“The Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale”s Launch Week+ continues!
And like my last post, this one features poetry, but of a different kind. Inspired, in large part, by the preferred art form of Victor Vale in V.E. Schwab’s genius anti-superhero novel, “Vicious”, these are blackout poems, or found poems – created by taking a page of text, selecting the words you wish to standout as an idea on their own, and blacking out the rest. A challenging but sometimes relaxing endeavor, I’ve found.
Below are a handful of such poems that presented themselves to me within snippets of “Ballad”. And because I’m of the opinion that most poems work best when not over-explained, I’m not going to tell you anything else about them, apart from their given titles. Poems’ text repeated below the pics, in case the images don’t show up for you. Enjoy!
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For Lumónd
Circle of the dark
Subtle gold light
(How are you real?)
Look
Understand
See the way
I see you
*
What We Were
We were
Good – stunning – altruistic –
Hard – secret – not so secret –
Grim – dear – something approaching horror
Which were you?
*
Best Friendship
Intimate friends
Which is to say,
Excessive fondness
Obvious dislike
Presence not very much minded
Difficult need
Laugh, elated
Something in some way extraordinary
*
Feel the Music
Feel the music
Play a dance
Fly with abandon.
I will
*
For a Lover
A look (Take me)
An urgency known by heart in the heavy night (Bless the dark)
…And well into the next
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Voila! Those who’ve read “Ballad”, can you tell from where in the book I found the poems? Whether you’ve read “Ballad” or not, what’d you think of the poems? Do you have a favorite? If so, which and why? (Bear in mind, a blog comment is one of many ways you can enter my Rafflecopter giveaway, perchance to win cool prizes. *wiggles brows*) And to you who haven’t read “Ballad” because you’ve yet to order your copy, now’s the time to change that! It’s yours for the taking via Amazon, CreateSpace, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, OverDrive… Have at ye!
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Welcome to Avalon, a Renaissance Faire where heroes of legend never die. Where the Robin Hood walking the streets is truly the noble outlaw himself. Where the knightly and wizardly players of King Arthur’s court are in fact who they profess to be. Where the sense of enchantment in the air is not mere feeling, but the Fey magic of a paradise hidden in plain sight.
Enter Allyn-a-Dale. The grief of his father’s death still fresh and the doom of his own world looming, swirling realities leave the young minstrel marooned in an immortal Sherwood Forest, where he is recruited as a member of Robin Hood’s infamous outlaw band. But Allyn’s new life may reach its end before it’s scarcely begun. Their existence under threat, the Merry Men are called upon to embark on a journey to the dangerous world Outside – ours – on a quest which must be achieved without delay, or eternity in Avalon will not amount to very long at all.
AVAILABLE NOW!
*Bonus*: #HypotheticalFAQs
Which of each of the Merry Men’s quotes from “The Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale” most fully captures the essence of their respective characters?
Robin Hood: “Bureaucracy. 😛 ”
Will Scarlet: “What’d I just vote for? Wasn’t listening for the first bit, but heard something about ‘Will Scarlet,’ so…”
Little John: “Hmm.”
Allyn-a-Dale: “Well. This discussion has been all very dispiriting, I must say, but I do regretfully conclude that it has no bearing whatsoever on what I have little choice but to do.”
Marion Hood: …
Will: Marion doesn’t seem to say a lot of quintessential-Marion things.
Marion: I’m trying to move the plot along. Y’all wanna sit around and soliloquize, and I’m over here like, We’re gonna die.
Ever On Word 