About Us Publications Submissions Forum Links

Emerald Tales
Crystal Codices
The Annals of Hypnosia
Copper Wire


Copper Wire

Emerald Tales' supplemental stories and poems and other bits of interest.
The stories will open in a new window.


June 22, 2010

Two Poems

Summerscaping
by Changming Yuan

The galley of an unknown authors work
In a fully justified format:
Every stark hill italicized
Every glaring lake capitalized
With no single tree misspelled
Or single flower misplaced

Again and yet again, the sun has
Proofread the text
With all its attention

And
Found everything just ready to go



Alphabet Meandering
Matthew Byer

Wick whispered of will washed away,
Sewed and starched on sandy shore.
Picked on prickly pine of peach,
Ripped from rented rest of reach.

Triple times of twisted twine,
Mended minks of middle mines.
Not new nor nice of nectar named,
Quick and quested quilted quaints.

Yell of yesterday's yawn,
Hot hell has come how much harm?
Great god of gates and gothic gone,
Friend or foe of forgotten farm?

Dreaded dime does dished dart,
Created crime comes cars and cons.
Vectored vices of vicious veins,
Break and build broken bars and babes.

Lime laces linked by limited larks,
Jams of jelly framed by jittered jars.
Open opera of the opus is on,
Attraction to all aching aunts.



April 9, 2010

It Was a Bright and Sunny Day

Five supplemental short stories to the Emerald Tales issue that I thought were either amusing or thought provoking.

***

Basalt Point
by B. Moon
The crusty old Lizardian gentleman, The Commander, tells a short tale.
To read this short story click here. The story will open in a new window.


***

A Change in the Weather
by Neil James Hudson
A science fiction short story. In the future, we can filter out undesirable information.
To read this short story click here. The story will open in a new window.


***

Bed Time Story
by Lisa Rusczyk
A grandmother tries to tell her granddaughter a bed time story.
To read this short story click here. The story will open in a new window.


***

The Noble Lie
by P. E. Zimmerman
The end of the world is coming. What should The President tell people?
To read this short story click here. The story will open in a new window.


***

In Case of Dragon
by Bruce Golden
Foot solidiers react to an announcement regarding what to do in case there is a dragon attack.
To read this short story click here. The story will open in a new window.


***


March 23, 2010

Faegotten

Granted
by Jude Tulli

Episode Six in the Faegotten series. Something went wrong at the end of our last visit, and we got stuck in the wishgranting fairy's world. See what she has to do to set things right.

To read this short story click here. The story will open in a new window.



February 27, 2010

Faegotten

Leprechaun
by Jude Tulli

Episode Five in the Faegotten series. The wish-fulfilling fairy has been demoted to a leprechaun and takes us on a journey over the rainbow.

To read this short story click here. The story will open in a new window.



February 17, 2010

The Purification of a Love-Struck Groundhog Suffering From Cain Fever at Mardi Gras

This was the writing challenge prompt that I gave my blog followers. Anyone who wrote a story about the purification of a love-struck groundhog suffering from cabin fever at Mardi Gras and submitted it to me by January 1, 2010 was guaranteed publication here in Copper Wire.
Four people took me up on the challenge.
Here are their stories:

***

Plush
by Damien Walters Grintalis
To read this short story click here. The story will open in a new window.


***

Frank
by Raymond Koonce
To read this short story click here. The story will open in a new window.


***

The Purification of Billy the Groundhog
by Jack Linus
To read this short story click here. The story will open in a new window.


***

In Pursuit of Lady Marmalade
by L. A. Witt
To read this short story click here. The story will open in a new window.


***


January 24, 2010

Faegotten

Tooth
by Jude Tulli

Episode Four in the Faegotten series. After training with the Tooth Fairy, the wish-fulfilling fairy pays us a visit in the dentist's office.

To read this short story click here. The story will open in a new window.



December 22, 2009

Faegotten

Sugar-Plum
by Jude Tulli

Episode Three in the Faegotten series. The wish-fulfilling fairy tries to dance like a Sugar-Plum fairy then takes us on a journey to her world.

To read this short story click here. The story will open in a new window.



December 1, 2009

Supplemental poems to Emerald Tales Winter Solstice Edition



Red Sled
by
Gary Bloom



Taking my red sled down the
Minnesota hill not able to steer this
Thing worth a darn it actually
Has a so-called steering wheel
As if that's going to work
What kinda deal is this
Anyway I sled down the fresh blue
Tinted virgin snow so young
And thoughtless and not caring
About anything in my way
The skiers scramble
The children scream
As I come sledding down
The Minnesota snow
So fresh so new
So many many years ago.




Winter's Ode
"Dedicated to Shasta"
by
Misty Posey



I gaze out the window,
Look down to the ground.
Another day passes,
With skies of winter clouds.
Falling once more,
Are rain’s icy, flurry friends.
They’re all the eye sees,
When looking up again and again.

Pine cones, tall trees, hills covered with snow and ice,
They all hide within
The misty atmosphere of whites




November 22, 2009

Faegotten

Godmother
by Jude Tulli

Episode Two in the Faegotten series. The wish-fulfilling fairy takes a turn as a fairy Godmother.

To read this short story click here. The story will open in a new window.



November 11, 2009

Special Contribution

Blood Wedding
by Stephanie Hamrick

An epistolatory short story about a young woman in Mexico and her encounter with La Llorona.

To read this short story click here. The story will open in a new window.



October 22, 2009

New Serial Story!

Faegotten
Wish

by Jude Tulli

The wish-fulfilling fairy pays us a visit and will grant your heart's desire, but there are conditions.

To read this short story click here. The story will open in a new window.



October 10, 2009

Special Contributions

Soap and Bother or the World
by Bryant Alexander

A prophecy sends a young man to the laundry room of the castle.

To read this short story click here. The story will open in a new window.



Lado and the Butterfly
by Raymond Koonce

A farmer encounters a giant butterfly.

To read this short story click here. The story will open in a new window.



October 1, 2009

Emerald Tales - Masks or Appearances Can Be Deceiving




Inside I Cry
by Lauren McBride

Inside it is raining:
big drops dampen all I do
like a blue Monday.

In silence I weep
as I hide
my sorrows inside.

But the sun must shine
and so I smile
for all to see.

They look at me
and I am happy -
for them.

Inside I cry,
but I don't complain.
For the world I smile.

copyright 2009 Lauren McBride


Make Butter
by Karen Dent

An Imp visits a woman on the brink of divorce.

To read this short story click here. The story will open in a new window.



Maria's Masquerade
by Darrell Lindsey

Though she has tried to stare down old dawns,
find a beautiful fate
in the skyscraper city
with the new husband her parents adore,
it's apparent that memories
of another's embrace
still flash like meteors
above a graveyard.
She may not let grief throb as much
in her words these days,
but I still see it in the eyes
behind her fragile mask,
in the plastic smile
worn at those formal functions
where even the best wine lies, goes flat.
She is only herself anymore
when her husband is out of town
and she can open a shoebox
full of her first love's letters,
silently read
well past midnight
what her heart has already memorized.

Copyright Darrell Lindsey


Consummation
by Grace Galton


He rested his head against her warm side, breathing in her scent. His fingers explored her body, as if for the first time. During his long absence, he had dreamt only of this moment.

Squeezing gently, Jack smiled at the soft sound as Daisy's warm milk squirted into the bucket.

Copyright 2009 Grace Galton


Old Lace or Arsenic?
by Guy Belleranti

When she offered him tea and pastries
The detective hem and hawed in his seat.
He was hungry, no doubt about that,
But would her refreshments be safe to eat?

He studied the woman carefully.
Sweet smile, arthritic fingers and hips.
No way was she the mad poisoner!
He chuckled and lifted food to his lips.

Copyright Guy Belleranti


The Hemingway Reader
by M. J. Jones

A well-read assassin goes on a camping trip.

To read this short story click here. The story will open in a new window.



The Widow
by John Hayes

Gentle sounds
float across the fields
whisper in her ears
wake her from her doze.
She shakes tingles from her arm
lifts binoculars to her eyes.

In the distant view, a male goat
dances on his hind legs
to the music of a zither
rays glisten on his polished horns.
On break, the workers spoon gruel
accepting of the food and dance.

The music stops
the goat returns to graze.
The foreman snaps his snake whip
workers hasten to their tasks

Mare saddled
she rides across the fields
workers sweat beneath a torrid sun
she tosses a coin between
two random chosen proles.

Battle over, the winner pockets the coin.
The snake whip splits dust laden air
and work resumes.

Inspection finished
she rides to her husband's grave,
removes blue pansies from her saddlebag
drops them on his grave
to wilt in summer heat,
spits on his headstone
"I never believed your lies."

She returns to her veranda
sips cool lemonade.
Her lover's late.
She reaches for her embroidery.

Copyright John Hayes


Emerald Tales - Follow the Butterflies

"The Special Friend" by Heather Gregson
To read this story click here. The story will open in a new window.


Go to Emerald Tales Main Page

Return to Publications Page

Return to Scribblers and Ink Spillers Main Page


This website and all its contents are Copyright 2009-2010 Scribblers and Ink Spillers, LLC. No copying in whole or in part is allowed. You may link to this page.