Ren Warom's Blog, page 18

Umwelt: Darkness Flows Like A River Episode 19: The Dogs of War

The enemy gathers off shore, blocking out the light with the looming ease of a thunderhead. They range the whole horizon, sea and sky. Fleets of Ghoric pirate ships, the great sweeping breadth of Alhabra battle-galleons and amongst them, deadly as sharks in a pod of whales, black as tar and oddly dimensioned, the spike-bowed clippers of the Mengel.

Squadrons of War-Volitare, fixed with cannons and menacing armour, belch steam, their collective churn of piston a hungry roar upon the air, more d...

Umwelt: Darkness Flows Like A River Episode 19: Freak Show

Londinium’s face is broad and multi-faceted. Hewn from pale yellow stone, gleaming white marbles, and the grey hulk of granites, it is noble and degenerate, a harlot, a king, a priest, a charlatan. A harbourer of rats and angels alike. It hides secrets well, this stone narcissist, and separates wheat from chaff with aloof disdain.

Vespesian walks the skin of the city; he knows its every wrinkle and fold. He’s as much at home here as he was in the London it’s crafted upon, his home city, waitin...

Umwelt: Darkness Flows Like A River Episode 18: Freak Show

Londinium’s face is broad and multi-faceted. Hewn from pale yellow stone, gleaming white marbles, and the grey hulk of granites, it is noble and degenerate, a harlot, a king, a priest, a charlatan. A harbourer of rats and angels alike. It hides secrets well, this stone narcissist, and separates wheat from chaff with aloof disdain.

Vespesian walks the skin of the city; he knows its every wrinkle and fold. He’s as much at home here as he was in the London it’s crafted upon, his home city, waitin...

Tales of The Nun and Dragon: Casting Couch

To celebrate the release this past Monday of the fabulous Tales of the Nun and Dragon by Fox Spirit Press (which I have a story in) I bring you the official press release and competition and then a little bit of fun about my story:

Fox Spirit Books are delighted to announce that the long anticipated first volume in the ‘Bushy Tales’ anthology series ‘Tales of the Nun and Dragon’ will be available as an ebook via Amazon and Wizards Tower Press.

‘Tales of the Nun & Dragon’ features twenty three s...

Umwelt: Darkness Flows Like A River Episode 18: Cradle

Before them, the veils cradling that ill-wrought tumour of a world grow thin at last. Behind them, it stalks closer, stealthy and chill as ice crawling across stone, that unknown force, questing through the verse, seeking freedom. Such a wealth of power in it; it will be their ally. They have promised it such delights, such horrors, such magnificent victories.

Betwixt and between, they wait, gathering power, gathering strength, impatient to reach their mother. Faintly now, through the weakenin...

Poetic Interlude: These Old Men

These old men

Eyes ancient as mountain-sides

I watched them

Race down hills

Through parks and alleys

In streetcars

With no desires left

But for the easy wicked breeze

Blowing all that grey

That wizened sign of age

A halo of sheer elation

As they go screaming, racing, chasing

After nothing but to go faster

And have no limitations

© Ren Warom 2009

Filed under: Beauteous & Corrupted Words Tagged: automobile, car, elation, freedom, halo, limitation, old men, poetry, racing, Ren Warom, streetcars

Umwelt: Darkness Flows Like A River Episode 17: Savage

‘There’s nothing so savage as time, dear Anabelle,’ Imalia purrs, running a slender finger around the curve of Anabelle’s cheekbone, digging her nail in to draw a line of blood. Tiny droplets spill, like tears, across Anabelle’s milk white flesh.

Anabelle cries out, tries to move her head away, but Imalia grasps her chin in a cruel grip and holds it still. She leans down; the folds of her veil fall about Anabelle’s face, soft and somehow deplorably heavy.

Anabelle gasps, afraid of drowning in t...

Umwelt: Darkness Flows Like A River Episode 16: Puss in Boots

‘The clock ticks ever closer,’ Saleth warns, sweeping the ground with a willow brush, her eyes fleeting a glance at the rising moon before turning a worried gaze upon the cat.

The cat picks careful paws across the swept ground to the centre, at his ease. His eyes are yellow moons reflected. Cold moons, full moons, living moons floating towards her in the darkness. There’s unknown intent in those twin orbs, devilish intent. Did she not have his full measure Saleth might surrender to somewhat of...

Descend The Shades of Night

It built her heart from shadows, her skin from neon glow reflected in milky puddles of machine effluent.

As they race away, their shrieks ring across the emptiness of the old car lot like the distant cry of gulls, that maniacal screaming mirth. One, stringy brown hair flowing out behind like jet stream, twists her head, yells.

‘Come on, Ash.’

A ways behind them, smaller, thinner, Ash doubles her speed, jumps. Grabs the link fence with both hands and hauls her body up, face aflame with laughter a...

Umwelt: Darkness Flows Like A River Episode 15: Strange Company

Lit in solemn shadow a candle sputters, sends menacing shapes across the walls. Sat in the centre of a round table it awaits company. Strange company. Then, from the back of the tavern, a lithe, thin fellow, all angles and spikes, sneaks through the shadows toward the table. The straw-thin man settles into the left-hand chair, and the candlelight recoils as if fearful.

He whips off his bowler hat and places it down beside the candle, chuckling as the flame bends in desperation away from the pr...