Ornery Owl’s Poetry Collection
Poetry
Date Published: 02-15-2024
Publisher: Naughty Netherworld Press
The poems, story, and thoughts included in this brief volume were inspired
by the independently produced album Wayward and Upward by Spinoza Gambit.
The story Prodigal Moon and the poem 401 Rush were included in the Wayward
and Upward anthology published by Off Topic Press.
I opted to publish this book on my 59th birthday. It would be a wonderful
gift to learn that my work inspired you or led you to learn more about the
Wayward and Upward album and anthology.
With love,
Ornery Owl
Excerpt
About Prodigal Moon
I was inspired by the idea of something that disappears and returns on a predictable schedule (the visible moon) and something that cannot return (a lost love.)
Prodigal Moon
Prodigal moon
You can spin me a silent tune
But you can’t return my love to me
I dare you to try
Catch him on the fly
Before he escapes ‘cross the sea
Prodigal Moon
A short story about a long-lasting friendship.
Deborah Virgo and Valentins Hines met on the first day of summer 2017. The youngsters lived at the wrong end of Fox Avenue. The electricity had been turned off in Valentins’s house, but he didn’t mind sitting on the covered porch painting figurines. His mother, Doriend Hines, was gone most of the time, working at the Daily Grind Bistro or The Zealous Whistle Tavern or staying overnight with old folks who paid her under the table for her caregiving services. Doriend was a workaholic who would have been thriving monetarily if not for being a functional alcoholic and opioid addict with a love of gambling.
Valentins was sitting on the porch at dusk, painting a vampire figurine for his haunted house, when a wraithlike girl with an alabaster complexion and waves of xanthic hair flowing to her mid-back entered the gate. She was wearing a knee-length olive-green gown that looked like it might have been all the rage in the 1920s and a pair of shiny, malachite-green shoes.
“Hello,” the girl greeted.
“Hi yourself,” Valentins returned.
“I’m Deborah Virgo. My family just moved into the house across the road from you.”
“Valentins Hines.”
“Could I see what you’re working on?”
“Sure. Come on up.”
The girl appeared to float just above the ground as she crossed the lawn. Her rose-colored lips bowed in a reserved smile. As she drew closer, Valentins noticed her unusual eyes. At first, he supposed that the rufous shade was a trick of the light, but the color remained constant when the battery-operated lantern shone directly on the girl’s face.
About the Author
Ornery Owl is a wise old bird who seeks the truth behind the lies. She uses
her observations to heal the wounded soul. In essence, she is the spirit of
an odd little bird whose wings were clipped at a young age. She is at once a
whimsical manifestation of poetic expression and a fierce protector of those
targeted for derision by an angry and unsympathetic world. Depending on how
you perceive her, she can be either a goddamned delight or your worst
nightmare.
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