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  • Stooks Before Reeves [one]

    20Aug26 | 13.54 CDT
    © 2026

    michael raven

    c: 260820.1354

    “Mal,” said Man Rivers once time, gnawing on a tobac leaf like he always was as he wound up wire and pulled stake. “There come a time you have to accept you’re bein’ snookered.”

    “Howdat?” I asked watching how he coiled the snare for used elsewhere.

    Man shot an glance sidewise up to the steading. You could see that fatboy Lawson up the guardtower looking real hard like his attention was on something, anything, other than Man and me.

    My eyes narrowed.

    “I’m just sayin’ you need know when time’s come to find a new place to snare a bit of game. ‘Times there’s a fox waiting in the underbrush waiting for your snare to catch.”

    (more…)

    tagged:

    short fiction, stooks before reeves, swerve

    filed under:

    fiction
    1 comment on Stooks Before Reeves [one]

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    Stooks Before Reeves [one]

  • casting runes — 20aug26

    20Aug26 | 09.08 CDT
    © 2026

    michael raven

    c: 260820.0908
    othala
    at night
    the Old Ones are
    the only things real.
    
    they stand fireside
    silent, slow as stone
    waiting for Whiteoak
    to fall.

    A poem prompted by a randomly selected Elder Futhark rune.

    Today’s rune is othala, which has a core meaning of “heritage”, “inheritance” and “legacy”. These are all associated with home, kin, ancestors, stability and (in some interpretations) past lives or spiritual legacy.

    Please visit my Elder Futhark pages at sceadugenga.com for additional interpretations of the runes based on multiple references and personal reflection.

    tagged:

    othala, poetry, rewilding, rune

    filed under:

    poetry
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  • Weary dreams

    19Aug26 | 16.06 CDT
    © 2026

    michael raven

    c: 260819.1606

    I an beginning to wonder if it isn’t time to retire from the larger world.

    “World weary” describes me perfectly.

    Sometimes, I’d rather just close my eyes and not stop dreaming.

    Point a finger… You, come with me if you want so we can write ourselves a dream. No? I don’t blame you. It’s not a very dreamy kind of dream anyway. It’s only a dream of cherry blossoms drifting on the water and coffee (or tea!) sipping as it dream drifts into other dreams while we talk to create those dreams and forget the things needing to be forgotten. How dull, you say.

    The good news is that I may have forgotten some things already. In fact, it seems increasingly so each day as I try not to recall those things in the upstairs room. Here be monsters.

    Let’s not dream those dreams. I don’t like them.

    Instead, let’s dream of those things the world weary dream and draw pictures in autumn leaves.

    Most of all, just let me sleep.

    tagged:

    the dreaming

    filed under:

    writing
    9 comments on Weary dreams

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    Weary dreams

  • twin & out

    19Aug26 | 12.20 CDT
    © 2026

    michael raven

    c: 260819.1220
    mournful grey stands
    ragged cliffs today
    twin flint eyes
    & ocean out
    twin flint hearts
    & ocean out

    cut black sheets of
    wave & skies meet
    twin flint eyes
    & ocean out
    twin stone hearts
    & ocean out

    keen, rises she
    keen, shards he
    twin flint eyes
    & ocean out
    twin stone hearts
    & ocean out

    tagged:

    betwixt and between, poetry, rewilding

    filed under:

    poetry
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    twin & out

  • bitter

    18Aug26 | 20.23 CDT
    © 2026

    michael raven

    c: 260818.2023
    i will go
    back to
    those words
    i know or
    make up
    new ones
    wholesale
    who needs
    bitter lies
    anyway

    tagged:

    poetry

    filed under:

    poetry
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  • at giving grounds

    18Aug26 | 10.18 CDT
    © 2026

    michael raven

    c: 260818.1018
    gone by way
    of shadow & wind
    in swaying sheaves
    gold gather the fields
    low the stone walls
    that let creeks
    still run through

    is that frost i hear?
    creeping bone within

    giving grounds knelt
    at boulder trees grown
    rock tripe in grey & blue
    lay down plates
    come gentle the rain
    as they do

    moor songs, mere
    awash with that
    salt hue

    tagged:

    betwixt and between, poetry, rewilding

    filed under:

    poetry
    3 comments on at giving grounds

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    at giving grounds

  • Half-penny Thoughts — 18aug26

    18Aug26 | 07.45 CDT
    © 2026

    michael raven

    c: 260818.0745

    At risk of sounding like I am a broken record myself, I am still pondering the idea of what makes a form of artistic expression (music, writing, etc.) “unique” as opposed to “derivative”.

    I make it no secret that I employ AI for exploring ideas, philosophy and personal education (i.e., “How do I construct a coldwave synth pad on my Hydrasynth? What wave types on my three oscillators, envelope and LFO settings would help me get that sweeping ‘icy’ sound?” or “Explain to me the Sámi cosmologic worldview as currently understood and correcting for Christian bias in the written records. Point out the suspect areas and provide scholarly references for further review. Do not rely on information gathered from unsupported or unreferenced statements.”

    Things like that. AI is really good at collecting information quickly and doing a darned fine job of filtering it when you give the right instructions. Plus, no ads.

    (more…)

    tagged:

    disruption, half-penny thoughts, no new tales, remix versus unique

    filed under:

    thinking
    17 comments on Half-penny Thoughts — 18aug26

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    Half-penny Thoughts — 18aug26

  • Half-penny Thoughts — 17aug26

    17Aug26 | 13.37 CDT
    © 2026

    michael raven

    c: 260817.1337

    I was thinking about narrative and the phrase “there are no new tales left to tell” and its myriad variations.

    Looking into it, someone was suggesting writing in “the quiet, eerie margins” was a writing space left largely untapped. Described as: “It is the difference between a sudden, violent storm (the loud center) and the heavy, electric stillness in the air just before the barometer drops (the quiet margin).”

    Of course, I’m curious about your thoughts.

    Are there truly no new tales left to tell? Is everything derivative? Can you think of a story that doesn’t have an easy analogue?

    Or, how would you interpret writing “in the quiet, eerie margin”? Do you have a different description or opinion? Where would you start if you were writing in/of the margin?

    tagged:

    half-penny thoughts, margins, narrative, storytelling

    filed under:

    thinking
    23 comments on Half-penny Thoughts — 17aug26

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    Half-penny Thoughts — 17aug26

  • casting runes — 17aug26

    17Aug26 | 12.55 CDT
    © 2026

    michael raven

    c: 260817.1255
    sowilo
    insight at
    sharp claws,
    sharper teeth
    
    a hint of lemons—
    how shall we name
    our many ghosts?

    A rune poem, based on an Elder Futhark rune selected at random.

    Today’s rune is sowilo, the sun. Sowilo is the source of enlightenment, for lighting the way and illumination. It is also called the “icebreaker” and gives power to an “attack”, ensuring success and/or prosperity. This rune also represents hope, the light at the end of a long darkness.

    Please visit my Elder Futhark pages at sceadugenga.com for additional interpretations of the runes based on multiple references and personal reflection.

    tagged:

    poetry, rewilding, rune, sowilo

    filed under:

    poetry
    12 comments on casting runes — 17aug26

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    casting runes — 17aug26

  • today, i will fox

    17Aug26 | 07.20 CDT
    © 2026

    michael raven

    c: 260817.0720
    cool under leaf shadow
    flicker of sun of shine
    bright against black loam
    stretching pale under
    fibre and web and green
    let detritus weave the hair
    to carry back on den

    today, i will fox and they
    can pretend i am mad —
    i will laugh because
    laughter is easier
    than arguing

    instead:
    i bark the night

    with finger roots digging
    flame through humus
    i ring too-green lawns
    come morning
    burning naked
    under cool leaf shadow

    tagged:

    poetry, rewilding

    filed under:

    poetry
    5 comments on today, i will fox

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    today, i will fox

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