May words

Short works for the month

A collection of short works from May

All words, photos, and artwork my own, unless otherwise noted. 

Note: The historian in me is always compelled to cite my sources, so I did something new this month. I tagged other writers who provided a first line in a poetry chain. If you prefer to be removed from this post, just send me a message. :) 

And away we go.

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5/3/26

tanka:

Dark soil under nails

Bergamot budding early,

while zinnia waits

Hyssop coats the air,

sweet marigold won’t be rushed

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5/4/26

Poetry chain, first line from The Quantum Quill

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

authentic expression

though always with care

the kind of words that glow

the fire is there

but it burns in embers

gently warming

never smothering

the kind of heat that lingers

nostalgic and yet brand new

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5/4/26

Poetry chain, first line from Odel Asseille

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Part of the turning gears of destiny

Reflect what is inside ourselves

Each new motion built on emotion

That demands to be felt,

to be seen, to be held

For truth is the axis on which we all spin

the eternal rhythm where we finally begin

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5/4/26

Poetry chain, first line from Evan Bridges—Historical Horror

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Never had a place to call its own

so my hope lives in my bones

I hold it close, a part of my chest,

and weary, rock it, as it rests

it knots its fingers round my breath,

a bargain made to conquer death

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

This one went on to inspire much of my story:

The Last Beautiful Thing

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5/6/26

like gossamer wings

drifting through the waving leaves

prisms dance on air 🫧

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5/11/26:

tanka series

This went on to become a slightly longer post in a poem series:

Holy Dirt

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5/12/26

maple:

red fire masking green,

beams of light bleed through dark leaves,

brief as breath on glass

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5/12/26

Poetry chain, first line from Damien

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

face to face, now I have faith, my heart’s felt what’s chose, it’s you

a woven devotion, tangled and true

it’s storming again and you’re heavy on my mind,

a knot in my spirit I can’t seem to unwind

I toss and I turn, pressing my eyes shut tight,

while my body is restless, ready to ignite

always circling in the very same orbit,

paths nearly aligned, too close to ignore it

a fate so resigned, I’ve stopped trying to hide,

drawn by a gravity pulling from deep inside

I still hear your voice, though there isn’t a sound,

it’s a constant vibration, more verb than a noun

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5/13/26

Poetry chain, first line from James (HVR)

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

But for tomorrow?

We plant seeds along with hope

To heal every root

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5/14/26

blue cornflower:

wild sapphire bloom,

awakened in garden soil,

deep indigo eye

buzzing bright with second sight,

leaning in, our gaze aligns

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5/14/26

/the only way out is through/

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5/16/26

iris tanka:

summer whispers near

warm breath mimics the stillness

painted paper wings

beautiful and perilous

guarding memories of you

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5/19/26

deadly tanka:

pale green glamours thrum

whispering of dark rewards,

danger clad in light

a lethal kiss beckons home

but where does the spirit rest?

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5/20/26

Poetry chain, first line from James (HVR)

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

It’s hiding from me

creeping just beyond my sight

teeth bared in the dark

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5/20/26

Poetry chain, first line from Sara da Encarnação

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Like tomorrow sent me an invoice,

For a night I didn’t even get to keep

The sky’s a pooling ink spill,

And the moon is singing me to sleep

So I’m bowing to the shadows,

Because tomorrow’s talk is cheap

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5/20/26

Poetry chain, first line from Damien

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Trapped in my midnight

Your fingers trace the cosmos

Burning through my skin

Orbits align now

Constellations form our names

Tangled in the dark

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5/20/26

Poetry chain, first line from The Quantum Quill

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

I see myself now

Deep roots and twisted branches

A wild, wondrous tree

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5/21/26

tanka:

Honey locust strands

Golden networks in the air,

Mapping like the mind

Wood and thought grow intertwined,

Both shaped by what they weather

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5/21/26

Poetry chain, first line from James (HVR)

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

For TGIF

When the family matters

And we met the world

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5/26/26

wisps of pastel pink,

faded blue holds one bright speck,

little white dot moon

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5/31/26

blue moon:

The world is throwing a tantrum in the streets,

All sirens and expensive, broken things

But the Blue Moon leans against the windowpane,

Glowing with that wild, unbothered light,

She doesn’t care that my mind is a drawer full of tangled wires

She just tilts her silver chin and says,

Look at us, two beautiful night owls, with nowhere else to be

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Note: I was under the weather for a lot of May, so I want to take a moment to thank everyone who kept on tagging, engaging, and sharing my work while I was mostly offline. The support and community here are truly priceless.

Thank you for being here.

Until next time,

j

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Check out the first episode of Strange Transmissions, a new publication/podcast from The Quantum Quill and I, featuring original music, artwork, and intrigue.

Ep. 1: Synthetic Sweethearts

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