Haibun – M J Mallon YA Author and Poet

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The prompt words from Colleen this week are lead and save which are appropriate for two reasons. First, I lost some of my manuscript! Somehow bl**** word, yes I am swearing profusely, lost three of my chapters which had me in a right old state… I knew something was going on when my word count dropped dramatically. Luckily, I’d backed up a recent copy so it could have been worse. Much worse. Secondly, the prompt words lead and save fit in very nicely with my sharing part of my YA manuscript The Curse of Time – Book 1 – The Bloodstone with you lovely peeps.

I decided to write a prose envelope which is appropriate as the story begins with an invitation.

Though, there is no invitation mentioned in this short excerpt from Chapter 2:

At that moment I heard a rustling in the nearby grass. Mitch let go of me startled by the noise. I turned, still clutching the camera to my side as I observed a young man who appeared out of the shadows near the edge of the path. His appearance caught my attention because he wore black jeans and a faded black tee-shirt washed so often that its original colour had all but vanished. His strange eyes sought me out. I stood gazing into two of the strangest eyes I had ever seen. One shone black as the richest smeared ink while the other glowed green and reminded me of the lushness of a meadow.

I wondered,Are you leading me-Somewhere,I should not be.

I continued to stare and noticed a dark shadow cloud Ryder’s face. I acknowledged this subtle yet powerful moment. When his eyes darkened, I swear they flashed thunderous daggers at the lads. Ryder’s face locked into a fixed expression as if he prepared to battle. His body became rigid, and his muscles tensed. I stepped back as I observed the hard ground beneath his feet crack, extending in a black shadow as he moved towards the boys. My hand went to my mouth, and I screamed.

I wondered,Are you leading me-Somewhere,I should not be. (1)

To join in Colleen’s challenge: https://colleenchesebro.com/2017/05/02/colleens-weekly-poetry-challenge-32-lead-save/

Hope you like the short excerpt, and the haibun too. Please leave comments to tell me what you think.

Bye for now,

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Light and dark – what great prompt words from Colleen this week. I’ve always been fascinated by the interplay between light, and darkness.

Here’s my haibun inspired by a paragraph from my current manuscript: The Curse of Time, which I am currently in the process of editing….

Sinister Tinge

The Black Obsidian paint pot called me next, beseeching me to open it. Just like before, it refused to do so. In frustration, I slammed it down hard. The pot exploded with a loud bang like a child’s burst balloon. As I dipped the brush into the paint, a gripping sensation overcame me. I painted in haste with a multitude of dissolving crystal paint flecks staring back at me from the canvas. A dark grey, bluish black, sinister tinge blemished the artwork. Shades of varying hues moved across the painting competing for supremacy in a powerful duality of light and darkness.

Black kisses,Rich with Flecks of lightness,Mesmerise and puzzle,Tattooing your family'sHappiness dark. (1)