it will be before our knuckles brush once more

In a fist bump.

I want to ask if she’s okay. If she’s okay without him.

 

She smiles sadly at me.

I know she sees the questions in my

Eyes, I know because I see them in hers.

 

“We’ll be okay,” she says.

I suspect the truth is less kind.

Looking Forward: The Outsiders Club

Looking Forward / Looking Backwards is a series of articles discussing ACC PUB INK’s former and upcoming projects.

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This year, The Valley Chronicles trilogy will be wrapping up which means a) Sweet relief b) college and c) the start of something very new.

If things go well, The Valley Chronicles‘s sister series- The Outsiders Club– will launch around the same time as Tempest. It shares DNA with TVC, and maybe even a few characters, but it is its own beast, and you can read it without reading about good ol’ John and Violet in the Valley.

The Outsiders Club is a story about legacy, family, and identity. Where TVC focused on morality, conflict, and personal choice, TOC focuses on the parts of life we can’t choose- our family, our past, our blood- and how they impact our life. TOC is designed as a five-book series, beginning this year with The Outsiders Club and concluding in 2022 with Book Five.

TOC is based on a series I wrote with Clara Selbrede, Zoe Traub, and Samantha Kadlec in 2nd Grade, and is about a group of friends connected by an unexpected set of paranormal events.

Marina Okendale has lived in the quiet, close-knit town of Golden Springs since the accident, spending the days with her eccentric Aunt Emma and unexpected best friend, Ashley, a fellow orphan with a similarly bizarre past. When a set of accidents and murders beset their small town, they find themselves inextricably linked to Lilianna, a mysterious girl hiding a dark agenda, and Sally, a quirky rich girl who’s seen something like this before. Together, the four girls must face their shared traumas and discover their place in a centuries-old conflict in this story of identity, legacy, and family.

So… yeah. This is happening, and it’s going to be a lot of fun. More news coming out soonish!

-Craig