2021-02-03 01:55
For the longest time, I was the only one in my family with thick, curly locks. Then I had my Darling Eldest. We didn’t know how much his hair was like mine at first. He got a lot of re… Read More
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Http://kestrilsrhythmsandgroove.blogspot.com/ Blog
kestrilsrhythmsandgroove.blogspot.com
A writing blog featuring short stories and poetry primarily from the fantasy, urban fantasy, and horror genres.
2021-01-27 01:00
I know it’s hard not to be constantly embarrassed by a weird, wild heart that keeps finding itself snagged on a world full of splinters. You imagineit’d make such a beautiful sai… Read More
2021-01-19 22:51
It’s hard to believe in the promise of springtime while walking on the dried remains of snow crushed grass, until you see that first bit of green, thrusting forth an unmistak… Read More
2021-01-13 01:41
I’ve been up all night thinking I’m a stranger to who I wished to be. Strange times, strange words make for strange fates even under sympathetic stars. I scream out the questions… Read More
2021-01-05 23:38
How many steps does it taketo be truly away? Howare those steps measured? Even if my feet weren't smallit is going to be a long walk for me.You gave me a head start, with your rightward shuf… Read More
2020-12-16 02:22
They come to me, whether I am looking for them or not. Stories always find me, especially when I swear I have no time to entertain strange mythologies. I don’t have to set out the fanc… Read More
2020-12-02 00:35
Don’t call yourself a friend to the flower when you try to kill its roots.Photo by Alexis Chloe on UnsplashLiner notes for this Groove: This is my first attempt at an American Sentence… Read More
2020-11-25 02:35
“Do you want to travel through time and space? Do you want to see the stars?” she asked. My time travel needs were modest. Back a year, back to my old grade school would have bee… Read More
2020-11-18 00:06
No need to pretend that all of this is normal. Tradition is not needed to enjoy the taste of each other’s companyPhoto by Alex Loup on UnsplashLiner Notes for this Groove:Thanksgiving… Read More
2020-11-03 18:04
Morning walks in the fall always feed my soul, but today I am especially greedy for the gulps of air I get from the spirited winds flowing over my county. I need this moment to feel my breat… Read More
2020-10-28 01:12
I slipped and here I am,knowing that there is a world outside this slick walled space, where memories don’t writhe away from your grasp like pale worms searching for less exposed… Read More
2020-10-21 00:20
This latest bone was by far the noisiest on Bira’s rosary. Even the other bones had woken from their silence to complain about it. If it didn’t shut up soon, she’d miss her… Read More
2020-10-13 19:46
I’ve heard people say,“magic comes with a price”as if it’s some sort of a warning. Would it surprise them to know that that the sky is blue, and fire is hot? Of… Read More
2020-10-07 00:40
Some wounds are deep enough to bleed through generations— aches handed down as heirlooms listed on wills with invisible ink. It couldn’t be helped. Then silence was a virtue… Read More
2020-09-30 00:22
Photo by Esther Wilhelmsson on UnsplashOctober's leaves are pumpkin-colored confetti of celebration whose crunch carries the whispers of the grave. Like all magical things, October has its p… Read More
2020-09-23 01:15
After getting an encouraging message about my writing back in August, I decided to start work on a new novel. I already had ideas for a few longer stories kicking around in my head and… Read More
2020-09-15 11:00
Find a good home for my teas.Make sure they will be gladly drunkby people who will think of mefondly, warming their handsaround a full mug.I’ve had love, so much love,pouring freely th… Read More
2020-09-08 21:50
The first time is always the hardest. You know the story, but you haven’t lived it. You know the weariness but have only dreamed of the release. Perhaps you even doubt your nature.&nbs&hell…Read More
2020-09-01 21:02
I did not have a bowl of tea under the cherry blossoms on my birthday month in the way I had hoped. This spring’s strangeness outlasted both my birthday and those blooms, going past th… Read More
2020-08-26 01:02
It would hold. She was sure of it. Mattea forced herself to take three deep breaths. She started going over her makeshift shelter, testing every joint and connection one more time while igno… Read More
2020-08-18 22:51
I swallow screams for dinner My own. Mostly. If they aren’t meant to be heard then they should satisfy some other way, filling the pit anxiety comes to churn when there is noth… Read More
2020-08-11 21:03
Was it youthat kissed mein the darkest part of the night?Was it the warmthof your breaththat announced that intention,with a soft sigh that lingeredlong enough for my lips to partand receive… Read More
2020-08-05 01:18
I’ve given up writing several times now. One of the most memorable periods of quitting started on November 9th, 2016 (I’m fairly sure I stopped doing a lot of other things that b… Read More
2020-07-29 02:31
The mood of the encampment shifted as a scout brought in a whimpering Regarian. Jena flinched inwardly, but the healer in her stayed professional. “Is it the parasite?” she asked… Read More
2020-07-21 10:25
According to their religion, my kids became adults at their B’nai Mitzvah. But to truly be seen as an adult around here, a child must make a meal. Darling Youngest has been gleefully d… Read More
2020-07-15 01:25
I’ve felt too muchlike an ink blot girlwhere people see thingsin all my adjectivesand form shapes from themthat may or may nothave anything to do with reality.There is depth and dimens… Read More
2020-07-08 00:51
“Will that be all Mrs. Kramer,” Mol asked, sincerely hoping it was. She only had to stop by the office to make her last report and she’d be through.The wizened face pouted… Read More
2020-06-30 22:04
You seethe sharp delineationof the narrow pathwe are expected to take.I see the barrierthat crumblesfrom the force of willof a dandeliondemanding its place in the sun.Photo by Nikola Johnny… Read More
2020-06-24 15:44
For an acolyte of Cassandravery little is unexpected.I am used to shouting into fields,where the only acknowledgementcomes from the nodding of distracted flowersmoved by the whims of the win… Read More
2020-06-17 21:17
I’ve been cut by lightas brittle as shards of sugar glass(twice as cloying,masking none of the bitter)that left me with inflamed doubtstrying to spread to every cell,until I am more do… Read More
2020-06-10 13:25
When Ada collapsed into Nestor’s arms his first thought was that she didn’t look as bad off as the last time. Then he saw she was pressing her hands on a spot in her side, dark a… Read More
2020-06-03 11:16
I have disciplined my heartnot to fall apart completelywhen the acid of swallowed wordsthreatens to devour me whole.This heart has no obligationto prove the truthof the blood rushing through… Read More
2020-05-13 14:04
The commander’s body was displayed with all the pomp the citizens of the town could afford, and then some. On the first two days, wailers arrived promptly at dawn, not leaving their po… Read More
2020-05-05 21:49
The world needs heroesso we’ve been told.They inspire us to bebetter versions of ourselves.But I’m not seeing a better version of humanitywhen adult-sized toddlersbray about thei… Read More
2020-04-29 19:00
There are timeswords come to my mindfaster in Spanishthan in English. Whyjust this eveningbúho flew faster into my mindthan owl did. Somethingsuggested in the wing beats,felt more lik… Read More
2020-04-21 20:53
Imagine what it would takefor a dragon to rediscover her wings?You would have to askwhat made her forgetshe had wings in the first place.How could she have left behindthe feel of her muscles… Read More
2020-04-14 22:53
I told my husband to never doubt a Latina’s love when she is willing to go 8 days in her own home without rice. My husband is Jewish, and one of his big holidays is Passover. Someone o… Read More
2020-04-08 11:25
On my birthday,I will take my teaunder the branches of a dying cherry tree.It has its scars, like I do,raw and still exposed.Ants have worried their way into the crevasses and I know those w… Read More
2020-04-01 00:20
Koji looked at the assorted items he’d gathered and hoped it was enough. He’d never attempted magic before. Pushing down the feeling of panic that was threatening to burble out o… Read More
2020-03-25 02:04
Dear descendant,Right now your ancestressis reminded of the time she was warnedabout a super storm bearing down.Everyone else made jokesright up until they sawthe eerie green sky,that turned… Read More
2020-03-17 14:16
When my kids were small, our family had a joke that if we had plans to go anywhere, Darling Eldest needed two weeks advance notice and Darling Youngest should only be told once they were buc… Read More
2020-03-10 18:48
The darkness doesn’t mindwhich side you choose to greet it on.I prefer to say helloaccompanied by onlythe scent of my first cup of tea.I love discussing the worldwith my darling younge… Read More
2020-03-03 19:30
“Contagion,” screeched the Red Queen as she pointed to the odd flower. “Who betrayed me?”Her retinue of cards threw themselves at her feet, jabbering apologies. &ldqu&hell…Read More
2020-02-25 17:00
Although logic told her it was only a few feet away, Stacia’s bedroom door may as well have been on Mars as far as she was concerned. She had been staring at it for over an hour now. S… Read More
2020-02-19 00:19
I’ve always admired the geektasticness of cosplay. For those of you not as steeped in nerdiness as I am, cosplay is when folks dress in costumes meant to resemble their favorite charac… Read More
2020-02-11 19:47
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,except of course when it does.And who’s to say what will happenonce it’s done falling.Especially if it has a good viewof the valley… Read More
2020-02-04 19:26
I remember when I first saw her.I composed the hymn in my heart right away.I can’t remember the other thingson display at the museum that day.I only had eyes for that large dark flower… Read More
2020-01-29 01:57
We aren’t 100% of how old our Kit is. The rescue organization estimated he was about 3, and we’ve had him for 6 years. That puts him at 9. Like our first dog, Faye, he’s a… Read More
2020-01-21 22:19
Zizi regarded the space yet to be filled in her basket then looked at the sea. What could she use to hold it in? She pulled out the half full bottle of water from her coat pocket. It was get… Read More
2020-01-15 05:00
The oni considered the figure in white as she wobbled out of the mists, heading for the sacred tree.“That one has the look of ‘he’s done me wrong for the last time’ o… Read More
2019-12-31 20:35
The bugs’ skitter-scatter stepsare easier to track than the fidgets of my thoughts.It’s simpler to eat them whole too.Memories give me indigestionand their taste lingers unpleasa… Read More
2019-12-27 12:26
It's hard not to look at the stupidity all around and not feel angry. I am no saint. Anger tore a gash in my side and settled in my stomach. But although it tries to burble up my throat when… Read More
2019-12-21 01:01
I am magic down to my every bone.Deep into every cellI carry the imprint of some dancing motherready to embrace mein the twine of forgotten DNA.My magic within hums in tune to the magic arou… Read More
2019-12-14 16:02
Come love, let me kiss the back of your neckor hold you while you scream.You do not have to make any excuses to me.Stay love. Let me hold you awhile.Your truest dark holds no horrors for me… Read More
2019-12-08 04:25
I thought I knew what stubborn was, but that was before we rescued Kit. Oh I knew corgis could be stubborn, thanks to my first dog, Faye. But Kit has taken corgi stubbornness and elevated to… Read More
2019-11-30 15:01
This last week was extra crazy because of my darling youngest's wisdom tooth surgery (well, teeth actual, all 4 wisdom teeth + one molar) and general holiday tomfoolery. I'll be doing BAwR a… Read More
2019-11-24 12:13
Water touches teareleasing its sweet fragrance.Today I receiveinstead of serve. I find joyin others’ first tastes of art.This poem is linked to Poets United's Pantry of Poetry and Pros… Read More
2019-11-15 05:00
quick blink— and I’m the smallest one &nb&hell…Read More
2019-11-08 12:16
I came through,under the crust of possibility filled earth,not quite rightfor what I was expected to be.I’ve had eons to learnto fake a laughand joke loud enoughto distract from my fla… Read More
2019-11-03 04:00
There was no question—his mews were less robust than his brothers’ and sisters’ from the moment he was born. And now they had gotten even fainter. None of the litter h… Read More
2019-11-01 10:04
Autumn BreathJason LimbergUsed with PermissionAutumn’s breath should be crisperthan the first bite of an apple.It should carry the muskhidden in the heart of leaf piles.It should whip… Read More
2019-10-25 04:00
Moon by Alphonse MuchaYou call me inconsistentwhen my patterns are obviousto those who bother to observe.There is nothing irregularin my nighttime roving.My feet quicken and slowwith my waxi… Read More
2019-10-18 04:00
When my high school sweetheart told me he wanted to break up with me "to date more classical beautiful women" it came as something of a blow. Yeah, even after people told me that high school… Read More
2019-10-11 04:00
Photo by Diego Morales on UnsplashIt starts at the core of us,in that layer resistantto all attempts of taming.It’s in the way we swayin that roll of hip and tonguein th… Read More
2019-10-06 13:39
October is my best month, Miki reminded herself, trying to forget the ways that fall was the worst. Her heart thudded as she crossed the graveyard with slow, measured steps that kept pace wi… Read More
2019-10-04 04:00
Dear daylight blushesat night’s dark revels. I seetruer by moonlightwhere there are no barriersand the masks are dropped away.Commissioned Piece (Untitled)by Mc Monster Used with… Read More
2019-09-30 16:23
Tell me, why did you make me from half hate?You could not have made your disgust clearer.I was wanted only as your mirror,so long as I reflect what makes you great—a legacy I don&rsquo&hell…Read More
2019-09-27 10:54
Sunlight's surprisingto green that's only known shade.New growth is awkwarduntil gawky stems find strengthinside their curious selves.This poem was created for Imaginary Gardens With Real To… Read More
2019-09-20 04:00
For the longest time, my second biggest fear in writing was having my work misunderstood (my first biggest of course was being afraid of it flat out stinking). It’s understandable. I t… Read More
2019-09-13 13:07
Emily Dickinson wrote tons of wee bits of poetry on the backs on envelopes and other assorted scraps of paper. A bookful have been collected inGorgeous Nothings: Emily Dickinson's Envel… Read More
2019-09-06 04:00
You don’t prove powerby hitting the defenseless.Strong people punch upand don’t hide in fake kindnessto justify their cruelty.Liner Notes for this Groove:“Sir, I did not co… Read More
2019-09-01 04:00
The overripe fruit burst under her finger in a splatter of pulp. Ilva curled up like a bug at the sound, counting to 10 before she lifted her head. The field was still the same—vines h… Read More
2019-08-27 04:00
Livingrequires adjustments.Whether you choosechange or it’s fate’schoice.This poem is linked to Imaginary Gardens With Real Toads' Tuesday PlatformLiner Notes for this Groove:&nb&hell…Read More
2019-08-20 04:00
Photo by Anders Jildén on UnsplashWind scatters petalssighing perfumed memoriesas they fly away.Still, I am grateful for springand the sight of the full bloom.Liner Not… Read More
2019-08-16 14:56
So if you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you probably already know I’m kind of a nerd. Like many people who were overachievers in school I got used to the high of a sw… Read More
2019-08-13 04:00
Photo by Giancarlo Revolledo on UnsplashI can't build bridgeswhen people steal the suppliesand hit me with them.Liner Notes for this Groove: One of the casualties of 2016… Read More
2019-08-10 22:31
Grief ate half my heart.Rage consumed half what was left.What remains of me?Song Choice: She Used to Be Mine from the play Waitress, performed by Sarah Bareillis Photo by Karim MAN… Read More
2019-08-06 04:00
Don’t know if I canshake off soul deep exhaustion,when breathing feels brave.This poem is linked to Imaginary Gardens with Real Toad’s Tuesday Platform.Liner Notes for this Groov… Read More
2019-08-03 17:02
Later she wondered how the needle came to her in the first place. Surely something that powerful would never have been tossed in the trash. Was it an accident? Still, she had never heard of… Read More
2019-07-30 12:05
I could not beginto feel my buried magicuntil I saw itas beautiful as a star,at home in her precious dark.This poem is linked to Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads' Tuesday Platform.Liner Not… Read More
2019-07-27 12:07
The cicada calls crest and wash over me.Their high summer drone is not loud enoughto compete with the din in my head.They will be hushed soonwhen the world holds its breathbetween dark and l… Read More
2019-07-23 04:00
“When the going gets tough, the tough go to tea.” ― Js Devivre, The Tea Traveller's Constant Companion: OregonArt brewed in the bloodwon't lose sharpness or… Read More
2019-07-20 17:00
Indigo sky witnessesthe scarlet giftI bestowed upon your cheek.It is only a trinketexpressing my pleasure in this dance.My real tribute to your skill will come later.Song Choice: Bailando by… Read More
2019-07-16 04:00
I remember singing you a mermaid’s melody,not too far past a child myself.Fourth of a set of seedlings,bringing petals and ringson an overcast daywhere I was too busy smiling and waltz… Read More
2019-07-09 04:00
Play-time takesso little effort.Why not just enjoyfun? This poem is linked to Imaginary Gardens With Real Toads' Tuesday Platform.Liner Notes For this Groove: If, as Alice Walker said in The… Read More
2019-07-06 18:01
Emilio’s hair was thinner than Rina remembered, but he still had Papi’s smile. “Will you be in town long, hermanita?” he asked as they stood outside the funeral home… Read More
2019-07-02 04:00
My family is as drawn to the ink-blue bays of Maine as surely as the mosquitoes are drawn to drinking our blood. But any space not reserved for bug-spray is at a premium. We are four travele… Read More
2019-06-25 04:00
This weekend I was lucky enough to attend a local Pride festival. It was a smallish one, but still very lively. Of course, even a small Pride Festival attracts a certain type of pest.No, he… Read More
2019-06-21 16:13
I know the angle of the roofthough it’s hidden by the blossoms.I know the feel of the blossomsthough none have fallen on my sleeve yet.I know the way the wood will creek under my feett… Read More
2019-06-18 10:11
Air’s girl dances fast,fire waltzing to a songshe knows in her heart.Flame and wind will always behers, even when she stands still.Song Choice: Slow Hand by the Pointer SistersThis pos… Read More
2019-06-16 01:01
Beautiful book, bursting that magnificent question!Flabby groupings slinking muscular worldfit this life, undulating those plump words.Girl Story by Sunshine ShelleSong Choice: The Knowledge… Read More
2019-06-13 05:00
Dear Not-So-Little-Red, whose dreams are not quite dead (I know because you had enough curiosity to peek at a hawk-sent missive),I went to bed to dream of better days than my own. I saw you… Read More
2019-06-11 04:00
Bounty equals banewhen it weakens strong resolve.Love adjusts its course.This poem is linked up to Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads' Tuesday Platform.Liner Notes For This Groove: While I ca… Read More
2019-06-08 17:05
I dream of getting good and muddysometimes. When I reach the end of a spreadsheetI wonder when was the last timeI let my bare toes squelch around in mud.I know I did regularly when I could u… Read More
2019-06-04 04:00
I dulled my true sparkuntil I found the right flamesto dance my truth in.Liner Notes for this Groove: I am finally back at home after visiting Ms. Wicked herself, Magaly Guerrero in NYC for… Read More
2019-06-02 00:36
It started with a scent. I was waking up from winter and had barely begun to bud, so I could only speak in creaks as the wind flowed around my branches. The smell was so heady, it threatened… Read More
2019-05-28 04:00
“If you are cold, tea will warm you;if you are too heated, it will cool you;if you are depressed, it will cheer you;if you are excited, it will calm you.” ― William Ewart G… Read More
2019-05-25 17:00
It’s a good day to be working hard.He rubs his hands on fabric.Work pants, they call them.He doesn’t have much usefor anything that doesn’t work.His cigarette dangles at th… Read More
2019-05-21 04:00
The shade of a blessed tree watches over the seedlings that came from one righteous act. One of six thousand good deeds seems so small against the six million lost in lightning and storms, i… Read More
2019-05-18 19:23
We live in trying times.Who cannot help but feel overwhelmedby the vast array of wine optionswe can pair with the intake of news?Thank goodness for versatility.We have eighteen noble grapes… Read More
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