5d12
He thought he understood
What it meant to travel through a desert
He couldn't have been more wrong
Under the sweltering sun, his eyes are opened
The other hired hands are from this warm world
And mock the westerner for his excessive sweating
One reaches out to him in aide
In exchange for first aid, both magical and practical
The two strike up a somewhat rushed friendship
Assuming it would end once they reached their destination
But they find this place in need of help
More help than humanitarians can provide
His story continues...
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
4d12
4d12
Down dark alleyways
And around suspicious corners
A setting unsettling to most
Familiar to him
There have been times when he questioned
Whether he sees better in the dark
When he can't be seen
Making this next part uncomfortable
He knocks upon the door of the potential client
A small child opens the door
Without so much as a blink
He asks the sellsword, "Are you here to kill my dad?"
His story continues...
Down dark alleyways
And around suspicious corners
A setting unsettling to most
Familiar to him
There have been times when he questioned
Whether he sees better in the dark
When he can't be seen
Making this next part uncomfortable
He knocks upon the door of the potential client
A small child opens the door
Without so much as a blink
He asks the sellsword, "Are you here to kill my dad?"
His story continues...
3d12
3d12
From each house come more
More of these bandits with hostages
The people of this village have been taken
All the more reason to stop holding back
She sends the swords skyward
Out of sight of all without a magic eye
The leader doesn't flinch
But his minions' hands get shaky
Storm clouds appear over the stalemate
Those shaky hands get shakier
And the leader stands more determined than ever
Unconcerned with his enemy's relation to the storm
Her story continues...
From each house come more
More of these bandits with hostages
The people of this village have been taken
All the more reason to stop holding back
She sends the swords skyward
Out of sight of all without a magic eye
The leader doesn't flinch
But his minions' hands get shaky
Storm clouds appear over the stalemate
Those shaky hands get shakier
And the leader stands more determined than ever
Unconcerned with his enemy's relation to the storm
Her story continues...
2d12
2d12
Slitting throats made easier
Thanks to those smoke bombs
Purchased from the sellsword
Easier, but awkwardly unfamiliar
Now in the open for the final two
Feels right at home
For a woman cast out of hers
A warrior who refused to stand down
She could have followed orders
And the peasants could have been sacrificed
But to her selfish and cowardly commanding officer
She pointed a sword and defied cruelty
Her story continues...
Slitting throats made easier
Thanks to those smoke bombs
Purchased from the sellsword
Easier, but awkwardly unfamiliar
Now in the open for the final two
Feels right at home
For a woman cast out of hers
A warrior who refused to stand down
She could have followed orders
And the peasants could have been sacrificed
But to her selfish and cowardly commanding officer
She pointed a sword and defied cruelty
Her story continues...
5d10
5d10
Ten miles on foot to an outpost for four-legged transportation
Nine miles more upon the back of a camel
Eight pieces platinum available for a protection post
Seven Sands to be crossed by a caravan of humanitarians
Six other protectors already hired
Five of them built purely for offense
Four days of non-stop travel
Three times the pay off than usual
Two eyes must be kept open at all times
One potentially dangerous agreement to be of service
His story continues...
Ten miles on foot to an outpost for four-legged transportation
Nine miles more upon the back of a camel
Eight pieces platinum available for a protection post
Seven Sands to be crossed by a caravan of humanitarians
Six other protectors already hired
Five of them built purely for offense
Four days of non-stop travel
Three times the pay off than usual
Two eyes must be kept open at all times
One potentially dangerous agreement to be of service
His story continues...
4d10
4d10
Ten unclaimed bills posted on the Hit Wall
Nine others already crossed out
Eight patrons drinking their drinks
Seven days spent in this hole gathering info
Six nights sleeping in an underground room
Five visits from the captain of the guards
Four bags of gold given by the tavern owner
Three glares exchanged between corrupt lawmen and sellsword
Two feasible jobs remain after chasing down leads
One pays suspiciously more than the other
His story continues...
Ten unclaimed bills posted on the Hit Wall
Nine others already crossed out
Eight patrons drinking their drinks
Seven days spent in this hole gathering info
Six nights sleeping in an underground room
Five visits from the captain of the guards
Four bags of gold given by the tavern owner
Three glares exchanged between corrupt lawmen and sellsword
Two feasible jobs remain after chasing down leads
One pays suspiciously more than the other
His story continues...
3d10
3d10
Ten degrees colder than any pain they've ever felt.
Nine more words spoken while they look on in frightened amazement
Eight swords gain controlled, independent flight
Seven screams as slashes soar
Six howls as stabs penetrate
Five crossbowmen lose their trigger fingers
Four beg for their lives
Three-pronged fishing spear drawn by their leader
Two hands holding tight to a blood-stained grip
One thing for sure: this isn't your usual lack of a welcome for outsiders
Her story continues...
Ten degrees colder than any pain they've ever felt.
Nine more words spoken while they look on in frightened amazement
Eight swords gain controlled, independent flight
Seven screams as slashes soar
Six howls as stabs penetrate
Five crossbowmen lose their trigger fingers
Four beg for their lives
Three-pronged fishing spear drawn by their leader
Two hands holding tight to a blood-stained grip
One thing for sure: this isn't your usual lack of a welcome for outsiders
Her story continues...
Dinner for the Crew
Dinner for the Crew
To the big damn heroes
Wearing the notably unshiny browncoats
Standing in opposition to the purple bellies
Shining in their lies
Gold and silver bathed in blood
To the heroes of the 'verse
I welcome you
To a feast of far greater delicacies than protein paste
However, if the nutrient-rich protein
Is more to your liking
I can serve it up in every shape you request
Otherwise, I have planned for you
The freshest strawberries and other assorted fruits
The ripest tomatoes, accompanied by the greenest salad
With Mudders' Milk, fine wines, crispest ciders,
and most delicious beers to wash it all down
I request your presence and look forward to your arrival
To the big damn heroes
Wearing the notably unshiny browncoats
Standing in opposition to the purple bellies
Shining in their lies
Gold and silver bathed in blood
To the heroes of the 'verse
I welcome you
To a feast of far greater delicacies than protein paste
However, if the nutrient-rich protein
Is more to your liking
I can serve it up in every shape you request
Otherwise, I have planned for you
The freshest strawberries and other assorted fruits
The ripest tomatoes, accompanied by the greenest salad
With Mudders' Milk, fine wines, crispest ciders,
and most delicious beers to wash it all down
I request your presence and look forward to your arrival
Abstract Opposites
Abstract Opposites
Sing in the serene silence of solitude
Crashing against careless canyons devouring
Writing willfully with wrath against the weight
Walls made of worthless words wanting
Wanting more
Always wanting more
Sing in the serene silence of solitude
Crashing against careless canyons devouring
Writing willfully with wrath against the weight
Walls made of worthless words wanting
Wanting more
Always wanting more
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Acrostic 2
Acrostic 2
Young man feeling oh so old
Advocate for education
Reliable friend to the very end
Believer in the next generation
Young man feeling oh so old
Advocate for education
Reliable friend to the very end
Believer in the next generation
Sunday, January 20, 2019
My Writing Process: An Epic Penned Across the Compass
My Writing Process: An Epic Penned Across the Compass
I'm fascinated by a many number of things. One of those things is the concepts of direction and journey-taking. It's one of the reasons why I enjoy classic epics such as The Odyssey and The Lord of the Rings; as well as modern classics such as The Inheritance Cycle, and A Song of Ice and Fire. Now, combine that with the inspiration I find in video games, and it makes perfect sense that I would be such a big fan of role-playing games like Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Dragon Quest, and most recently: Fallout. My interest in video game RPGs is not an exclusive one; I also found a great interest in table-top RPGs back in college. That interest has followed me into my teaching career. Fortunately, an incredibly awesome group of students I have enjoyed teaching just so happen to like table-top RPGs as well. It was difficult to get a Dungeons and Dragons campaign going since attendance was inconsistent. I was therefore required to be creative. The thing is, I took that requirement to the maximum and created the foundation of a whole new table-top RPG. I have named it Cataclysm and the students absolutely love it! I was so happy they were having fun and to watch their characters evolve in conjunction with the game itself. Improvements have been made to the mechanics, but the lore is in need of much more than is currently written. Therefore, I've embarked on a poetic journey to tell four stories of particularly skillful adventurers from the world of Cataclysm. I have already written quite a few poems in the series and I am very excited to keep it going; seriously, there's such a refreshing feeling that comes from writing for the fun of it; to create a narrative with my poetry, that which contributes to the even larger narrative of an entire world that I have created. I'm relatively certain that this is the kind of rush the writers of those aforementioned classics felt and fell when creating brand new worlds filled with an assortment of fascinating people and a rich, diverse, and enlightening history. I don't mean to compare the quality of my work with the greats of the genre; however, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that I hope to enter their ranks some day. For now, I mostly just hope to enjoy the fun I'm having for as long as I can.
I'm fascinated by a many number of things. One of those things is the concepts of direction and journey-taking. It's one of the reasons why I enjoy classic epics such as The Odyssey and The Lord of the Rings; as well as modern classics such as The Inheritance Cycle, and A Song of Ice and Fire. Now, combine that with the inspiration I find in video games, and it makes perfect sense that I would be such a big fan of role-playing games like Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Dragon Quest, and most recently: Fallout. My interest in video game RPGs is not an exclusive one; I also found a great interest in table-top RPGs back in college. That interest has followed me into my teaching career. Fortunately, an incredibly awesome group of students I have enjoyed teaching just so happen to like table-top RPGs as well. It was difficult to get a Dungeons and Dragons campaign going since attendance was inconsistent. I was therefore required to be creative. The thing is, I took that requirement to the maximum and created the foundation of a whole new table-top RPG. I have named it Cataclysm and the students absolutely love it! I was so happy they were having fun and to watch their characters evolve in conjunction with the game itself. Improvements have been made to the mechanics, but the lore is in need of much more than is currently written. Therefore, I've embarked on a poetic journey to tell four stories of particularly skillful adventurers from the world of Cataclysm. I have already written quite a few poems in the series and I am very excited to keep it going; seriously, there's such a refreshing feeling that comes from writing for the fun of it; to create a narrative with my poetry, that which contributes to the even larger narrative of an entire world that I have created. I'm relatively certain that this is the kind of rush the writers of those aforementioned classics felt and fell when creating brand new worlds filled with an assortment of fascinating people and a rich, diverse, and enlightening history. I don't mean to compare the quality of my work with the greats of the genre; however, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that I hope to enter their ranks some day. For now, I mostly just hope to enjoy the fun I'm having for as long as I can.
Friday, January 18, 2019
That One Moment of Many
That One Moment of Many
When that one bad day
Sets the sun forever
On all the good ones
When that one remark
Mutes in permanence
Every nice thing you've ever said
When that one break
Undoes all that hard work
And time you put in
When that one moment
That was less than awesome
Outweighs all the good times
Your smile must exercise
Put in some reps
At the introspection gym
"You're a good teacher Mr. Bray.
Know that. Believe that. Remember that
The next time a student needs you to be that."
When that one bad day
Sets the sun forever
On all the good ones
When that one remark
Mutes in permanence
Every nice thing you've ever said
When that one break
Undoes all that hard work
And time you put in
When that one moment
That was less than awesome
Outweighs all the good times
Your smile must exercise
Put in some reps
At the introspection gym
"You're a good teacher Mr. Bray.
Know that. Believe that. Remember that
The next time a student needs you to be that."
Acrostic
Acrostic
Been waiting a long time
Even set aside other goals
Necessarily left behind
Just to get to this moment
Absent of further goals
Meant to keep me striving
Instead, I plan to stand
Nesting in my humble nest of success
Been waiting a long time
Even set aside other goals
Necessarily left behind
Just to get to this moment
Absent of further goals
Meant to keep me striving
Instead, I plan to stand
Nesting in my humble nest of success
Want Ad
Want Ad
Wanted:
An empty mind
With room to spare
For endless anxiety
Time to kill
To experience the negativity
Constantly knocking at the door to your day
Hope and hopelessness
Need not apply
To this war of attrition
Entropy eternal
And heart forsaken
No pay; no promotions; no retirement
I offer you nothing
Simply because I can't
Wanted:
An empty mind
With room to spare
For endless anxiety
Time to kill
To experience the negativity
Constantly knocking at the door to your day
Hope and hopelessness
Need not apply
To this war of attrition
Entropy eternal
And heart forsaken
No pay; no promotions; no retirement
I offer you nothing
Simply because I can't
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Invite to the Ball
Invite to the Ball
My cauldron's pit knows no bounds
Find me the serrated nose of a drunken clown
Trim from the hangman's armpit some whiskers
And slap the pus right out of your blisters
Make the wolf howl and then claim its call
I swear, upon this night, I will attend the ball
My cauldron's pit knows no bounds
Find me the serrated nose of a drunken clown
Trim from the hangman's armpit some whiskers
And slap the pus right out of your blisters
Make the wolf howl and then claim its call
I swear, upon this night, I will attend the ball
Monday, January 14, 2019
Benjamin: Three Hundred Tries Later
Benjamin: Three Hundred Tries Later
A nerd who reads
A geek who sings
From his greatest highs
To his deepest lows
No more his, he, or him
This one's mine
About me
For me
I am the gamer
The geek
The nerd
The reader, writer, and poet
I am the one
Who shed my fears
My blood, sweat, and tears
To face a new day
This new day
Most definitely different
From years of feeling overwhelmed
I'm still battling; it's true
It's simply that
For the first time
I genuinely feel
I might win
I have two legs to stand upon
And I'm standing tall
I have friends, family, and love
To stand beside me
The time will come
When I write to express
The depths I fall into
As I have before
But for now I write
For fun
I write in celebration
Of what's begun
This new chapter
Is mine for the writing
A chapter
Of my design
The ideas from my mind
The feelings from my heart
The dreams from my soul
The life from my pen
All of it flows
Towards another challenge
But this time the waters are clear
The waters are strong
I am
Benjamin Robert Bray
I am
Loved, cherished, respected, and blessed
Thank you all
For helping me reach this point
At which I can stop crying every time I write
And start smiling at this chance I have to do what I love
A nerd who reads
A geek who sings
From his greatest highs
To his deepest lows
No more his, he, or him
This one's mine
About me
For me
I am the gamer
The geek
The nerd
The reader, writer, and poet
I am the one
Who shed my fears
My blood, sweat, and tears
To face a new day
This new day
Most definitely different
From years of feeling overwhelmed
I'm still battling; it's true
It's simply that
For the first time
I genuinely feel
I might win
I have two legs to stand upon
And I'm standing tall
I have friends, family, and love
To stand beside me
The time will come
When I write to express
The depths I fall into
As I have before
But for now I write
For fun
I write in celebration
Of what's begun
This new chapter
Is mine for the writing
A chapter
Of my design
The ideas from my mind
The feelings from my heart
The dreams from my soul
The life from my pen
All of it flows
Towards another challenge
But this time the waters are clear
The waters are strong
I am
Benjamin Robert Bray
I am
Loved, cherished, respected, and blessed
Thank you all
For helping me reach this point
At which I can stop crying every time I write
And start smiling at this chance I have to do what I love
Eclipse
Eclipse
Eclipse mine eyes
With all I've yet to see
Shut one eye to what is
And the other to what has yet to be
It's mine eyes that I own
And their recordings I've known
To be misleading in the past
Making me believe in a future that cannot last
So where to next with my contradiction
Of eyes both blind and yet can see
To where are my thoughts' journey to come to fruition
When will it be true that my eyes are me
Eclipse mine eyes
With all I've yet to see
Shut one eye to what is
And the other to what has yet to be
It's mine eyes that I own
And their recordings I've known
To be misleading in the past
Making me believe in a future that cannot last
So where to next with my contradiction
Of eyes both blind and yet can see
To where are my thoughts' journey to come to fruition
When will it be true that my eyes are me
2d10
2d10
Ten seconds to react to the ghoul attack
Nine inch dagger drawn in her right hand
Eight second fuse on the smoke bomb in her left
Seven seconds of especially dense smoke
Six stabs to the first feral foe
Five stabs to the smaller second screamer
Four seconds used to kill the first
Three seconds for the second; smoke dissipates
Two enemies left
One goal on what's left of their minds
Her story continues...
Ten seconds to react to the ghoul attack
Nine inch dagger drawn in her right hand
Eight second fuse on the smoke bomb in her left
Seven seconds of especially dense smoke
Six stabs to the first feral foe
Five stabs to the smaller second screamer
Four seconds used to kill the first
Three seconds for the second; smoke dissipates
Two enemies left
One goal on what's left of their minds
Her story continues...
5d8
5d8
One new world through the wide-opened
Two eyes in awe of the wonder before him
Three light pieces of luggage leave the boat with him
Four volumes of advanced restorative magic spells
Five pouches of powdered herbs for healing without magic
Six yards of bandage wrap
Seven scrolls for warding spells
Eight-sided mace for more aggressive actions
His story continues...
One new world through the wide-opened
Two eyes in awe of the wonder before him
Three light pieces of luggage leave the boat with him
Four volumes of advanced restorative magic spells
Five pouches of powdered herbs for healing without magic
Six yards of bandage wrap
Seven scrolls for warding spells
Eight-sided mace for more aggressive actions
His story continues...
4d8
4d8
One battle left behind
Two weeks time until another must be found
Three meals a day can be afforded for fourteen days
Four fewer days can be afforded should he choose to sleep indoors
Five pounds of gold coins can only take him so far
Six platinum coins thus far saved for a home of his own
Seven years he's taken jobs wherever he can find them
Eight times out of ten he doesn't have to kill anyone
His story continues...
One battle left behind
Two weeks time until another must be found
Three meals a day can be afforded for fourteen days
Four fewer days can be afforded should he choose to sleep indoors
Five pounds of gold coins can only take him so far
Six platinum coins thus far saved for a home of his own
Seven years he's taken jobs wherever he can find them
Eight times out of ten he doesn't have to kill anyone
His story continues...
3d8
3d8
One man speaks for the rest
Two options he gives to her
Three of them ready to escort her right back out of town
Four move into position; surrounding her
Five carry crossbows; ready to unleash the second option
Six windows can be seen open with onlookers transfixed
Seven swift words spoken strictly with necessary volume
Eight swords made of diamond-dense and diamond-sharp ice
float around her with lethal intent
Her story continues...
One man speaks for the rest
Two options he gives to her
Three of them ready to escort her right back out of town
Four move into position; surrounding her
Five carry crossbows; ready to unleash the second option
Six windows can be seen open with onlookers transfixed
Seven swift words spoken strictly with necessary volume
Eight swords made of diamond-dense and diamond-sharp ice
float around her with lethal intent
Her story continues...
2d8
2d8
One battle finished without a single wound
Two arrows in condition for recovery and reuse
Three hours pass without further conflict
Four ghouls now approach; surrounding her for the feast
Five sets of teeth between them
Six eyes staring at their next meal
Seven years ago, the first ghouls appeared
Eight dozen decades they hid away
in the ruins of a once benevolent kingdom
Her story continues...
One battle finished without a single wound
Two arrows in condition for recovery and reuse
Three hours pass without further conflict
Four ghouls now approach; surrounding her for the feast
Five sets of teeth between them
Six eyes staring at their next meal
Seven years ago, the first ghouls appeared
Eight dozen decades they hid away
in the ruins of a once benevolent kingdom
Her story continues...
5d6
5d6
One giant body of water
Two captains, a brother and sister
Three masts thrice as tall than his childhood home
Four sides to the impressive vessel
Five days straight of sea sickness
Six days remaining until the dock;
onward to the continent across the sea
His story continues...
One giant body of water
Two captains, a brother and sister
Three masts thrice as tall than his childhood home
Four sides to the impressive vessel
Five days straight of sea sickness
Six days remaining until the dock;
onward to the continent across the sea
His story continues...
4d6
4d6
One army won the battle
Two armies of soldiers lost the war
Three giant piles of burning bodies
Four dozen yards away from the breech in the West Wall
Five miles high, the smoke and smell rise
Six times now he sold his blade to the winning side
His story continues...
One army won the battle
Two armies of soldiers lost the war
Three giant piles of burning bodies
Four dozen yards away from the breech in the West Wall
Five miles high, the smoke and smell rise
Six times now he sold his blade to the winning side
His story continues...
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
3d6
3d6
One must climb to heights unmeasured
Two degrees below zero, after only
Three hours into the treacherous hike
Four small buildings found tucked away
Five hours left until the next sunrise
Six heavily clothed and heavily armed men stand before her
preventing her from entering the inn
Her story continues...
One must climb to heights unmeasured
Two degrees below zero, after only
Three hours into the treacherous hike
Four small buildings found tucked away
Five hours left until the next sunrise
Six heavily clothed and heavily armed men stand before her
preventing her from entering the inn
Her story continues...
2d6
2d6
One step sinking deeper than the last
Two boots filled to the brim with sludge
Three wild gators looking for a meal
Four arrows to start things off from a distance
Five arrows more to thin the pack by two
Six times the last one takes a slash from her sword
until it dies belly up
Her story continues...
One step sinking deeper than the last
Two boots filled to the brim with sludge
Three wild gators looking for a meal
Four arrows to start things off from a distance
Five arrows more to thin the pack by two
Six times the last one takes a slash from her sword
until it dies belly up
Her story continues...
2d4
2d4
One heads through the Southern Gate
Into the swamps of strange new creatures
One heads towards the Northern Pass
Up to the frozen tundra of unforgiving freeze
One heads through the broken section of the Western Wall
Onto the war-torn remains of yesterday's devastation
One heads to the Eastern Docks
Towards an uncharted ocean; sailing to the unknown
The story begins...
One heads through the Southern Gate
Into the swamps of strange new creatures
One heads towards the Northern Pass
Up to the frozen tundra of unforgiving freeze
One heads through the broken section of the Western Wall
Onto the war-torn remains of yesterday's devastation
One heads to the Eastern Docks
Towards an uncharted ocean; sailing to the unknown
The story begins...
1d20
1d20
The legendary decider of chance
And skill
Battling for the decision
Over the fate of the adventurers
All in the same realm
Of chance over skill
Be warned that even the mightiest
Can critically fail
Have hope that even the meekest
Can critically succeed
Caution and hope
Or, is it hope in caution
So very many possibilities
Roll the die
By which dragon slaying, dungeon dwellers
Identify their fellows
And let the adventure begin
The legendary decider of chance
And skill
Battling for the decision
Over the fate of the adventurers
All in the same realm
Of chance over skill
Be warned that even the mightiest
Can critically fail
Have hope that even the meekest
Can critically succeed
Caution and hope
Or, is it hope in caution
So very many possibilities
Roll the die
By which dragon slaying, dungeon dwellers
Identify their fellows
And let the adventure begin
1d12
1d12
Dozens of dungeons,
Dragons, deities, and deaths;
Deaths in the name
Of Destiny deferred.
All dungeon diving adventurers
Are doomed to death;
So long as their drive
Falters under devastating defeats.
Defend yourself!
Defend your allies!
Defend your home!
Defend all that you deem worthy
Of your dedicated sacrifice.
Dozens of dungeons,
Dragons, deities, and deaths;
Deaths in the name
Of Destiny deferred.
All dungeon diving adventurers
Are doomed to death;
So long as their drive
Falters under devastating defeats.
Defend yourself!
Defend your allies!
Defend your home!
Defend all that you deem worthy
Of your dedicated sacrifice.
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