Hello, everyone! Welcome.
Today I’m sharing a Haiku and Tanka followed by a short excerpt from my new book, Son of the Serpent.
The poems are written in the ocean’s point of view at the time of the Great Flood. I hope you enjoy it.
◊
He fills me with rain
I venture to cleanse the Earth
Of His tainted souls
◊
A form in the clouds
The ward who had restrained me
loosed my giant waves
All I wished for was to breathe
But my breath moves mountains
◊
Son of the Serpent is a High Fantasy|Paranormal novel sprinkled with Horror and Romance. It is aimed at an 18+ audience. The book is written in 1st person POV. There are chapters written in Dracul’s voice interspersed by chronicles written in Lilith’s (the villain) voice. Today I’m going to share an excerpt from one of the Chronicles of Lilith.
Excerpt: Chronicles of Lilith
As I prepared to leave Shuruppak, rumors about a man named Noah, who claimed to be God’s prophet, came to my attention. According to my human servants, this man said God speaks to him and has told him there shall be a catastrophic event. Every living thing on this planet shall perish, except those beings selected by God Himself.
The servants laughed and took pleasure in ridiculing this man. They called him insane. I, however, have learned throughout the years that there is always some truth to the ramblings of the insane. I would like to see this man, Noah, and listen to his preaching, thus my departure would have to wait.
In the middle of the night I awoke to booming thunder, the likes of which I had not heard since the days I wandered in the wilderness with Gadreel when we first arrived on this planet. I leaped out of my bed and ran to a nearby window. The sky was ominous, with large bitumen-black clouds gathering to form gigantic ones. My superior vision allowed me to see things in the darkness that no other being could. A flash of lightning lit the world white for a moment. Rain began to fall, first tapping on the window and then becoming a rapid succession of beats.
I threw on a garment and ran outside to get a better look. There were still people outdoors, servants slow to finish their tasks for the day and others who came out to see what was happening. They ran for cover as storm clouds spat their loads of water. Sharp droplets of icy-cold water needled my shoulders and back. I shivered under the prickly feeling. The rain came in torrents now. Puddles formed, and the puddles became streams. They grew into rivers. I ran to a nearby tree to take shelter under it.
I hid from the people running and screaming in fear and shifted to my serpent form. The torrent became more intense, and the night grew darker with the bruise of thick, angry clouds. A wall of rain moved over the tree I stood under, and the drops drummed against the canopy. So much water fell from the skies that the sound blurred into one long, whirring tumult.
Many of the people of Shuruppak left their flooded homes and wandered the streets like lost souls. They had never seen a storm of this magnitude. Some had only been familiar with the morning dew. I had seen enough. I spread my wings and took to the sky. Flying had never been more difficult. The rain pelted my wings, while bolts of lightning threaten to spear me as they sliced the air to my left and right.
The earth shook and sent shockwaves rippling through the ground like water, destroying houses in an instant. Fires exploded everywhere, and the smell of smoke twisting through the air between raindrops was acrid on the hot breeze. Regular clatters rang out as structures crumbled apart and fell to the ground. I needed to escape, find shelter, but where could I hide from such devastation? The skies were becoming more and more dangerous. I flew toward the coast, but my wings grew too heavy and sodden to keep me airborne. I fell to the beach.
I looked toward the coastline, wincing and moaning, feeling the pain of my fall. I had been to this beach before, but it looked strangely unfamiliar now, abnormally vast. I thought maybe the darkness of the night was playing tricks on my vision, but then I realized why the beach looked so strange. The surf had drawn back hundreds of miles; the abandoned sand twinkled in the moonlight despite the rain.
I gasped at a black line on the horizon and watched as a colossal wave swept toward me at hundreds of miles per hour—rushing, roaring, angry froth foaming from between its lips. I stared, eyes fixed, as the wave surged in. I knew it was impossible to escape it. Heat had never left my body as fast as it did in this brief moment of realization. The torrent came after me, granting me a few seconds to enjoy breathing the ocean air before it wrapped me in frigid foamy fingers and dragged me to the ocean floor.
I struggled as sand and briny water filled my lungs, causing them to expand and burn. As the wave moved, it pulled me along with it, like it wanted me to witness the devastation it would cause. My death would not be simple or fast, for the powers granted to me by the fruit from the Tree of Life would sustain me. Powers I once cherished now seemed a curse.
As the wave pushed me along, I crashed into debris in the water. Every stab, rip, and fracture my body suffered brought me immense pain. Men, women, and children drowned, their dead bodies floating around me, yet I remained alive.
The giant wave hit Shuruppak. It was nothing like the waves which lap the shore every minute of every day. This was a gigantic wall of water, cold and powerful. It came over land with the power of a volcanic blast. It moved over the city with more ease than a wave over the sand, reducing houses and structures to rubble and killing every living thing.
My broken body filled with water, sand, and debris until the weight of it fixed me to the ocean floor. People, livestock, uprooted trees, and all manner of structures floated past me. The rain continued to pour.
The sky was now hinting at sunrise. Nothing escaped my eyes and ears, but I was immobile. Every inch of my body throbbed with pain, and the cold of the water chilled my bones. As I lay motionless, I watched a large wooden vessel approach. It was the greatest ship I had ever seen. It glided over the water’s surface, throwing its shadow to the sea floor as it sailed past me, turning day to night. I overheard people singing and the roar, moo, bleat, and bray of animals coming from the vessel. Not everyone had perished. Some shall go on, while I remain imprisoned in this watery grave. The weight of the water pressed down on me, crushing me, as the rain increased its depth.
The feeling of drowning never left me. The feeling of panic, unable to take breath, to inflate my lungs. The slow filling of my larynx––gagging, coughing, briny water forcing its way through my nostrils and into my lungs like acid. I would drown and die, and after a moment of peace, the process began again.
A familiar recollection filled the void in my head, spinning memories of Beelzebub lying at the bottom of the Euphrates River bound in chains, disfigured by suffering and hate. Is that also to be my fate? Shall I become a grotesque monster wallowing in fear, self-loathing, and pain?A sharp, loud wail pierced my psyche, and I realized it was I who did the screaming.
◊
◊
◊
Try and Life are this week’s prompt words chosen by Colleen Chesebro ~ The Fairy Whisperer.
*The catch is that we can only use the synonyms to these words in our poems.
Colleen hosts a challenge that anyone could participate in called, Colleen’s Weekly Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge every Tuesday, and you have until Sunday to create a post featuring your Haiku, Tanka, Haibun, Etheree or Cinquain poem. She is an author and poet, and also does book reviews and so much more on her blog. Be sure to check it out.
◊
Well done, Vashti! I’m thrilled that you are feeling better. Hugs and Merry Christmas. ❤
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Colleen. Wishing you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas too! ❤ xo
LikeLike
Haven’t lost your touch… keep up the good work, healing, writing and smiling, ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Annette❣️It feels good to get back to my blogging and writing. ❤️xo
LikeLiked by 2 people
❤️️I love the poem and the wonderful extract, Vashti! Wonderful descriptions take the reader into the fear and destruction. Bravo!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m so happy you enjoyed the poem and excerpt, Suzanne. It means a lot. Have a great weekend! 😊💕
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ditto, my friend.❤️️
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like the voice in this excerpt. You can tell it’s from a high fantasy. The last paragraph . . . chills!
And OMGosh, love both the poems!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yay! That’s wonderful, Priscilla. Thank you. Have a fabulous weekend❣️
LikeLike
Loved the ocean’s point of view Vashti:) What a great visual from the flood’s eyes. Have great weekend. xo
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m happy you get it, Denise. You have a great weekend too, my friend. 😊💕
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nicely done, Vashti! It’s so great to see you back at it once again. I hope you’re feeling better with each passing day. Take care of yourself! ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Jill. I am feeling better everyday. Thank God. Getting back to my writing and blogging has been very helpful to me. Thank you for the kind words, my friend. Wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday season.
💗💗💗
LikeLiked by 1 person
❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Super poem and good excerpt, Vashti.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, John. I’m happy you enjoyed it. Have a great weekend❣️
LikeLike
Wow, that last line- chills! Well done, Vashti ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yay! Thank you, Jacquie. You have a wonderful weekend!😊💕
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fabulous, Vashti, and perfect choice of a fragment of your book… Oh, Lilith… I hope you’re feeling better. ♥
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m so glad you enjoyed the excerpt, Olga. I am feeling a bit better everyday. Thank you so much. Have a wonderful weekend❣️
LikeLike
I enjoy your poems and excerpt of your new book, Vashti. Hope that you get stronger every day! ❤ ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m happy you enjoyed the post, Miriam. I do feel like I’m getting stronger everyday. Thank you. ❤ xo
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s good to hear that, Vashti. When I was recovering, I was keen to my energy level. 🙂 ❤ xox
LikeLiked by 1 person
A lovely poem and extract, Vashti. I am pleased to hear you are recovering from your operation.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Robbie. I do feel a little better everyday. 🙂 xo
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love this perspective, Vashti. Bravo! Hope you’re feeling much better. Healing ((((hugs))) to you. XO
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yay! I’m so glad, Natalie. I am feeling much better. Getting back to doing what I love is a huge help, I think. I believe the worst is behind me now. Thank you for the healing hugs, my friend. ❤ xo
LikeLiked by 1 person
So glad you are feeling better, Vashti! This is a compelling excerpt!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Jan. I’m happy you enjoyed it. Have a lovely weekend. ❤ xo
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, I just love your writing Vashti. You ate so talented. So pleased to hear that you are on the mend. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aw, thank you so much for the kind words, Marje. I’m happy you enjoyed the excerpt. I am on the mend, I feel better everyday. Thank you and have a wonderful holiday season. ❤ xo
LikeLike
So pleased to hear. ❤ And wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Xxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a powerful poem, Vashti, and made more so by the unusual point of view. Wonderful excerpt too. Your world-building is fantastic. I enjoyed it. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hello, Diana. I’m so glad you enjoyed the poem and excerpt. Thank you for the compliment. It means a lot coming from you. 😀 xo
LikeLiked by 1 person
I stopped by to read again. Intense writing, Vashti. Well done!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very much, Diana. 😀 ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Loleta Abi.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for rebloging, Traci! ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome, Vashti!
LikeLike
Loved the poem and the excerpt, still can’t wait to read. So glad to see you here, I am thrilled you’re on the mend! ❤ xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yay! Thank you, Debby. Your enthusiasm gives me strength and energy. I appreciate you. ❤ xo
LikeLiked by 1 person
❤ xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a fantastic excerpt! I’m so glad you are back to writing and sharing. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me too, Yvette. I’m happy you enjoyed the excerpt. Thank you! 😀 xo
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! Vashti, this is intense and terrific writing … incredibly vivid and I found myself holding my breath as I read it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yay! That’s wonderful, Annika! Thank you. 😀 xo
LikeLiked by 1 person
Vashti – well done and wonderful details – I am very glad you are feeling much better, welcome back. I wish you a very Merry Christmas to you and to your family.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Mino. I’m feeling a little better everyday and I’m happy to slowly get back to doing the things I love. Thank you so much. Wishing you and your loved ones a great holiday season! ❤
LikeLike