Allya's Stuff

[Allya]

Yeah that's what I did. But no opinion articles apparently. Boo.

[Allya]

I woke up this morning to find out that three of my poems just got shortlisted for an anthology published by Dark Eye Glances. Two of my poems are the longer ones that I've had trouble finding a home for AND it's a paying publication!

The ones they've shortlisted are:

'The Crumbling Wall' (the one Reffy wouldn't take because she said "I damn well better get paid for it.")

'Reflections of Childe Roland (The re-telling of Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came as a space odyssey with overt references to King's novel.)

and 'Still' (The short little poem that Zovo said sounds like a heavy metal song.)

'Still' has also been accepted by another publication so I have to sort that out but it's so awesome to wake up to that on January 1st!

[Allya]

Can't get this outta my head. I'll probably use it in something else late. For now this is my memory dump:

Time is a dancer
Just like you
Movement’s the answer
And the beat is truth

[Allya]

Sand Castles

We built our castle out of sand
Right by the water’s edge
Shaped our visions with our hands
And danced upon the ledge
Our garden, made of bubbling foam
Tickled at our feet
And carried a chorus to our home
That whispered in retreat
With each rush the waters chipped
At the plans we’d made
Until at last, our castle stripped
We ended our charade
But we’ll be back tomorrow morn
To play upon the sand
And see our hopes and dreams reborn
Shaped with loving hands


This one feels a bit trite but it's the first I've really done since my surgery so..meh

[Allya]

Playing with pantoums....

Ouroboros

“Free men won’t suffer a king to live.”
“Well, how do I make them see?”
“Won’t matter what you say or give…”
“Must I make them bleed?”

“Well? How do I make them see…”
“Their hatred has made them blind.”
“…they are not truly free?”
“No, freedom’s a state of mind.”

“Their hatred has made them blind.”
“So it is to be the sword?”
“There is no peace to find.
It’s time to raise the horde.”

“So it is to be the sword!
Let slip your battle cry!
Tonight our peace is forged
or as free-men they shall die!”

“Let slip your battle cry!
They are charging o’er the hill.
We must live free or die
and live free we will!”

They are charging over the hill,
a clash of sword and bone.
Hungry for the kill,
they'll fight together, die alone.

“A clash of sword and bone?”
“It had to come to this.”
“Well someone must atone,
must greet the dark abyss.”

“It had to come to this?
My rule would have been kind.”
“You think you chain us with your fists?
No, freedom’s a state of mind.”

“My rule would have been kind.”
He tosses the head aside.
“There is no peace to find,
no way to stem the tide.”

He tosses the head aside.
“I beg you my king, forgive.”
He leaves two leaders dead inside.
“Free men won’t suffer a king to live.”

[Kaez]

It’s time to raise the hoard.”

^ Do you mean 'horde'? I suspect you do.

Other than that, I enjoyed it. It rhymed well and flowed well, though the very last stanza didn't flow quite as well as the others, I found? You tried to put more information in it -- for obvious reasons -- but it felt heavier, clunkier.

Still, I enjoyed the whole style of it.

[Jenny (Reffy)]

Jan 1, 2012 9:37:11 GMT -5 Allya said:

'The Crumbling Wall' (the one Reffy wouldn't take because she said "I damn well better get paid for it.")

Awesome! I really do like that poem :]

[Allya]

Fixed and thanks

[Allya]

As You Lay Dying

As sunlight filters in
I trace the lines upon your face
And wonder how the sun
Can make its climb another day
When I feel you slipping away
I whisper “Hold On.”

We laughed through the good times
Held each other through the bad
Stood tall in face of danger
And shared all the love we have
You can make me smile
Even when you’ve made me mad
Now who’s going to wipe these tears I’ve shed?
I whisper “Hold On.”

I remember when you first kissed me
How we weathered through it all
When we stared up at the stars
Felt so connected and so small
How you would always catch me when I’d fall
And whisper “Hold On.”

The light has left your eyes
Your breathing has gone still
They said that this would happen
But I thought by force of will
We could overtake this last hill
I wish you could hold on.

My hands have gotten older
I can’t grip them as tight
I wish that I could rage
Against the dying of your light
But I know that wouldn’t be right
I can still hold on to you…
You’ve filled my heart enough to make the room
I’ll carry you there
Until my last breath sees me through
I’m strong enough to hold on.

[Allya]

For what it's worth, this is the entry I didn't submit for the final round:

“Where are they captain?” I whisper into the comms device pinned to my uniform. I’m hefting a Winchester M94 gauss rifle with an electronic scope, eyes and fingers at the ready.

“One level down. Maintenance Bay 3.”

The ship’s lights keep flashing distress red, distorting my vision. I’m trying to work my way down the corridor. Smoke appears to be pouring out a lot of the vents, and I can just barely see through with the enhanced lighting of my helmet visor.

“Are they moving?” My breath is ragged. Sweat is pouring down my brow like Niagara Falls.

“Negative; they are stationary.”

The corridor is littered with the dead and dying. Carefully, I step over and around them while maintaining my pace and course. I focus on my breath and try to even and slow the gasps, hoping my pulse will follow suit. Adrenaline is coursing through my veins as I fight the urge to push blindly through the hazy maze of bodies, smoke, and debris.

“Monitoring your progress. The service elevator should be on your nine.”

I turn to see the partially open doors wedged against an outstretched hand. It lays lifeless and limp in the growing haze. “Elevator is out of commission; suggest alternative route.” My body pulses as I dart my eyes left and right, waiting for an answer.

“Proceed down corridor 2C. At the intersection of 2C and 2F you will see a stairwell on your three.”

I wade through a miasmic eternity of screams, sirens, lights, and smoke before coming upon the stairwell. It is remarkably clear of debris and body parts, allowing me to move quickly to Level 1. Once there I find the shock of the impact has decimated the lower level. Water is slowly rising in the corridors, fed by an unknown breach. “Hull breach confirmed. Repeat, breach confirmed.” I do my best to swallow my rising panic as I move towards the maintenance bay. At a depth of 1600ft, Kraken SS-370 will be unable to surface with a breach this significant. The captain will begin directing survivors to the escape trunks very soon.

Entering the maintenance bay, I find it has fared no better than the rest of the reclaimed sub. I navigate to the rear of the bay in search of the two men who have doomed the Kraken to a watery end. A peal of crazed laughter echoes through the chamber causing a chill to run up my spine. I stop to steady my hands and hear my quarry whisper strange rantings that seem to come from nowhere and everywhere at once. “…in the darkness He waits, He sees…”

I continue to scan the room and finally catch a glimpse of movement out of the corner of my eye. “Captain, I have a visual.”

“Roger that. Secure the suspects and get them to trunk 2. Burton, Lee, and I are scouting for any civs still breathing and heading for trunk 1. See you topside.”

“Understood, sir.” I silence the comm and move deeper into the maintenance bay.

“…in the silence he speaks to ME…”

I hear his footsteps slosh through the water and race to follow the sound. The sound leads me behind a stack of crates and it’s there that I find the first of my two suspects leaning against them. He greets me with a wide, bloody smile that stretches from ear to ear. His hands have been placed palms-up on his lap and an ‘X’ has been carved into each one with something round and small placed in the middle of each ‘X.’ I lean in closer and see that Dr. Izzard’s eyes have been carved out and placed in his open hands.

Turning away, I squelch the bile rising in my throat and refocus my efforts on the suspect still breathing. “Dr. Knowles? Surrender now and things will go easier for you.” Another haunting laugh bounces throughout the maintenance bay but by listening intently I am able to pinpoint the source. Moving as quickly and as quietly as possible I make my way to the opening in the back right.

With my heart pounding, I tighten my hold on the M94 and charge into the opening, hoping to catch him by surprise. Instead, I am caught off guard by the swoosh of a door closing behind me and the hissing sound of pressurization alignment. The emergency lights flash on and I realize what has happened. I am in trunk 2. Alone. With him. And he has just initialized pressurization to open this tank.

Rushing forward, I hoist the butt of my M94 and slam it against the back of his head before he has time to turn around. After confirming that he is unconscious, I grab the two closest Steinke hoods and affix mine securely before doing the same for my prisoner. We both have our hoods and vests on as the water begins to fill the tank.

It takes several minutes for the tank to fully equalize. As the water reaches our heads my prisoner comes to and starts to struggle with his hood. I won’t be able to communicate with him for very long so I grab his vest and force him to face me. “Look here, Knowles, you’re coming to the surface. I don’t care if you’re conscious or unconscious. Understood?” The doctor nods and gives me a furtive smile. I do not like the look in his eyes but I figure at this point he can do little to further hurt the crew.

The tank finishes filling with water and a light on the forward hatch switches from red to green. It’s time to leave. I grab the prisoner and swing him around so that he stays in my line of sight at all times. I drop the now useless rifle and with both hands I turn the wheel that opens the hatch. My prisoner watches me with great interest and that damnable smile but remains as still as one can whilst floating.

I hear the lock release and turn my back on him for a moment to pull the hatch inward. On the other side of the opening I see the dark abyss. The lights from the trunk filter through in tendrils that grow thinner and thinner before vanishing into the black. Fearing I have gazed too long, I turn and pull Knowles until he is once again in front of me. He remains stoic as I push him out the opening and into the shadow of open sea.

Facing each other, we begin our slow ascent, slipping further and further away from the grasping wisps of light that whisper of warmth and safety in the endless void. Soon the sub that has been our home for over a month is a distant star beckoning beneath our feet. I look to my prisoner but his eyes remain fixed on the fading light below. His face is twisted in a kaleidic mask of emotions. He looks at once frightened and amused, horrified and delighted, completely mad yet startlingly sane.

My skin itches to reach the surface and I risk a glance upward, hoping to discern some subtle change in the murk. Finding none, I look back to my prisoner and see he is still staring downward, his eyes now big as saucers. I follow his gaze and watch as the darkness swallows the last wink of light from the Kraken. We slip further up into the black and soon I can no longer see Knowles at all. I reach for him and my hand grasps what is most likely his arm.

There is no way to mark time’s passage in the endless pitch, so I am unsure how long I have been holding on to the doctor’s arm when he suddenly wrenches it free. I frantically wave my hands in front of me, trying to grab him once again, but my hands grasp nothing solid. A small push in the water is the only thing that tells me he has moved away.

Floating there in the dark, I try to tell myself that I will just grab him when we’re topside. It’s not like he has anywhere to run. But the shadows of my mind taunt me with unspoken fears and soon I swear I hear him whispering into my ear. “…I slip the bonds of earth and air…my body burns, my soul despairs” I twist my head left and right, thrashing at the water. It’s not possible. I cannot hear him. “…for I have left yellow glow…to seek the darkness down below.” I am letting the mad doctor get to me.

From deep below I feel a sudden push of water that propels me upward. Looking down, I see brief sparks of light that bloom and then fizzle out in quick succession. It looks as though the Kraken is going out with a bang. I wonder if the mad doctors had one last trick up their sleeve before planning their exit. My mind drifts to Dr. Izzard’s eyeless corpse and I imagine the flames licking his body before the sea rushes in, swallowing him whole and carrying those eyes into the deep.

Shaking my head, I glance back upward and am relieved to see a lighter blue above. I wave my hand in front of me and can see the outline of my pale fingers wiggling. I’m almost there! I know I shouldn’t, but I’m eager to breathe fresh air, so I begin kicking my legs to reach the surface faster. As my legs begin to scream from exhaustion, I see the surface and begin kicking harder. In moments I am topside and begin ripping the hood from my head, eager to take my first gasps of freedom.

I take a deep breath of the salty air before surveying my surroundings. A dense morning fog has settled on the water making it hard for me to see more than a foot in any direction. The captain and the civs should be in the same general area but I know that currents can cause significant drift in such deep ocean. I call out in blind hope that someone will answer. “Captain? Anybody?” Straining my ears, I listen hard for any response. “Captain?”

“Over here!” My head turns in the direction of the voice and I can see vague outlines of people in the low mist.

“Do you have Knowles? I lost him on the way up.” I try to wade closer to their outlines but my efforts prove worthless. No matter how much I swim they seem to stay the same distance away. As I grow tired I figure the currents must be keeping me from reaching them.

“Yes, Knowles is with us.” I sigh in relief, knowing that we have him.

Rescue is surely on the way as well. The emergency beacon would have activated as soon as either trunk opened for the first time. At most we have a few hours before rescue. “And what has the good doctor to say for himself?”

I hear laughter carried through the fog. “Oh, the man’s mad as a hare.”

“Have you asked the fools what they were studying?”

“…beyond the blue, into the black, the truth is there for those who ask…”

I’m tired of the doctor’s ravings already and the numbness creeping into my limbs does little to help my patience. “Can’t we shut him up?”

“Nah, but he’ll get his soon enough.” The shapes move about in the fog but I still cannot discern any faces. “Seems these scientists were studying the sea floor; something about a satellite image that looked like man-made structures.”

“That’s impossible.” My mind goes back to the last moments on the Kraken. “Even so, do we know what drove them to this?”

“…there He waits in the deep, to show those with the eyes to see…”

His words make me flash back to the Kraken. Dr. Izzard’s eyes are staring up at me. His gaping, bloody smile twists and laughs in the dark corners of my memory. “Eyes? Like Izzard’s eyes?”

I hear the captain speak again. “The doctors found a city down there on their last excursion in the DSV.”

“A city? Like Atlantis?” I can’t even begin to imagine such a thing nor why it would drive them mad. Such a discovery would be the find of the century!

“No, not Atlantis, not ruins.”

“…city lights shine the depths, until at last you see the breadth…”

“Is Knowles saying it’s modern? There’s lights? Was something living down there?” Another laugh circles the fog. “Answer me damn it!” Though I know I am only going to wear myself out, I swim towards the outlines of the others. Within minutes I am exhausted again and no closer.

I hear the water lapping against them and see the shadows of their faces but still can’t make them out. “…the darkness comes to steal your breath, so you can walk the streets of death…”

“THAT’S IT!” I slam my hands into the water and swim hard and fast towards Knowles’ voice. My hands wrap around what feels like his arm and I pull him near me. “If you can’t stay quiet, I’ll shut you up myself!” As I turn him towards me a bright light burns through the fog and shines into my eyes.

“You there? Hey. Can you hear me?” Rescue has arrived. I drop the mad doctor’s arm and wave at the boat.

“Here, we’re over here!” The boat comes closer and after a few moments I am on board, shivering as a blanket is wrapped around me. They try to lead me away but I want to stay to make sure everyone gets safely on board and that the good doctor is handled with care. “No, please, I’d like to watch the rescue. I’d like to stay.”

One of the crewman turns to me, his face a mix of worry and regret. “Sir, you’re the only one we’ve found alive.”

I drop the blanket and run to the rails of the ship. All I can see are figures bobbing in the waves. Turning back, I gave the crewman a wild look. “Turn it on! Turn it back on!” They scramble to the searchlight back on, eager not to further upset me.

The light warms up and they shine it back down upon the water. It is then I finally see them. Over fifty men and women stare back at the beacon with vacant eyes and pallid skin. Their vests are the only thing keeping them afloat.

The crew swings the light around and it settles on Knowles. His face is frozen in that furtive, knowing smile. “But…I talked to them. They told me what they found. They told me…”

I feel another blanket wrapped around me as I am lifted to my feet. The men lead me away telling me I am in shock and need to lie down. I follow without another word. I am ready to close my eyes. I don’t want to see anymore.

[Allya]

To Know Him

Where we do we go after the silence
When the ropes have lowered down
Flowers cut will soon be wilting
Tattered petals will grace the ground

These hands can’t grasp a memory
These eyes can’t hold a soul
To know him was to love him
Now where will that love go


Inspired by a song. Nobody I love has died recently.

[Allya]

So my hubby is looking for a new job and I usually write up his resume and cover letter. This time I decided to spice up his cover letter to see if it would get more attention. He made me add the last part. I feel it takes away from the awesomeness of the rest.:

To Whom It May Concern:

Are you tired of reviewing resumes from Geek Squad rejects and computer science majors with little to no real-world experience? Has your IT Department become a revolving door of entry level technicians who move on when the going gets tough? If so, I may be the person you’ve been waiting for.

With over fifteen years of experience handling everything those boxes can throw at me I know that when a problem comes my way I have the skills and experience to tackle it head-on. Viruses? No problem. System installs? I can do that. Build a box? Sign me up. Server maintenance? I got you covered. Special projects? I’m your man. Client Support? I’ll do it with a smile and leave those end users happy and working.

I’m not going to spend this cover letter listing all the software I know because it’s all the same. If I don’t know the particular program you need, I’ll learn it; end of story. No, instead I’m using this short bit of white space to tell you why I’m different than all those other schmucks whose resumes have passed your desk. It’s simple. I know this job. I love this job. I care about the people I serve.

As remote service provider for over 500 end users I did my job so well that I was voted employee of the year at one of my client’s companies. That’s right, I was voted employee of the year for a company I didn’t even work for. I kept those clients so happy that my boss would regularly receive calls complimenting me on my work. He even had clients request that I come for on-site visits just so they could meet me.

Imagine if I worked for you! I could turn all this energy and commitment onto your systems and users. I could bring a smile to the people that matter to you; your employees. But most of all, I could keep you up and running by utilizing my extensive experience in all things technology related.

Sure, this is a silly cover letter filled with bravado and cheesy lines. But you know what? It’s all true. Why don’t you give me a call today and see what magic I can do when I get serious about your systems. What have you got to lose?

Sincerely,
J. Trevor Nethers

P.S. – If you don’t like this letter blame my wife. She’s an SPHR.

[Allya]

They were like gods once. Their steps thundered as their polished skin glinted in the haze of chaos. They were more than men, more than machine. A perfect marriage of thought, will, and deed, they moved through this world with a purpose and grace unlike anything we’d ever seen before. These were the bringers of peace, our shepherds into a new dawn of civilization. Their faith was unquestioned, their strength unrivaled. They would end the Godswar that had raged for ninety cycles. They would crush The Red Star of the three-faced god and show his people the truth and consequence of their false worship. For why else would Azun bless us with such power?

We had gone through many turns by the time metal steps first shook the ground. The Red Star, once a small faction of fringe believers and fools, had organized and militarized. They said the Hand of Azun held all and would not open for them. They said the Eyes of Azun did not see them and did not cry for their pain. They said the Ears of Azun did not hear them and did not answer their call for equal treatment under the law. And they were right. We were unmoving, blind, and deaf to the needs of The Red Star so they resolved to prick our fingers, pluck our eyes, and fill our ears with the cries of Azun’s children. The Red Star burned with our indifference and sought to turn the fires back to source.

At first Azun’s children felt little of the Godswar. Whispers were spread of this battle or that, but our gleaming cities hummed as they always had. Honors were sung on each Sabbath for The Hammers of Azun but our songs made no mention of death and war; only the glories of our knights crossed our lips and slipped into the collective consciousness. We were blissful in our antiseptic ignorance while The Red Star’s black flies buzzed just out of our periphery.

But soon the count grew too high to cover with songs of valor. The name of kin who had died in the Godswar touched every common person’s tongue until there arose from the gleaming cities a great roar of purpose. From this purpose the gods were borne. The best Hammers were chosen and gilded in the new metal; a new weapon for a new age. The impact was immediate. The Red Star became a dying ember, crushed under metal heels, and life in the cities of Azun went back to normal for a time.

But not for those who had been forever changed, those who had been chosen. What the Eyes of Azun did not see was that the Gilded Hammers were lost without their purpose. More than men, they were at first set apart and treated as heroes. But the years grew longer than the memory of Azun’s children and soon the Gilded Hammers became discarded tools. Outcasts from those they had protected, they brooded in the shadows of the centuries.

Perhaps, had we remembered, we wouldn’t have been so surprised when the Hammers struck.

[Kaez]

I enjoyed that quite a bit. "Godswar" is a nice word.

[NotAlice]

That. Cover. Letter. Is. Awesome. ^.^