My two forthcoming poems have now forthcome!

‘Boat-husk’ is available now in issue 4 of Through the Gate. Read it here.

‘Boat-husk’ is part of my worldbuilding-through-writing experiment: before I start to write a novel set in this forest world, I’m writing poems and short(ish) stories set in it, to get a feel for the thing and build the world up little by little. At some point I will have to sit down and do some more structured worldbuilding, but for now, this experimental approach is working. And it’s fun!

The poem was first inspired by something I actually saw at the start of May, though. Real world leads to fantasy-world; so it goes.

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The second publication is my poem ‘Bitter Mnemosyne’ in issue 25 of Niteblade, “Alice Underground”. The poem is inspired by Greek mythology, which I was excited by as a child and for which I still harbour a fondness. It includes impossible demands set by a lover; Persephone and Hades; and rivers of the underworld.

Now, this is how Niteblade works: for each issue, at first, there will only be teasers of the pieces included. When the magazine reaches its sales/donation goal for the issue, the pieces will thereafter be online for everyone to see.

So! I highly recommend going forth and buying issue 25 in .pdf, .mobi or .epub. It’s only $2.99 – totally affordable! – and you get 104 pages of sf/f/horror fiction and poetry. And my poem in full! The teaser for ‘Bitter Mnemosyne’ is here, but I’d much rather people read the whole piece. 🙂

I’ll post here when the issue is free for everyone to read, but in order for that to happen soon, do consider getting yourself a copy of the issue!