Tag Archives: NaPoWriMo 2013

Poetry

NaPoWriMo, Day 4: ‘Gunboat Diplomat’

Today’s prompt was to write a poem based on one of several bizarre names of spaceships from a certain authors books. I chose one that sounded cool, and decided to write a sci-fi poem. Enjoy!

Gunboat Diplomat
By Nathan Marchand

Come! And a tale you’ll hear
Of how the Second Great War ended
Thanks to a man the galaxy came to revere:
Henry Hawk, a scalawag to be commended.

Terrans and Zillans battled across the stars,
For reasons long forgotten, so do not ask why.
But the Terrans saw their planet covered with scars,
So they summoned Hawk, and to Zilla he did fly.

His ship, the Shrewd Serpent, was a rickety relic.
A starfaring gunboat that survived the First Great War,
And the perfect vessel for this snarky maverick
Who once served as a diplomat for the Terran AstroCorps.

Suddenly his ship decloaked in orbit of the Zillans’ homeworld,
And the lizards’ warships scrambled to intercept.
But Hawk, ever confident, never felt imperiled.
He opened a channel and gave the lizards a smile they couldn’t accept.

“The Terrans are tired of war,” says Hawk.
“I come to give you their offer of peace.
Their terms are fair, so you will not mock,
Though you glory in battle and will not cease.”

The lizard-king replied, “Slyth the war god demands victory!
For our enemies’ heads, he gives us his blood, redrock,
Which has powered our ships throughout our history.
So spare us your pathetic words, Hawk!”

So Hawk smirked, and with but a gesture,
The Serpent’s hidden guns opened fire,
Raining missiles on the Zillans’ redrock treasure,
And in seconds all that was left was a ring of hellfire.

Hawk says, “Your world will die if you continue to fight.
So before the Terran fleet comes, this war must end.
For without your ‘god’s’ blood, the Terrans won’t fear your might.
And you will have a legion of angry enemies with which to contend.”

So the lizard-king ended the war by declaring a truce,
And the Terran soldiers returned home to celebrate.
Though the Zillans demanded to see Hawk at the end of a noose,
They, like many others, learned he was a man not to underestimate.

Poetry

NaPoWriMo, Day 3: ‘Obsession’

Today’s prompt was to write a sea shanty, but I couldn’t come up with any ideas beyond writing a sci-fi one that took place in space rather than on the sea, so I’m skipping that one. However, I’m going to keep track of each prompt I skip and write a poem for it later.

So, for today, I wrote this little thing:

Obsession
By Nathan Marchand

She wants, she craves.
One act of kindness,
And she stalks him like a hunter,
Seized by a “love” that enslaves.

She worships him like a priestess,
Carving an idol of his image in her mind’s eye.
Flowery prayers, fragrant incense, and costly gifts she offers<
But dreams to give what above her short dress.

She digs in her claws
Once he finally acquiesces.
“My love is as perfect as him,”
She says, “For he has no flaws.”

Now her “god” is gone.
He left, destroying her idol.
But neither are left unscathed–
Such devotion they’ll never again know from hereon.

Uncategorized, Poetry

NaPoWriMo 2013, Day 2: ‘The Lie’

Today’s prompt was to write a poem that tells a lie. My poem does build to a lie, but it is a lie that some may not agree with since it stems from my Christian faith. Read on to see what I mean.

The Lie
By Nathan Marchand

There is no end to your evil.
You lie, you cheat, you steal,
You covet and kill,
Obeying my whispers in the darkness,
The silent coercion,
The subtle propaganda,
Which you believe you hear not.
Casualties of the invisible war, you are.
Slaves blissfully ignorant of your slavery,
And blinded to your master while doing his work,
Because you bought my greatest trick,
My most powerful lie:
That I, the Devil, don’t even exist.