Through the Looking Glass

We dropped down the rabbit hole
to a enigmatically fluid
Wonderland

Reach out and touch the screen - can you feel it?

All the Mad Hatters and tea parties
and Cheshire cats
singing

Through the rattle of keys on your keyboard - can you hear it?

The march of the cards
of the Queen of Heart's
Fool

If we could just lift a glass - can you taste it?

We're lost in the looking glass
where "Drink me" is
empty

So empty.

And the looking glass
is full.


A.J. Ponder
Well, I could say what this poem is about, but we're really living it right now, aren't we...so I'll just let it stand. I hope everyone is well out there. I've, as always been busy writing, but this one just came to me while at CoNZealand while struggling with the online interface.

It's too fresh to know what I think about it yet, but I hope you enjoy! :) Have fun peeps. Hope to see you around sometime in the real world, and if not, in the virtual one  :)

Kia kaha
A.J.

Quick Poem - Twitter Challenge - SandGlass People

Sometimes twitter holds little challenges
So, I thought I'd whip up a quick poem:

SandGlass People

This is but a shadow
of the precious moments
etched
into our hearts

fragile moments
that can be lost forever
broken
between one breath and the next

— A.J. Ponder (@AJPonderBooks) June 27, 2020

Or, if you can't see the tweet - the poem is below. :)
Thanks for stopping by,
A.J.
(PS if you liked this poem, you might also like Time Wyrm)

This is but a shadow

of the precious moments

etched

into our hearts

fragile moments

that can be lost forever

broken

between one breath and the next

The Secret Story - a Cinderella Story that's as crafty as the secret meaning of Fairy Tales

Apparently, I'm very good at keeping secrets. It's a special skill, so take notice when I say...no, I'm not saying anything about my crafty story. Or how the secret meaning of fairy tales is shadowed in secrecy and allegory. Or even what knitting & tatting have to do with any of it, because, well - it's a secret.😉

The Secret Story Blurb:

A horde of rats

A coven of witches desperate to stay hidden

99c on Amazon & other platforms

A ball to die for—a ball that must remain secret at any cost

As a smithy’s daughter, Amarinda can only dream of going to the ball. But Amarinda’s daydreaming must end when her father is injured and she discovers her family is in debt to the evil crime lord Lady Dragonheart.

The harder Amarinda tries to help her family, the more she’s drawn into a hidden world of witches and power—and caught up in Lady Dragonheart’s schemes to steal the ‘cook book’ Amarinda needs to heal her father, infiltrate the Avondale ball, and seize the kingdom.

Will Amarinda’s father survive the night? Will she get to dance with the prince? And who will be turned into a rat? Find out by reading this secret story of a not-quite Cinderella, whose closest thing to a fairy godmother is, alas, old Granny Earwax.

The Secret Story is wide, you can pick up a copy for 99c on most platforms using this D2D link: https://books2read.com/u/4DyLRd


That's all for now, folks, 

If you want to check out some fairy-tale poetry to fit the fairytale book theme, why not check out my "Portal to Fairy Tale Poetry" here. 

A.J. Ponder

Have you seen the news

Have you heard the news today?
oh boy
there were armed troopers in the streets
and it was more than sad
they didn't care the world was watching

exploding

I saw the photograph
broken arms and blinded eyes
and if we should get to the heart
of how many dollars does it take
to fill a rich man's chest?
yes, it's really for the best
if we don't know

Have you seen the news today?

oh boy

all the eyes have lost and Standing Rock
was just a test

look how many people must be blinded 

for the world to see

the sky is falling

And yes, it's been so fast
and it's taken so long
they sold us out for just a song
a pretty tale of freedom and
death
while we stood and stared
someone took their last...

You'd think
we'd be aware

but we've simply
turned away

there is no,
there is no news today

A.J.

And that's the poem I wrote in the middle of last night, because the tune for the Beatles song "A Day in the Life" broke into my head.

Because sometimes it really does feel like the sky is falling. But unlike Standing Rock, people are watching. There are too many people to ignore, all risking their lives for freedom, not just the fake freedom to die, but the freedom to stand up against hate, systematic racism and creeping fascism.

Do not forget this moment.

We can go back to "normal" or we can change the world.

"It didn't need to be like this" Dr. Rev. Barber on Democracy Now. You might know him as the guy who brought back MLK's poor people's campaign, "Fight for Fifteen" and June 20th poor people's digital march on DC.

"The Zed Bubble Plot" or "Stay on Your Couch For Your Country" (with apologies to Dr Seuss)

The Zed Bubble Plot

Or Stay on Your Couch for Your Country (with apologies to Dr Seuss)

All across the world, a fever was spreading
Called Covid 19, the pandemic was heading
Through Asia, America, Belgium and France
It seemed nothing would stop its relentless advance

Soon word came to the Zedders, it was heading their way
And they looked to each other and said - not today! 
We Zeds down in Zedville like living a lot 

So the Zeds all got to work, and they all hatched a plot

From the North to the South the call could be heard

Keep to your bubbles and don't be absurd
Sit on your couch for your country, or exercise a lot
But stay in your bubbles & be thankful for what we've got

Keep your family close - and if they're alone -
Be sure to give Granny or Gramps a call on the phone
And whatever you do - do whatever you must
But stick to these rules and keep your fellow Zedders' trust:

Sit on your couch for your country, and wash your hands - a whole awful lot

Stay in your bubbles and don't be a twat

And soon, very soon, we'll get our economy spinning

But until then, let's beat the virus - because living is winning

And when all the Zed's down in Zedville have got that curve squashed

We'll go back to our lives, with hands beautifully washed
And so with our bubbles will be as clean as can be
Soon we'll be able to yell hip, hip horay, we're covid 19 free

Free novella prequel available now from bookfunnel

Yes, it's been a while. Obviously this is loosely in the style of Horton Hears a Who, because I'm lazy like that, and I can't help but think we're all as reliant on JoJo following the rules as the speck of dust that was Whoville. Also, there's the WHO, I know it's not actually mentioned, but ideas are weird like that.

I actually started it at the beginning of L3 and it almost ended up in the dumpster, like so many of my "started" poems, but I thought, what the heck why not finish this one. :)

Thanks for dropping by, now I've finished my last planned book in the Sylvalla Chronicles, I'm hoping to be posting here more often. But there are no guarantees!!!

A.J. 

Find out more about this series - or buy now!

Omens & Giveaway

Finally, something you've all been waiting for...

Good Omens...

You can win a $300 voucher and other competitions for (March 2020) 

Or go straight to my $25 voucher competition (March 2020)

The below competition is out of date...but the book is still awesome, with an average 4.5 stars on Amazon  - pick it up wide, or pick up the whole series here!

Obviously not the TV show...although that was awesome. No, this is Omens, the last book of my Sylvalla Chronicles trilogy. And to celebrate the release, I'm offering signed copies of Prophecy and Omens (OR a US $ 30 voucher)

& Giveaway:
Signed copies of Prophecy and Omens OR a US $30 Voucher! 

All you have to do is go to here to my website and fill in your name and email. My privacy policy is also here. (but the summary is no, I won't share your email address)

Good luck!

And I hope to be back again with poetry once the stress has subsided.
In the meantime, have fun reading,
A.J. Ponder

 

 

You can find my stories for a great price, and support my writing on ko-fi    

I'd love to know which poems you'd like to see in my upcoming poetry book—2024

 

 

The King's Breakfast as recited by Julie Andrews and Stephen Colbert

I just love AA Milne's poems. 
I think anyone who's followed this blog knows that...so when I saw this video, I just had to share it :)
I hope you enjoy. Also, the words are at the bottom now that they're out of copyright, so you can read along! :) 

Have fun, and if you're anything like me, you'll be reciting the words of the King's Breakfast along with Julie Andrews and Stephen Colbert.

Thanks for dropping by,
A.J. Ponder

PS, now it's out of copyright officially, here it is, the poem in full. 

The King's Breakfast

The King asked
The Queen, and
The Queen asked
The Dairymaid:
"Could we have some butter for
The Royal slice of bread?"
The Queen asked the Dairymaid,
The Dairymaid
Said, "Certainly,
I'll go and tell the cow
Now
Before she goes to bed."

The Dairymaid
She curtsied,
And went and told
The Alderney:
"Don't forget the butter for
The Royal slice of bread."
The Alderney
Said sleepily:
"You'd better tell
His Majesty
That many people nowadays
Like marmalade
Instead."

The Dairymaid
Said, "Fancy!"
And went to
Her Majesty.
She curtsied to the Queen, and
She turned a little red:
"Excuse me,
Your Majesty,
For taking of
The liberty,
But marmalade is tasty, if
It's very
Thickly
Spread."

The Queen said
"Oh!:
And went to
His Majesty:
"Talking of the butter for
The royal slice of bread,
Many people
Think that
Marmalade
Is nicer.
Would you like to try a little
Marmalade
Instead?"

The King said,
"Bother!"
And then he said,
"Oh, deary me!"
The King sobbed, "Oh, deary me!"
And went back to bed.
"Nobody,"
He whimpered,
"Could call me
A fussy man;
I only want
A little bit
Of butter for
My bread!"

The Queen said,
"There, there!"
And went to
The Dairymaid.
The Dairymaid
Said, "There, there!"
And went to the shed.
The cow said,
"There, there!
I didn't really
Mean it;
Here's milk for his porringer,
And butter for his bread."

The Queen took
The butter
And brought it to
His Majesty;
The King said,
"Butter, eh?"
And bounced out of bed.
"Nobody," he said,
As he kissed her
Tenderly,
"Nobody," he said,
As he slid down the banisters,
"Nobody,
My darling,
Could call me
A fussy man -
BUT
I do like a little bit of butter to my bread!"

If you enjoy AA Milne's poems you may also love Teddy Bear. :)