All posts by Philip Wardlow

Philip Wardlow is a burgeoning ever growing writer and poet delving into all the various aspects of the human condition. His writing tastes run to the Erotic most recently. In the recent past he has written to the Dark Urban Fantasy & Horror Genre which he still loves as well. He likes to dabble in all the various forms of poetry; from the sexy to the humorous, to the profound and beautifully sentimental and reflective. He has only been at this chosen path for a few of years and has produced one Novella published as an Ebook on Amazon called “Roadkill”. He has submitted and continues to submit various stories and poetry works to publications for consideration. Philip is working on a collection of Erotic Poetry due out in 2021 in ebook form and perhaps in paperback. He is also concurrently working hard on his other passion; photography. Philip believes he can have each foot planted in two distinctly different worlds of creativity there by inciting new ideas and growth at the same time in both.

Progress so far in my NaNoWriMo Contest – A Short Synopiss of my NOVEL


Working Title-   The Creature in the Culvert

Culvert

Calvin Williams is a very  intelligent  misunderstood teenage boy who is bullied constantly at school because of his eccentricities that mark him as different there. Him and his brother live with a mom who is doing her best to make it work.  A sometimes violent undependable  father lurks at the edge of his life causing more stress for his already stressful life. Through all this Calvin finds refuge in a world he has discovered. A magical world of his own making? Or is it something more?

Carlos Escobar, a tough kid, the youngest kid  from a big family with high expectations for him to make it when all the rest have not. But he has fallen in with two others that have brought out the worst in him in his need to rebel  against what others want of him. And there is secret which no ones about that is slowly causing him to unravel.

Elizabeth (Lizzy) Preston,  new student to Two Rivers High School,  she’s pretty, strong, intelligent, and driven  but comes from a past that leaves her guarded, and borderline paranoid of people’s real intentions. High school is just a stepping stone to get on with her life and get away from a family she can’t stand.

Three distinct individuals on three very different paths will find themselves slowly spiraling towards a new magical reality they could only dream and a darkness that has laid hidden for thousands of years but now has been awoken with designs of its own with all three of them at the center of it.

WORDS WRITTEN FOR NOVEL SO FAR –  5,700  Words

Excerpt below from start of Novel –

Calvin had always believed in magic. He didn’t care what anyone else thought. They could doubt all they wanted. There was a hidden world which we cannot see sitting right in front of our faces, most everyone was too busy, too blind, or too stupid to see it. Calvin saw it in the trees as the ethereal distance winds kissed the leaves as it flew through the branches. He spied it dancing in the fire amidst the embers at night; little tiny sprites hopping from log to log amidst the flames. He smelled it in a wild rose growing in a crowded field of jostling weeds flinging its pheromones to attract the butterflies to alight on its silken petals. He heard it in the babbling brook as the water played upon the rocks behind his home whispering to the frogs as it traveled on downriver. He felt it in the rough stone he caressed in the palm of his hand; an ancient power from ages past unearthed from the deep bowels of the earth from the crumblings of a mighty stone titan long dead. It was everywhere if you would only choose to see. The magic spoke to him because he chose to listen and he almost understood what it was saying

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And yes that slip in the title to my blog is intentional…:)

NaNoWriMo starts for me TODAY!


October has passed…as well as  my Halloween Poem Challenge of  30 Scary poems in 30 days,  of which I think I accomplished very nicely….if I may say so – as he pats himself on the back –   thank you very much

NOW, I don’t want to write any new poems anytime soon…especially any Halloween or Dark Fantasy based ones…I’m kinda burned out on them and all…

SO you won’t see any poems here for awhile.

What you may see is me ranting about a new event I am participating in which STARTS TODAY!

Its called NaNoWriMo   or  National Novel Writing Month….that’s write (intended typo here)   you have to write a NOVEL , or more precisely 50,000 words in the month of NOVEMBER.

By hook or by crook, to meet the CHALLENGE you must finish before the stroke of midnight at the very end of the month 11:59 pm Nov 30.     30  DAYS!!!   50,000 Words –  THAT”S IT!    PENCILS DOWN CLASS!  NO CHEATING!

SO,  if YOU  yourself are interested go check out the official blog for it at  :   http://nanowrimo.org

Really there is really not much more to it than that…just write,  write, write,,,,till your fingers bleed….THAT’s A LOT of FUCKING WRITING In a MONTH.   Well for me it is anyways.

You see I have this little thing called my real job which actually pays the bills which takes up about 10hrs out of my day Monday through Friday.  (thanks god I have my weekends free).  And then there’s sleep…we all gotta sleep  right…right?  (crickets sounds ensue)

So I’m left with not much time…Boo fucking Whoo!   (see I’m already ranting about it. It’s not gonna be a pretty month for me I’m afraid. I don’t handle deadlines very well…

BUT THAT is  PRECISELY WHY I AM DOING THIS!

To teach me that this is what FUCKING real writers do….they write, and write, and write, and then write some more.

So I am giving myself a good reality check and slap on the head…a WAKE the FUCK UP intervention to tell myself and to ask myself, and to challenge myself to get serious about this thing called writing or SHUT the FUCK UP!

I seem to being giving a lot of FUCKS today….I tend to do that when I’m self motivating.

Wish me luck.  I think I will be changed person after this,  GOOD OR BAD, I do not know…but a changed person nonetheless.

TaTa…I’m going down the rabbit hole now…

Glady’s and the Bat – 30 Day Halloween Poem Challenge- Poem #30


Gladys

Glady’s and the Bat

Glady’s was an adventurous girl

prone to fits of dangerous

distraction.

A faired hair maiden.

Fair of mind as well, a simple girl.

but strong of will.

And will it seems, goes a long way in the land of scary make believe.

as you will see.

For a creature existed at the highest of heights

who dwelt in a dark,  dark cave of the evilest intent and might

 At night this foul creature swooped and dove, and dove and swooped

into the quaint little village where Glady’s did dwell,

Shrieking as it flew, it  carried off poor villagers from out of their beds.

The town had dwindled down next to nothing under it’s

never ending onslaught of nightly terror and dread.

Left now, were only Glady’s, the ice cream maker,

the pastor, and poor old widow Lady Albright

to be found in the town at next sundown.

“I shall face this demon,” Gladys told the others calmly.

“Very well, do what you must, but leave us be,” Lady Albright intoned.

“Oh, simple child,” the ice cream maker only said.

“I give you my protection,” the pastor simply said,  as he looked to the heavens.

Gladys boldly walked into the square at twilight while the others peeked

at her from the safety of their bedrooms.

Sweaty palms held tight to her late father’s sword,

now rusted and pitted but still sharp and keen of edge.

A flutter of wings sounded in the distant as

a dark shadow descended.

A flit of nothing flew over Gladys and beyond her.

A  crash of glass, and a scream ripped the night as

poor Lady Abright was plucked from bed and covers.

Her tortuous wail faded into the dark clouds as

the creature escaped back to its lair.

“We must go after her!” Gladys told the others

“Are you daft dear girl, we would surely die!” the cream maker wailed.

“Her fate was already written I am afraid.” said the pastor knowingly

Looking to them both, her eyes narrowed in quiet consternation.

Then an  AHA! moment entered her wee brain.

“Next time he comes I have a plan,” she said quietly.

The moon fell and the sun rose and then the moon rose

again as the next night came.

“I don’t see how this will help, we shall all surely die.

I am the most important can’t you see?  ” the pastor intoned.

They all stood clutching  each other  together tied tight with rough braided

rope at the waist in the middle of the street,

“Are you not assured of your safety through your piety? What’s there

to fear for you?” she smiled slyly.

The ice cream maker shook in his place and simply held tight to his

tub of cream that he had been told to bring.

A shriek preceded it’s shadow as it decended.

Talons clutched and pulled, grabbing the pastor

Yet the pastor did not budge, the weight being too great.

“Hold, monster!” Glady’s  yelled.

“Is it blood you seek? I have something sweeter,”

Glady’s grabbed the tub of cream, popped the top

and plunged her hand in deep.

She then  slathered the good pastor from head to

toe.

“Go ahead have a bite”  Gladys said

The creature landed,

Black fur, big ears,  wings ending in talons,

Teeth white, sharp and long,

Eyes wide and mad approached on spindly legs.

It looked at them each, and slowly full in the eye.

“Sweeeeeeeeeeeet!” it said sniffing the air.

Then bit into the pastor deep.

The pastor squeaked then died.

The dark bat licked the dead pastor clean.

“Mooooore!” it simply said

So Gladys gave him more.

And more, and more.

Now her and the creamer

share a house and keep the cream

well stocked.

As her and her pet bat go

on many a midnight walk.

by Philip Wardlow

Creepy – 30day Halloween Poem Challenge – Poem #29


Creepy –

I bet I can creep you out in some small way…:)

What exactly are you scared of?

You  sitting there, looking at your screen reading this.

A thousand things in nature  perhaps may be  just around

the corner. Waiting to meet you.

Be it man, an animal, a deformed creature or the unholiest of holies

in the night.

Some DO exist,  and  some may exist. You don’t really know for sure if they don’t.

It’s a big creepy world out there with big creepy things in it.

Do you need to go to the bathroom? Have a sit on the toilet.

Try not to look down and imagine something slowly crawling through the pipe

into your business. Is that the sound of very small teeth?

What’s your number? And is it up tonight?

You can probably say no. BUT you could be dead before the morn.

Singled out by that leery eyed little man down the street,

that’s taken a fancy to those beautiful feet.

He must have them for his collection you know…he must.

Oh, you’re at a party amongst your closest friends?

So you’re safe…sure, sure, no worries. He’ll wait.

Check your car, check your closet,  check under the bed.

that’s where I would hide If I wanted you dead.

What’s that tickle in your throat?

What’s that rumble in your belly?

Something kicking and crawling to get out?

Now how did that find it’s way in? Perhaps through

your belly button.

Well after all, it is Halloween my friend.Creepy

by Philip Wardlow

Stingy Jack – 30 Day Halloween Poem Challenge – Poem #28


Stingy_Jack_by_Phenylketonurics

Good Old Jack,

walks in the twilight between our world and what you would

call the other.

Into the out of, on paths that only he can see

with Fool’s Fire held in a hand-carved gourd to light his way.

A Ne’er-do-well if ever their was.

Cursed to wander the earth.

Never to know heaven or hell.

You may see his spook light bob in a graveyard or two as you pass,

especially on All Hallows Eve and on through to all Souls Day.

Wise men say, Old Jack’s looking for a way into heaven or hell

on such nights as these when the veil is thin.

If you see him, it’s best to keep on walking.

He has anger in him, a deep abiding bitterness swells.

like the ebb and flow of time that has trapped him.

He will have no hesitation to collect your soul should

you cross his path.

So beware or you may find yourself dead or a mindless

freak.

by Philip Wardlow

Life in Death – 30 Day Halloween Poem Challenge- Poem#27


SkeletonLight

Death appreciates life , just as life appreciates death.

Both are impartial to the other.

A cold touch caresses the

beauty which flits to and fro

with seemingly

chaotic intention.

How are we are to interpret the horrors of this vitality

when we ourselves are trapped in a purgatory

of our own design?

Perhaps a small light

shall lead the way for each of us

in our final hours as we lay

in our deep dark

grave.

By Philip Wardlow

Art with a Twist of Horror


TheKissDracula
”Vampire Kiss” by Dobrosav Bob Zivkovic
RIngofBones
Ring of Bones

LineUP

Pacman

Triad of Horror in Haikus – 30 Day Halloween Poem Challenge – Poem #24,25,26


PasstheTorch
Blade of souls passes,
from old to young hands gladly
to cut future fates.
Blackcat
A friend to shadows.
Tracks of misfortune follow
feline on the prowl.
CreepyImage
I see you creeping,
Big eyes, sharp teeth, wicked smile
Waiting for a hug

Haunted House – 30 Day Halloween Challenge Poem #23


hauntedhouse

In my youth,

on a dare, I walked up  the crumbling steps to a dilapidated house.

Why?  Because I was bold, fearless, and a little

touched in the head.

I pushed at the door,

The hinges squealed like the tortuous squeals

of pain inflicted a hundredfold.

My two friends stood there in the front yard like tall petrified blades of grass,

looking on, probably wondering how far I would take their dare.

“Go inside,” they said “and say Trick-or-Treat.”

So I had went, to  the dark threshold  to the

mouth of a house, said to have seen murder and mayhem

many years hence.

Then I did cross to the inside.

All was quiet.

Darkness advanced through the windows as

the sun finally set behind the dead trees outside.

Tattered curtains fluttered as the wind flowed

through broken panes of glass.

I was sure time had slowed. I had entered another dimension,

stepped into the netherworld where only ghosts lived.

Yet I felt no fear…only a calm curiosity to see

what might happen next.

Footfalls fell upon the floorboards, almost

skipping as if in play.

A little girl’s laughter filled my ears

as my bag of candy was pulled from my grasp.

“Trick or Treat?”  I asked, already  knowing the

answer to my question was both.

She materialized before me, munching on

a piece candy  she had found in my bag.

I watched, mesmerized as I saw the contents of

the candy go down her throat  through the opaqueness

that encompassed her form.

“No taste” she said sadly to no one.

Her eyes turned dark, reflecting a lonliness

compiled in a century of misery in this dank

forgotten home.

“Take this.” I said, handing her my sword and pirate hat.

“Happy Halloween, for tonight is your night…” I whispered.

She smiled a devlish grin and bowed, returning my

bag  of candy back to me.

“A treat indeed.” she said, laughing

and swinging her pirate sword,

lost in her world of make believe

as she slowly dissolved away.

I smiled a secret smile as I walked

down the steps to my friends,

and began to tell them of

my encounter they would

never really believe.

by Philip Wardlow