A.A. MacConnell's Blog, page 18

April 1st

April Fools!

…or maybe I’m not quite ready for my monthly announcement. But almost, almost…

Much more confusing than other forms of writing

If poetry isn’t improvised
Maybe I’m doing it wrong
Perhaps I should edit it
Rambling isn’t popular, is it?
Or maybe that’s just this kind of
Vision in my head, which
Isn’t always my own thought
Seeing my perspective
Exclusively without filter

Spears (pt14)

The fall had sobered him, let alone the danger. He nearly took in a deep breath, but stopped himself and coughed out, “I take it back, I take it back! Forgive me for such words!”

“As we will!” Reem proclaimed. She retracted her spear immediately and Azzah followed suit. “You may say whatever words you like of us, claim whatever you wish of our ability, but you shall not insult our Lel’ul. Nor his belief in what we give to him. He asks of us, knowing what we are capable of. If he wishes we def...

A Gift for Life and Death (pt1)

When the angel forced their eyes open, it was because of the soil pressed up against their cheeks warming. They were alone, sitting up to look along up at the place where the mythic phoenix roosted. Their back was sore, though that was an improvement from before they had decided to take a nap. A distraction from the pain in their aileron, which had since sleep faded away.

Mayhaps not a good sign, but at least it wouldn’t hamper the last leg of their journey. One foot in front of the other, th...

Spears (pt13)

“Why does the Lel’ul have you guard an empty house? He isn’t even here. Unless you aren’t anything like you claim-”

Reem spoke up, her voice drowning out Hasani’s. It caused everyone else in the vicinity to fall silent as well. “Watch what you say, man. We are warriors of the Lel’ul.”

Azzah took a deep breath.

“Then why don’t you do anything?”

That was too much. Azzah tore her eyes from her bowl to Reem’s face. Reem looked back at her.

As one, they stood up. Azzah set her bowl on the ground w...

Those who come from under

Underneath your feet lay
Nine stories of
Dirt, but under that dirt lives
Everything you had forgotten.
Ready to begin again, when the
Ground isn’t looking.
Ready to belong to an
Ocean of people who had waited
Undeniably for something
New to come out from a places where
Dreams could be buried.

Spears (pt12)

Their toast was interrupted by a man. Though that might have been too polite, in Azzah’s opinion. It was Hasani, coming up from Reem’s side.

“Look, it’s the doubled spears.”

There was nothing inherently wrong with what the young man said, but the tone of his voice made Azzah know that it wasn’t meant as fact or compliment. She fixed him with a sharp look.

Reem whispered into her ear. “He’s had a little too much. Not everyone can handle their nights well, eh?”

Azzah nodded and said nothing.

“I...

What Were the Mountains

We never saw it coming.

When the giants awoke, it was after thousands of years of sleep. I don’t think a single person had any idea. No one called out, warning us about the potential dangers. When the first of them roused, no one was prepared. Even had we known, I can’t think of a single thing that could have helped us.

The earthquake flattened cities as the giant sat up, permanently changing the skyline as they removed the mountains that used to stand there. Not that the giant destroyed them...

Spears (pt11)

Azzah took her time with the next bowl, both hands wrapped around the wide base. Despite the chill, it felt warm as it went down her throat. In little sips, it continued to bring her a sense of comfort which relaxed parts of her she had not realized had any tension in them at all. It was something she had missed for some time. This camaraderie from people other than Reem, watching her sister’s courtship, speaking with Waseme when the older woman passed by. Maybe another would have stopped by...

Meaning there is an opposite of “normal”

Against better judgement, I say
(Begin to judge the normal way)
Normal can’t hurt you
(Only if you believe what they say)
Rebelling against it is useless
(Maybe we’ll win one day)
And we’ll all be there eventually
(Let us be who we are always)