Abandoned princess
Sits by the dark pond, ordained
To usher in light
Her tresses create that magic
The dilemma of drenching haunts.
*****
Dendrophilous dame
Held captive by clawed tentacles
Enigmatic entity
***
A statue comes alive
When darkness encompasses her
Spiritual sojourn
© Balroop Singh
***
Thank you Colleen and Diana for choosing this compelling image that instantly pulled me into this challenge.
Magic in the air
Created by clouds of dreams
Lilting with life
~
Clouds combined
To celebrate love for poetry
Echoes resounded
~
When clouds smile
When warmth is felt within
Morning seems surreal.
~
Company of clouds,
Chilly winds, quickened my pace
To welcome winter
~
Echoes of life
Reverberate around us
Splendid sutures.
© Balroop Singh
Thanks to Sue Vincent for an inspiring Thursday #photoprompt Clouded
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Xhosa’s extraordinary prehistoric saga concludes, filled with hardship, courage, survival, and family.
I have read and reviewed all three books, which record a fabulous history of tribes of those times, (850,000 years ago) about which there is no conclusive evidence. So the arena is open for writers to explore and Jacqui has made a brilliant effort.
Title and author: Against All Odds by Jacqui Murray
Series: Book 3 in the Crossroad series
Genre: Prehistoric fiction Amazon Global Link
A million years of evolution made Xhosa tough but was it enough? She and her People finally reach their destination—a glorious land of tall grasses, few predators, and an abundance that seems limitless, but an enemy greater than any they have met so far threatens to end their dreams. If Xhosa can’t stop this one, she and her People must again flee.
The Crossroads trilogy is set 850,000 years ago, a time in prehistory when man populated most of Eurasia. He was a violent species, fully capable of addressing the many hardships that threatened his survival except for one: future man, a smarter version of himself, one destined to obliterate all those who came before.
From prehistoric fiction author Jacqui Murray comes the unforgettable saga of a courageous woman who questions assumptions, searches for truth, and does what she must despite daunting opposition. Read the final chapter of her search for freedom, safety, and a new home.
A perfect book for fans of Jean Auel and the Gears!
Against All Odds concludes the Crossroads Trilogy – an enthralling story of Xhosa and her People, the prehistoric inhabitants who possessed astonishing abilities to create tools out of stones and twigs, developed a communicative bird language and could face unknown hazards fearlessly. They were smarter than other tribes, as they could share their ideas and thoughts through hand gestures, facial expressions and sounds. They learnt from other communities, were adaptable and their intuition was stronger than others.
It is interesting to note some innate emotions amongst early dwellers. Despite the challenges they had to face and develop confidence, strength and ferocity, Pan-do considered himself more than just a father, a protector and food provider. He knew what is love, which he described as “caring for another beyond logic and reason.” He could even see a similar emotion between his daughter Lyta and Seeker. Hope too finds a mention many times. Each time somebody went missing or was captured by an enemy, they hoped that they would be reunited. Mbasa knew she would surely meet Xhosa again. Ngili hoped that he would be reunited with Hecate.
Jacqui’s research shines through out this book too and her foreword answers many questions about tribes and their ways of expression. Her characters have grown with the passage of time and remember their leader Xhosa’s advice to be “strong like Mammoth, patient as Eagle, leery like Gazelle, cunning as Wolf or lacking that, wise enough to mimic someone who is.” Murray has created awe-inspiring female characters who never give up in adversity, never look back and forge ahead with renewed vigor after each battle. If you like prehistoric fiction, you must read the Crossroads Trilogy. Though this is a stand-alone book, with references to earlier ones but they should be read in order.
Meet the Author:Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy, the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers, and the Man vs. Nature saga. She is also an adjunct professor of technology in education, blog webmaster, an Amazon Vine Voice, a columnist for NEA Today, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. Look for her next prehistoric fiction, Laws of Nature, Book 2 in the Dawn of Humanity trilogy, Winter 2021.
CROSSROADS TRIOLOGY
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We crossed the bridge and entered the forest.
Dense, dark, damp.
The uneven trail meandered
Roots of trees trounced our venture
But we trudged on.
Day four of our adventure ended at the same place.
Back on the same bridge,
Hanging over the pond
Painted by Mother Nature.
We stood confounded
Now what? We looked at each other
Four friends, full of fire
Explorations kept it ablaze
Such dead ends couldn’t douse
The light within that led us.
The red bridge was our anchor
But there were three of them
Two more we had to find –
Green and blue,
To win the rainbow contest.
The quest is on with
Cerulean sky – our sentinel
Green awning – our angel
Lucent gold – our mentor
Silvery Luna – our comforter
And each heart – the wanderer.
© Balroop Singh
Thanks to Sue Vincent for an inspiring Thursday #writephoto Painted
You can click here for more poetry.
Check my latest book: Moments We Love
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Rocks don’t inspire me
But hostile terrain beckons
I’ve no choice
I can’t give up my chase
If the cure lies beyond.
Thank you for the inspiration Sue. We are all on this terrain.
I have been writing poetry, deriving solace from the spring, heralding change – a brilliant reminder that nature remains untouched despite the encroachments that have been made on her beauty.
The fiery touch of Corona virus that nature has sent to show who is in command, is just the beginning of a new era for mankind who didn’t bother to heed the warnings. William Wordsworth’s prophetic lines come to my mind:
“To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.“
I’ve kept my cool by keeping my thoughts positive, by reiterating the message of the universe that nothing is permanent.
I’ve been listening to music more than the news to keep my sanity.
I come from the family of doctors and many of my dear ones are directly involved in the task of offering their services, I call them the soldiers of present times and salute all those who are fighting the monster called Covid – 19.
We shall overcome is the refrain that rings in my ears everyday.
Mother nature has been too kind, ‘we should never take anything for granted,’ we heard that phrase a thousand times but never paid any attention. We need to respect her message and her creation.
Remember, we are doing no honor to her. We are doing all this for ourselves, to save us and keep our dear ones safe.
After paying for our negligence, we would get another chance. That’s the law of nature. As a renowned urdu poet Sahir Ludhianavi wrote, “Raat bhar ka hai mehmaan andhera, kiske roke ruka hai savera…” (Translation: Darkness is just a guest of the night, who can hold back the morning?)
I have pulled out an excerpt from my debut poetry book to renew hope:
Time has stood still
The storm is yet to pass
The descent of night seems eternal
Perplexed, petrified, I wait.
Wait for a new dawn
Wait for a smooth tide
Wait for that lovely flight
Which brings hope!
© Balroop Singh
You can click here for more poetry.
Check my latest book: Moments We Love
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Emotional Shadows 