K. Makansi's Blog, page 13

Four Ways To Avoid The Trope Of The ‘Strong Female Character’

There’s been a lot of buzz lately about the role of women in literature and film from an article called “We’re Losing All Our Strong Female Characters To Trinity Syndrome”. Published last week by Tasha Robinson, the article primarily argues that screenwriters are providing cop-out “strong female characters” who appear at first glance to be […]

Self-Doubt

Last week, I was practicing reading one of my poems aloud by recording it on my iPhone and then listening to the recordings. I did a few I thought were pretty decent, and decided to set them aside so I could listen to them later with an unbiased ear. Maybe I’ll put one of them up […]

At The Fading Of The Light: A Poem (Updated With Audio!)

At the fading of the light a little while ago I went out for a walk at night to murder my shadow. He’d dogged me several weeks or more promising relief in his tender hopeless form and sighs of disbelief. I found darkness in his arms A crumbling dismay Emptiness with all its charms Held […]

At The Fading Of The Light: A Poem

At the fading of the light a little while ago I went out for a walk at night to murder my shadow. He’d dogged me several weeks or more promising relief in his tender hopeless form and sighs of disbelief. I found darkness in his arms A crumbling dismay Emptiness with all its charms Held […]

#MakeKensDay: The Ken Mooney Book Bomb

Originally posted on Prose Before Ho Hos:
Nicest Guy in the World Hey folks, I want you to meet Ken Mooney. He’s the nicest guy in the world. Don’t believe me? Just check the dictionary. His picture is right there in black and white. Can’t miss it. Ken is the author of the cracking-good Fantasy novel,…

The Trees Were Dying

it was just today looking out the window of my car that i saw the trees were dying crumpled into paper figures, a parody of their former selves wrenching, like crooked cursed fingers in the direction of the ground and i their killer. I knew this was no simple thing, like a barren grassless prairie […]

Requiem For A Memory: A Poem

Tonight I wield not a pen but a shovel the grain of wood etching into my palm the dirt gritty, clumped against the blade as I dig a shallow grave for the past. Tonight I carry not a pack on my back but skeletons macabre, grisly smiles dangling over my shoulder, my weightless burden, bones […]

Promised Evenings: A Poem

My heart curls around your fingertip like a slinking cat winding its tail around a corner pressing its bones against the edge aching for release. The cat will chase shadows in the alleys as will I seeking solace in moonlight catching shades like fireflies trapping them in jars wondering when they will materialize into the […]

Writer Wednesday: Author Interview With Hiba Tahir

For this week’s #WriterWednesday, I’ve invited one of the most inspiring young women I know to The Z-Axis. Hiba Tahir is a high school student with a fierce drive to tell her stories. I have long been impressed with her dedication – after all, I remember the grueling days of high school myself – and […]

Don’t Think For A Moment That You Meant Nothing: A Poem

Don’t think for a moment that you meant nothing You were as the sun that lifts the fog. You were as a breath of wind that moves a dune of sorrow And carries it to the seas. Don’t think for a moment that you meant nothing You were a raindrop against the veined leaf Magnifying […]