Colleen’s Weekly #Poetry Challenge # 47 – #Haiku #Tanka #Haibun: Shadow & Light

This is a perfect poetry prompt for me as I love to explore shadows and light in my writing.

Here’s an extract from The Curse of Time – Book 1 – Bloodstone followed by my Tanka.

The evening descended, and darkness filled my room. I couldn’t sleep. I tossed and turned, but the stagnant dead air in the house tightened around my neck choking me. I slipped out of bed and opened a window. It made no difference. Feeling anxious, I noticed a deep sensation of dread forcing its way into my soul.

I often heard strange grumbling voices and laboured breathing coming from the walls of our silent house, speaking in unison, ‘Cursed house, dreadful misfortune.’ Tonight, no difference awaited me. Those weird sounds seemed to reverberate from the cramped attic room at the top of the house, right down to the ground floor. The hexagonal hallway grumbled as I heard six whispered voices that unified into one loud, persistent groan that amplified, filling the hall with the same repeated words.

I wrestled with alternating tiredness and wakefulness, pushing the sounds away, I fell into a deep sleep. I dreamed. A vision formed and I could see the pathway ahead lay deserted, not a soul in sight. The dead of night beckoned, and an eerie silence magnified every rustle and quadrupled every whisper in the breeze. The gentle sound of trickling water soothed my disturbed senses, but I couldn’t find the source. I fought a strange feeling that someone followed me. Yet, when I glanced over my shoulder, no one seemed to be there. No footprints, no churned-up earth, nothing. I walked faster, but my steps lagged, like a clock pendulum moving back and forth on a predetermined journey, yet moving in slow motion.

As my dream continued, the whispering winds grew louder. I forced myself to turn around and confront my growing fear. I saw the shadow of a man, and he was following me. Disconcerted, I tried to run and stumbled; as if this shadowy man’s long limbs were reaching forward to trip me up. Just when I couldn’t take another step, the winds stopped. The shadow revealed itself in a flash of light and vanished. My eyes blinked, captivated by blue-black hair, but I couldn’t see his face. I stood transfixed by a bright light followed by an immediate darkness.

© Marjorie Mallon 2017

Hope you enjoyed my extract and Tanka.

Here’s the link to join in Colleen’s weekly challenge: https://colleenchesebro.com/2017/08/22/colleens-weekly-poetry-challenge-47-haiku-tanka-haibun-shadow-light/

Yesterday, I had the dizzy pleasure of being hosted on three blogs. The first two, (Charli and Seumas,) to discuss my love of writing poetry, and then I hopped over to Sheila’s to discuss the subject of magical realism too.

Phew…

Charli Mills Raw Literature: https://carrotranch.com/2017/08/22/raw-literature-haiku-tanka-and-a-debut-novel/

And Seumas Gallacher Blog: https://seumasgallacher.com/2017/08/22/marjorie-mallon-poet-and-authoress-extraordinaire-come-be-entranced/

Plus Sheila’s blog yesterday too! https://scskillman.com/2017/08/22/the-curse-of-time-a-guest-post-by-m-j-mallon-author-of-the-curse-of-time-book-1-bloodstone/

The 22nd was my super promo day! Today, I’m staying at home getting everything ready for my online party on the 26th and I’m writing up a promotional post for Trent McDonald, who has just published his book Fireborn. So that will be on my blog soon.

In case you haven’t seen an invite to the launch of my kindle e-book on Saturday 26th August here it is. I hope you will do me the honour of being my guest.

My Amazon UK Author Page

My Amazon US Author Page

My Amazon Canada Author Page

Bye for now,

 

My social media links:

Authors/Bloggers Rainbow Support Club on Facebook

Here’s me and my good friends Colleen and Debby who run the group together.

Twitter: @curseof_time

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