A Writer’s Casserole

As many of you know, I just published my first novel back in the middle of January. However, I’m sorry to say this, we have a problem. Only four people knew about this project and it was kept behind closed doors and locked tight. But now I am so excited to announce the news. I am overwhelmed with joy to give you all something new. It is a anthology of poetry I have selected from a long list over the past Eight years. Carefully mixed together and baked to create a tasty dish for you all to enjoy. With no further delay, here it is. I present to you my second novel, “A Writer’s Casserole”.

It is available on Kindle and in paperback!

A dream worth fighting for

Not going to lie
You never see me cry
It’s hard to talk at times
But I don’t know how to try

These mornings you leave for work early
Those nights you work until time feels blurry
It’s hard for me to be alone without you here
But I could never tell you because of your fear

I never want you to worry
I don’t want you feel in a hurry
When I’m alone I feel ever second of time
When I’m with you I steal seconds like a crime

We both have our jobs that keep us away
The time we get I try to cherish every day
Then the day is over and one of has to go
Only leaving me feeling I’ve lost you long ago

Then I see your smiling face when we return
Like a fire inside my heart I love the burn
To see you happy and laughing at every turn
I enjoy every bit of it before the next downturn

But let’s track back to before these times
When you knew little about my mind
When you suspected me involved in crimes
When you never knew if I was drunk inside

I put you through hell and that’s a fact
Why you ever stayed with me I never knew
But you kept by my side when I lost my track
Setting me upright and helped me grew

I kept who I was hidden away deep inside
Your family couldn’t see anything from outside
The people you knew that knew me worried
They all thought you would end up buried

A broken man hiding in plain sight
A loving woman helping to make me right
I’ll never know if you did it as charity at first
But you helped me get away from the thirst

We’ve had our ups and downs that’s for sure
But we have overcome everything and endured
Now we move forward together as a team
We are working hard to establish our dream

I know times get hard and we can’t see an end
But we worked through worse without a bend
But like anything that has imperfections
It has to be tempered by heat and pressure

We keep overcoming every obstacle
We never give up when one of us falters
I’ll pick you up if you ever start to stumble
You always stabilize me when I start to fumble

Now back to the present state of our dream
We’ve been up early in the morning since three
Both of us working to make things come true
I know it will happen as long as I have you.

Clans of Merlin: Kuvalion

To my dedicated fans and avid readers, today is full of celebration. This has been a long time in the making but it’s finally here. I am excited to announce my debut novel, Clans of Merlin: Kuvalion. I am so proud of how this turned out and can not wait to hear from all of you about it.

The “Buy” button below the picture will take you to amazons website through your browser for purchase.

For anyone who tries to use the Amazon or Kindle app to purchase, if you have any issues go to my page for support. It will walk you through how to purchase the E-Book.

Kindle E-Book Purchasing Help

I just want to thank everyone again for being supportive and reading my weekly writings. It means an enormous amount that I can bring joy to you all through my words.

A Life Of Sight

I see you
All around these days
I see you
I hope you find your way

I see you friend
I see you working for another
I see your strength failing before the end
Don’t give into pressure or you’ll end up under

I see you in the day
Your life isn’t your way
The work you do brings dismay
You wish you could have gone another way

I see you in the night
You spend it where it’s bright
The dark is a gift for your might
You wish you didn’t spend the day in a fight

I see you standing your ground
You’ve finally taken enough
They never thought you wouldn’t be around
You won’t stay in a place that’s this rough

I see you being finally free
You’ve found what you want in this town
Those who challenged you backed down
You took joy in who you came to be

I see you turning away from me
You’ve gotten what you always dream
Those supporting you don’t like what they see
You travel a path that I can’t be seen

I see you disappear outside of view
You’ve turned from why you didn’t stay
This is the furthest I can go with you
I’ll stand here till you come back one day

I heard you found glory in those hills
I heard you met someone with your skills
I heard you live a new life full of thrill
I heard you didn’t stay when they read her will

I saw you struggle
I saw your anger bubble
I saw you finally leave
I saw you live free
I saw you chase dreams
I saw you excitedly scream
I saw you leave everything
I saw you through anything

You may have forgotten about us
You might never return when it’s rough
You don’t owe us back for anything
You wouldn’t want to give up everything

But we watched you change quickly
But we survived after you quietly
But we all put in for you to get your dreams
But we never stopped to ask what it means

We will always be here
This town wouldn’t let you be free
No one can understand why you left
But I feel your new life in my chest

I see you happy finally
I see you love unconditionally
I see you living peacefully

I see you before you changed
From who you used to be
even if you don’t see me

Money let’s them think they’re free
however it only allows them to be
who they truly want the world to see

Never forget when it was only your dream

The Death Of Evil

I’ve been called many things in life
Some of them are dead right
Most of them are just lies
One of them was made of might

For years I was labeled as bad
For years I was nothing but mad
For years I carried little to no care
For years I carried a blank stare

A place in life darker than night
A place in life scarier than fright
A place in life hungrier than starvation
A place in life hotter than cremation

It took everything from me daily
It yelled at anyone who acted nicely
It fought those who got too closely
It killed a few who I found lovely

Twelve years I lived in these places
Twelve years I accepted this cesspool
Twelve years I tortured other faces
Twelve years I captured any poor soul

All the sadness weighed heavier than a ton
It was the only thing that I felt around everyone

All the cries would drown out a concert
It was the only noise because I constantly hurt

All the last breaths could push a mountain
It was the only wind I felt in my prison

All the graves dug could swallow a city
It was the only thing I did with clarity

After all that I have ever done
I decided it was time for me to run
Clawing at the gates of this doom
I needed to leave this place of gloom

I planned my escape with precision
I bought time until I reached my position
I placed thoughts in others decisions
I waited until I could slip dimensions

I had finally escaped the pain

The other side was much different
Everything in the world seemed consistent
Evil existed in small places trying to get air
Not wide spread like my realm of despair

I kept one thing on my journey from time
An item that was a symbol of past crime
Covered in sweat, blood and burns
It stayed with me until I learned

Finally I found worthy ground
A place I could see all around
A place I wouldn’t be torn down
A place I wasn’t allowed to frown

A burning fire started easily
To cleanse this new life I have chosen freely

A lasting desire gripped tightly
To end torment that haunted my heart nightly

A curse lifting from a letter
To begin making changes to live life better

A soul drifting on the breeze
To gain peace in me for that which none see

With a deep breath as it burns bright
I feel the new life take hold this night
The man who caused pain and crime
He died painfully in a different time

Return to from where you come
Burn in the fires you call home
Stay there and enjoy your hell
A glorious death of the Infidel.

The Evil Awoken

For years you tormented me in a cell
For years you drug me through hell
For years you kept me fighting
For years you kept me hiding

I was merely a child when I was taken
I had no idea how fear would leave me shaken
I didn’t understand why you took me
I didn’t know if I was ever going to be free

But there were others like me

They had been fighting while in pain
They took me in and taught me skills
They ensured when my time came
They wanted to know I could kill

For days we fought the same battles
For weeks we listened to demonic Babel
For months we survived in cities of rubble
For years we knew there was more trouble

With each slain foe we grew stronger
With each soul gathered we grew stronger
With each quest completed we grew stronger
With each town conquered we grew stronger

We slayed Andariel for her heart
With it we gained the love of the hearth

We slayed Duriel for his teeth
With it we chewed on demons from beneath

We slayed Mephisto for his wings
With it we flew into hell unseen

We slayed Diablo for his eyes
With it we could see the bright skies

For a moment in time
Everything was fine

A cry came from the north
We knew our war and it’s worth

We slayed Baal for his soul
With it we could see our journey unfold

Our freedom was finally attained
Through all the torture and pain
It was all just part of their game
We never knew of any other way

Our journey home was long
Our friends we lost live in our song
Our memories are all that remain
Our time in hell was scared on our brain

So long dear old friends
Until the days we meet again
Until the time of old is renewed
I shall live free from what we knew

But as time went on I feared the day
When I would awaken back into pain
With a foul smell on the breeze
I see the signs of a demonic scheme

Twenty years you sat and festered
Cowering in the hell you once treasured
Gaining strength through every ember
Plotting your return for those you remember

Under the cover of night
An old enemy has awoken

It’s terror reigns unbroken
An old enemy looking to fight

With haste we gather up arms
With haste we sound the alarms

This time we won’t be scared
This time we are better prepared

In the end when I see his face
I will honor him with grace
His evil infects this ground
His evil knows no bounds

As I prepare to meet my fate
I will stand tall at hell’s gate
With one last passing thought
I will vanquish this evil he has brought

The last attempt he will make of his crime
The pent up anger and hatred over time
The final words of someone with a vision
From over his body I want him to listen

I knew this day would come once more
The world won’t stand in another war

If the day ever arose when you return
I will be here to stop you at every turn

I’ve grown older and wiser since I’ve been free
Now I have come to return the favor to thee
Twenty years ago you first said it with ease
Not even death can save you from me

Guild of the Wordsmith

We will weaponize words with willful wisdom
Our craft is that of reality and fiction
Telling you stories from our minds persistence

No one person here is the same
But in this guild we are one name
Our identity has been lost from fame

No one person here is above any other
We are established by our wisdom
Held to those who see this vision

We abide by the strictest set of rules
Ones that some may deem as cruel
Put in place by those who can’t be fooled

One must cautiously critique another’s work
Their craft is based in their own quirk

One must serve as eyes if asked to look
Their openness is a sign of honor in our book

One must never steal the work of another
Their truth lay in mind of that creator

One must either make it free or for sale
Their is no honor is baiting the tale

One must understand death is the next story
Their craft remains with the guild for glory

One must honor their fellow wordsmiths life
Their presence with us is their given right

Those who belong to the guild are our family
Together we have changed the world entirely
We will continue to craft these words tirelessly

Giving you what we are inspired
Leaving ink stains as we desired
Striving to leave our reader inquired

Our creed is what keeps us writing
Simple words to keep us fighting
Created for those of us crafting

From smooth ink and parchment
From heavy typeset action
From quick keyboard clicking
From silent screen tapping
These words are my passion
These words are my salvation
Without them stories aren’t told
Without them life would be cold
The fire within keeps me warm
The fire within makes me reborn
Nothing will stop me in this world
Nothing will be casted aside untold
The guild has become a haven for the bold

4 Years

It’s hard for me to sit here and think
That only four years ago this week
I was lost in my addiction to needing a drink

Never once thinking of what I was doing
I had a problem that had been brewing
My need to drink was doing my choosing

Now more clearly seeing these things
It’s something to think of so easily
I didn’t see that I was influenced heavily

Looking back at my confusing past
Not once stopping to throw it in the trash
I could have ended it all in a deathly crash

Year one was a blur
I hated being sober at first
I hated seeing others fix their thirst

Year two was a fight
I fought with bad thoughts endlessly
I fought with my reflection relentlessly

Year three was a stir
I tossed the idea around almost daily
I tossed my sobriety a coin to flip for me

Year four was right
I cleared my mind of drinking eventually
I cleared my mind of the negativity finally

It was hard to admit it from the start
To admit I had a problem rooted deeply
Seated in hatred for my life at certain parts
Convincing myself that this wasn’t so dark

Now four years down the road
I’m a better person for taking that route
Being happy with my life and growth
Not needing to have a drink for hope

I know the pain I’ve caused in the past
I’m not the same man that held that glass
I’ve grown into someone I’m happy to be
I have no interest in your thoughts of me

All I ask is for you to meet me in this new place
I don’t want forgiveness that’s two faced
I only want you to know me as I am today
No the drunken mess that I used to be

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please help them. Addiction is looked at as a choice, no lie, at one point it is. Then it evolves into something that the person only knows. Have patience with them, guide them to sobriety and support their decision. The worst thing that someone can do is finally get sober and then be bullied back to their addiction. Lord knows no one wants me back in the bottle, which is why I surround myself with those who know my struggle. If you have no one you can talk to, not enough strength to call the addiction line or go to a group, then come to me. I will be your strength, I will pick you up when you start fall, I will grab you when you feel yourself slipping, I will listen to you when no one else will and I will guide you on your journey through sobriety.
Peace, love and serenity to all.

Gauntlet Days

Warzone got you gassed?
Fortnite building your frustration?
Destiny not being what you planned?

Don’t you wish you could go back?
When it was you and three friends.
Four controllers on one television.
Countless hours playing together again.

In the new age we live in,
Everything is online,
Which isn’t a bad thing,
It’s just a disconnecting thing.

From the way it used to be,
The gatherings of technology,
The long hours of gaming,
The glorious end of party feasting.

Those were the good days,
The days I will always cherish,
The ones that make me proud,
The ones I will tell my children about.

But when did it all start?
What caused this infatuation?
It was a simple truth in all reality,
My mom bought a Nintendo for the family.

That’s when it took hold,
The thrill of being bold,
The adventures to still unfold,
The stories of ones we controlled.

But above all the rest,
One stood out to be the best,
A game that was multiplayer dressed,
One that I never got a chance to lay to rest.

Gauntlet legends was its name,
A game like any other that’s been made,
You could play it solo if you desired to,
But with friends you can fight it through.

My father introduced us to it,
My brother and I took quick to it,
Countless nights spent questing together,
The three of us on a continuous adventure.

Then one day it all came to an ending,
Never once looking for a new beginning,
I can’t put my finger on the reason it stopped,
But somewhere along the way we let it drop.

Now we are older and grown,
But we lost one of our own,
It wouldn’t be the same without him,
We couldn’t take on that old mountain.

I hope that one day it will come back around,
That I can share it with children of my own,
Their heads can fill with adventures abound,
They can grow imagination on safe ground.

Only time will tell if it will be remade,
The creators have long since faded away,
But the people’s voice can bring it back to life,
Once more we can share what it was like.

Take me back to the old days,
Take me back to the games we used to play,
Take me back to Nintendo and being young,
Take me back to Gauntlet Legends and the fun.

Please, I will officially beg that the holders of the rights of Gauntlet Legends from Midway studios begin remaking the game as an EXACT recreate of the original Nintendo 64 version for cross play across all major gaming platforms. It has been far too long since it has seen the light of day and the world needs something that isn’t stressful, something we can all play, something that is relaxing and enjoyable at the end of the day. Please spread this far and wide across Facebook, Twitter, tumblr,reddit, and everywhere else possible. Do it not only for the future generations, but for those of us who don’t have the ones we started playing with. Those that lost our Green Archer and don’t get to see our Blue Wizard anymore, do it for the memories, please I’m begging you.

Scars and Ink

Tick, tick, tick….

Once more I Start the clock
Six more months till I take that walk
Into a building I’ve known for past talks
To a room with a man who I call Doc.

Every time that clock starts running
The fear floods into me without warning
This won’t be the last time going
The anxiety I feel never stops growing

No one understands how much this takes
No one knows what I go through on these days
No one realizes how much I want to run away
No one sees how badly I want to just hide inside

I’ve lived life defined by my scars
They keep me caged like prison bars
There is nothing I can do to get away from them
I can only push forward and learn to embrace them.

With no enemy to face directly
With no hard target to shoot accurately
With no fearless throat to slit quietly
With no face to hate mercilessly

I have to accept this enemy
I have to understand this enemy
I have to outsmart this enemy
I have to beat this enemy

It is a war internally that is fought
A war I fight with great distraught
An enemy I can not stop with force
An enemy I can only slow on its course

Though it may be the same as always
Barreling down an unstoppable fate
I will not go into this alone
I will not fight this on my own

With each scar I’ve earned
I’ve placed winning ink in return
A trade made with each burn
A mark drawn for battles overturned

I look to these marks for strength
Each one supporting me at my minds gate
Knowing that I got them to hold my faith
Preparing me for what I need to face with strength

So when the clock runs out
And when Doc comes out
I’ll face this battle like always
I’ll take this scar for my better days

I’ll thank him for slowing my fate
I’ll hate the skin less attached to this face

I’ll smile through the days of fear and confusion
I’ll thank the pound of flesh that was ruined

I’ll celebrate another victory with more ink
I’ll look to this mark as a reminder of my coming fate
Giving me time to prepare myself for the next date

The clock starts once more
Six months till I walk back in that door.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE!

© Trenton Stalnaker and Around the block and on the bus, 2014-20–. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Trenton Stalnaker and Around the block and on the bus with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.