249 Results with the "Poetry" genre


    • Chapter

      Preface

      Preface Cover
      by LovelyMay Preface to this poetic collection extends far beyond a mere introduction—it offers a thoughtful exploration of how boundaries in poetry can be expanded and reshaped. The writer reflects on what constitutes a “story,” not confining it to traditional narratives but embracing formats like lyrical sequences, prose-poem hybrids, and even dramatic verse that draws on natural elements or abstract images. Rather than relying solely on character and plot, the pieces are composed to evoke atmosphere and…
    • Chapter Eleven: Hypatia of Alexandria Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter follows Arash Shirazi, a young Iranian man conscripted into military service during the Iran-Iraq War in 1984. With no means to avoid enlistment, Arash reflects on the absurdity of war and the shift from a revolution led by idealists to one controlled by armed zealots. He resigns himself to his fate, imagining his future as just another martyr's photo on the mosque wall. His observations highlight the senselessness of war, where men like him—poor, uneducated, and without special skills—are…
    • Chapter

      BOOK I

      BOOK I Cover
      by LovelyMay Book I opens with urgency as the companions of Heracles surge out from the gates of the city, each one stirred by the disappearance of the youthful Hylas. The crowd does not pause—neither elder nor youth stays behind—so strong is their drive to find the missing boy. Their journey leads them to Artacia, a spring known to the Mysians for its clear water gushing from the stone, a place both beautiful and mysterious. It is here that fate appears to intersect with myth, for searchers speak of nymphs seen…
    • Chapter

      Memory

      Memory Cover
      by LovelyMay Memory has a way of arriving uninvited, stirred by the smallest scene—a child’s laughter, a familiar glance, the shape of a smile. While walking one afternoon, the narrator encounters a young boy at play, whose cheerful noise echoes the past like a song half-remembered. The boy’s resemblance to a son once held close is so striking it jolts the narrator into a vivid reverie, where long-forgotten days return as clear as yesterday. That single moment unfolds years of tenderness, joy, and the deep ache…
      Fiction • Poetry
    • VERSE: GIVE ME THY HEART Cover
      by LovelyMay Give Me Thy Heart begins not in grand ritual but in the soft quiet that follows—a silence filled with questions, weight, and unseen grace. As the last of the congregation faded into the night, the dimmed church stood like a vessel of waiting. There, knelt in the shadows, a woman remained alone, wrapped not in robes but in reflection. Her lips moved in prayer, not rehearsed but real—pleas born from fatigue, effort, and aching honesty. She had given so much already: her time, her comfort, her joy in…
    • Ballad: A Discontented Sugar Broker Cover
      by LovelyMay A Discontented Sugar Broker is a tale that humorously examines how even the most successful lives can be marred by private dissatisfaction. The broker, a respected and financially secure man, enjoys every outward mark of stability—his business thrives, his staff is loyal, and his home life remains orderly and untroubled. Yet, despite these comforts, he considers himself deeply unlucky because of his large size. It is not health alone that concerns him, but the feeling of heaviness that overshadows his…
    • Ballad: Ellen McJones Aberdeen Cover
      by LovelyMay Ellen McJones Aberdeen appears not merely as a bystander but as a flame that burns quietly at the center of a tale charged with culture, music, and personal change. In the company of Highlanders and bold pipers, she stood not just as a figure of beauty but as a listener who truly felt the spirit of the land. Her admiration for the stirring tunes of Angus McClan reflected more than simple affection—it revealed a connection to something ancient, something that stirred both memory and soul. As pipes roared…
    • Ballad: The Baby’s Vengeance Cover
      by LovelyMay The Baby's Vengeance opens with a haunting scene in a grimy corner of Somers Town, where a man named Paley Voltaire, once swaddled in wealth, lies wasted in a rented room. His breath is short, and his gaze flickers with regret, not merely for his failing health, but for the years wasted in indulgence and folly. Paley’s inheritance, once grand, has been consumed by reckless choices—champagne, cards, and companions who disappeared when the gold ran dry. He is advised by a doctor to seek better air in…
    • The Tournay of the Heroes Cover
      by LovelyMay The Tournay of the Heroes begins with a horn’s cry that summons not just warriors but the very soul of storytelling across centuries. At this grand meeting of minds and myths, champions of classic romance step forward, clad in time-honored steel and noble resolve. Roland of Roncesvaux, echoing the trumpet of Charlemagne’s battles, joins hands with Wilfred of Ivanhoe, whose code of loyalty still gleams beneath his chainmail. Behind them ride knights of lore—Hereward the Wake with quiet fury, Don…
      History • Poetry
    • A Ballad of Footmen Cover
      by LovelyMay In this chapter titled A Ballad of Footmen, a somber meditation unfolds through poetic cadence and biting irony, pulling readers into the absurdity of war waged at the expense of reason and compassion. Rather than drums and marching orders, the tale begins with an old man clinging to the scent of roses as his city falls—a symbol of peace clashing against the thunder of conquest. The soldiers are not painted as heroes but as men swept into violence by the shallow promises of power and patriotic thrill.…
    Note