ravensweald

Field trip
16Oct26 | 14.44 CDT
© 2026
michael raven
c: 261016.1444
The next few installments of Everything Falls Apart have already been written and I am still working on the framing of multiple other episodes.
I say this only because some of it will seem to be mirroring the field trip I am taking tomorrow and it would be easy to say, “Oh well, Michael is just writing about his field trip on Saturday in this episode.”
Actually, it is the other way around, as I am doing the field trip to get boots on the ground research done for my story instead of relying on my shaky memory of what the modern-day scene is like in downtown Minneapolis.
(more…)
tagged:
episodic fiction, everything falls apart, research, serialized fiction
filed under:
serial fiction
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casting runes — 16oct26
16Oct26 | 08.27 CDT
© 2026
michael raven
c: 261016.0827
eihwaz
```
bone leech broke to
tumble road & fallen
drawing forearm flint
to bleed out our
poison years flowing
```
A rune poem, based on an Elder Futhark rune selected at random.
Today’s rune is eihwaz, it’s name meaning “yew”, is a rune of change and transformation. It represents the cycle of life/death/rebirth and is symbolic of the axis mundi (the world tree). The yew is envisioned as a path towards both the underworld and the heavenly realms. Eihwaz is frequently associated both with poison and protection as part of its perceived dual nature.
Please visit my Elder Futhark pages at sceadugenga.com for additional interpretations of the runes based on multiple references and personal reflection.
tagged:
eihwaz, poetry, rewilding, rune
filed under:
poetry
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Why is it?
15Oct26 | 20.36 CDT
© 2026
michael raven
c: 261015.2036
There’s a certain subset of techies who think because they speak a certain language, everyone else must. And that everyone else has the tools they have and know how to use them.
I point out and give screen shots of an issue that I’m told doesn’t exist and then they say, oh yeah… I can replicate that — you should approach it with XYZ. And then give incorrect links and useless information on top of jargon that means nothing to your average joe. And then there is the feel of “don’t call us, we’ll call you…maybe.” Actually, I know just enough to be dangerous and it was all babble to me. Imagine if a person seeing support was unfamiliar with these kinds of things? Absurd.
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tagged:
/rant, bug squishing, helplessdesk, nohelpdesk, why bother
filed under:
junk drawer
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Storytime with Chico’s Mom
15Oct26 | 12.35 CDT
© 2026
michael raven
c: 261015.1235
Just a quick break here from Everything Falls Apart. Jolene (aka Chico’s Mom) posts some writing prompts every once in a while and I always like to take a stab at writing some flash with what she gives folks. This time around the four prompts are:
1. magic gloves
2. restaurant
3. person who needs a job
4. explorer
Don’t ask me why this particular scene came to mind when I saw the prompts. But it appeared almost immediately.
Apologies to Ringo. This, I guess, might be classed as fanfict. I don’t claim any copyright to the characters mentioned in this work of fiction.
Ringo sank deeper into the dark, quiet cafe booth as a yellow submarine drifted past the window. As it moved on in search of Pepperland, he sighed and straightened up.
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tagged:
beatles, fanfict, fiction, flash fiction, jolene rice prompt, prompted fiction, Ringo Starr
filed under:
fiction
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everything falls apart — a serial
15Oct26 | 08.23 CDT
© 2026
michael raven
c: 261015.0823
Photo by Sergei Vasilenko on Unsplash, design by michael raven
AUTHOR’S NOTE
TOC
🜃
[Aug 5, 23:01] Email — MikroMachine
```
From: MikroMachine@[withheld].com
To: Alice.Donovan.73@[withheld].com
Date: 05 Aug, 23:01:27 -0500

Subject: FW: Send to Alice.Donovan.73
```
Alice,
DK asked me to forward this to you. I told him you werent interested in direct comms, and he grumbled a bit about that. But I reminded him it was him that was all toxic and he stopped after that. Guess he wanted direct contect. Not to hit on you or anything, just “I wanna float something past her” or whatever.
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tagged:
Minneapolis, salvage fiction, serial fiction, serialized fiction, Twin Cities, urbex
filed under:
Everything Falls Apart
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c: 261014.1444

crisscross counting red
raw for the clawing for
the shift without skirts
moving on mists they hide
the curled disguise and
whisper crushed velvet
washes at scars inside

tagged:

poetry

filed under:

poetry

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same

13Oct26 | 19.30 CDT

michael raven

c: 261013.1930

same click same
same same same
click click same
again and again
click again same
more clicks same
same more same
again click same
same         same
click click click
click more click
clickity click
wait

same click same

tagged:

filed under:

writing

7 comments

not this
13Oct26 | 18.26 CDT
© 2026
michael raven
c: 261013.1826
```
most of what matters
is not this, said she
turning out the lights 
before slipping
between the sheets
```
tagged:
melancholia, poetry
filed under:
poetry
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everything falls apart — a serial
13Oct26 | 10.01 CDT
© 2026
michael raven
c: 261013.1001
Photo by Sergei Vasilenko on Unsplash, design by michael raven
AUTHOR’S NOTE
TOC
[Apr 23, 02:32] Recorder — sleepless
[Note: I found some recordings on Alice’s phone. These are the original transcriptions; however, where I thought I could unscramble the garbled or inaudible sections I added my best guess at what was said or the source of the noise. ~a_boojum]
[voice speaking into the phone, just above a stage whisper]
Okay. Calmer now. Still can’t sleep, but.
[sigh]
Kyle would tell me that hate is a poison that harms me or something all Zen. That I need to let the hate go and just find a —
[male voice, inaudible]
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tagged:
Minneapolis, salvage fiction, serial fiction, serialized fiction, Twin Cities, urbex
filed under:
Everything Falls Apart
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Reblog: Be careful what you wish for (part 2)
13Oct26 | 07.19 CDT
© 2026
michael raven
c: 261013.0719
Be careful what you wish for
This is a story that Jolene and I started collaborating on a while back. Then life got in the way for me and we didn’t see the story to completion at the time. Part I is here.
She also got to see the hidden dark side of my editing processes and probably wanted to run away screaming. I once shared a strikethrough version of such a process on this site or the earlier iteration and the lasting comment from readers was, “Wow, that is lot of red text.”
Add side comments in the margin along with those redlines and my process quickly appears more madness than method.
No one would blame a collaborator if they scooted. Quickly.
A few months back, Jolene mentioned off hand that I should run with it and, once again, I had too much on my plate. I said something to the effect of “that goes both ways, feel free to resurrect it.”
So she did.
So far, we’re in familiar territory for me.
While we blocked things out with some rough notes, I’m sure she’s soon going to go less familiar territories.
This should be fun.
tagged:
collaboration, other voices, reblog, short fiction
filed under:
writing
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[Aug 5, 23:01] Email — MikroMachine

[Apr 23, 02:32] Recorder — sleepless