In the Valley of the Dead

In the Valley of the Dead

Make no songs that say our names;
we will not listen now.
Don’t compose poems to sing our virtues;
past small things, we do not care.
Do not praise us in speeches
written to glorify the cause;
eulogies are said by sly politicians.

If you truly would honor us,
walk quietly among white wildflowers.
Share memories of your families,
the children we cherished, the babies’
first steps, the turning of the world—
the stones hold us down, down, down,
and we cannot see beyond the loam.

Was our falling worth the cost?
Some say yes and others say no;
we do not care about the words,
the many falsehoods. the justifying.
Let us lie quietly here; our sorrows
vanquished as strife is not—wait,
what sound is that? A trumpet calls—

Copyright 2019 by Stephen B. Bagley. All rights reserved.

Review: "Dawn Before the Dark"

Dawn Before the Dark
by Wendy Blanton 

This exciting new entry in fantasy fiction is worth your coin. In the country of Slan, women ride dragons and men cast spells. It's been that way since the Curse of Ailin was invoked centuries before by an abused woman who suffers at the hands of a power-madden king.

But one day, Vask, an ancient dragon, discovers Briant, a young boy who isn't afraid of dragons and wants to ride one. Briant may be exactly what the prophesies say is needed because a terror is brewing on Slan's borders. How Briant and his friends chose to confront this new reality is both entertaining and thought provoking.

The only criticism I have of the book is that it ended too soon.  I'm ready to read what happens next.

(Disclosure: I read an advance copy of the book. I received no compensation for the review and will receive none from the book sales.)

Available on Kindle HERE