war

Old Gods

~ ~M ~ 7 Comments

Continued from here

Scouring the corridors for any sign of a way out, Darla walked briskly, knowing exactly what the Detainers would do if they found her. She’d already scurried through at least a dozen different passageways, and each adjoining area she found led to even more open-aired hangars. The hangars were full of battle-ready fighter jets and monstrous-sized cargo ships. Each silvery gleaming monstrosity seemed to be floating in unified anticipation of what was soon to come. Flashbacks of the Old Gods kept filling Darla’s mind. How had the world she’d left just a few years ago gone from pleasant rolling hills blanketed in emerald green clover to the current devastation, which was spreading more each day? It was difficult to understand how greed could be the cause of so much despair. And where was Abbefore she wondered, had he escaped and gone back into hiding, or was he now captured along with the others? And with that last thought, a sudden searing pain shot through her arm, and then another nipped at her upper thigh. That’s when the lights went out, the flashbacks disappeared, and with the onset of darkness, the dreams began.

© 2024 Michelle Cook

Continued here

Photo credit: https://afterwards.blog/

Writing challenge: https://afterwards.blog/2024/01/22/afterwards-writing-prompt-3-monday-22nd-of-january-old-gods/

Darla

~ ~M ~ 22 Comments

Barely escaping the shrouds of darkness, Darla suddenly found herself in the middle of a vast hangar. A monstrous beast hovered above her, one of many held fast by large steel cables anchored to an invisible ceiling. Standing in sheer awe and bewildered by the presence of this battle-ready fleet, she looked across at the dimly lit caverns she’d just escaped from. Unsure of where to go, she began walking along the indoor tarmac, watching as the looming monstrosities above her were periodically lowered to the ground. Once settled into place, the engines began to whir, and the fully powered beasts were so incredibly loud that the vibrations went straight through Darla, rattling her teeth. She wasn’t sure how long she could remain there before being spotted by a Detainer. After looking around for a hiding place, she noticed a large corridor leading to another hangar. Peeking inside, she realized just how vast this place was. Beyond the corridor she was standing in, there appeared to be countless corridors leading to endless hangars. Each area looked exactly like the one where she was presently standing. As immense as the place was, though, there didn’t seem to be any signs of anyone else like her. Everything appeared to be under the operation of robotics. And the hum of the mechanicals at work was almost a pleasant refrain from the blood-curdling cries she’d witnessed just a few hours before. With the war barely begun, she knew this was just the precipice of what was to come. Fearing she’d never again see the one person who meant the world to her, she waited earnestly for any sign of his presence. Wispy black strands of hair whipped across her ivory skin as more engines roared to life. Forlorn and fearful, her face creased with worry, she shivered at the sight of what her world had become.

Continued here

© 2024 Michelle Cook

Photo credit: https://afterwards.blog

Writing challenge: https://afterwards.blog/2024/01/08/afterwards-writing-prompt-1-monday-8th-of-january-darla-sci-fi/

Times Square Travails

~ ~M ~ 29 Comments

And then suddenly you were gone
like the rustling of crumpled leaves
fading against the backdrop
of a saturated city

My sails became limp and lifeless
hanging threadbare
against Times Square temptations
leaving me with a melancholy mindset
in the midst of a cosmopolitan dream

Manhattan meanderings
simultaneously stifled
an adventure left orphaned
under clouds full of finality

A meteor shower of emotions
enhancing the dimly lit depression
causing a crater of convictions
to overflow and seep into the crevices
flooding my ever-dispirited heart

© 2023 Michelle Cook

Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/ai-generated-woman-rain-night-wet-8020990/

I still believe

~ ~M ~ 28 Comments

I see God every day;
He’s always there
to brighten my way.

He made all the wonders
of the world,
even down to the tiniest
buds unfurled.

He gave me my life,
and He gave you yours;
He lets us decide our paths
and yet suggests detours.

It’s up to us to find our path
and go our own way,
and like a good father,
there are some things
He doesn’t say.

He lets us choose
whether we go left or go right,
but gives us our inner strength
when a battle arises
that we must fight.

He never promised us
a world without strife,
and He’s shown us plenty
of examples of pain
in His own life.

I think back to when
His most trusted angel turned away,
which reminds me of when
our own children chose not to stay.

The pain and sorrows
are never very far,
but just as a mother,
He still loves us wherever we are.

I can’t begin to understand
all that He is;
I just know that He loves me,
and I am His.

And one day, I’m sure,
I’ll understand more than I do now;
His wisdom will find me
just like the faith He has endowed.

Until then, I just keep trusting
and believing with my whole heart,
and I know He’ll be holding onto me
when at last, I do depart.

We mustn’t lose hope,
even in a world that seems so dim,
so I’m putting all my hope
in the One who’s always been.

© 2022 Michelle Cook

Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/rose-rose-blossom-bud-blossom-5255938/

The battle of love…

~ ~M ~ 25 Comments

Oh why can’t we make love instead of war?

Isn’t love supposed to make the world go round?

And if a thing of beauty is a joy forever
Then where is this everlasting joy?

A soft answer surely turns away wrath
But what ends up taking its place?

I’m always hopeful that love will find a way
And yet the journey of a thousand miles must begin with that first step
I wonder… am I really ready to begin that expedition?

I’ve been reminded in recent days of how misery loves company
And a friend in need is a friend indeed
But if opportunity never knocks twice
Then how did I end up here?

Cold hands are supposed to equal a warm heart
So I’ve been looking for the chilliest weather I can find
But I know Rome wasn’t built in a day
And it seems that time is taking its own sweet time

It definitely takes two to tango
And you can’t teach an old dog new tricks
So where in the world does that leave me?

And don’t get me wrong…
I know you can’t win them all
But people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones
Especially since all is fair in love and war

© 2021 Michelle Cook

* Here’s a glimpse of some of my old writing, all the way back from 2016.

Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/goodbye-kiss-couple-relationship-1441470/