Scotland, 1503 She clutched the carefully wrapped parcel close to her chest as she climbed over the cliffs. It was all she had left of her father, and she was determined that it would not be destroyed along with everything else. She finally reached the shore and looked around carefully to be sure she was alone. Seeing no one, Ailsa carefully unwrapped the layers of cloth and withdrew the beautiful violin and bow. She brushed off the carved wood, then tightened the bow hairs and adjusted the strings. Closing her eyes, she drew the bow across the strings and played a beautiful, haunting melody. It was as though the world stopped for her; the seagulls ceased their chattering and settled along the shore, the wind seemed to die down. Even the ocean itself seemed to crash a little quieter against the shore as her fingers played the sweeping melody. She didn't know that someone heard her, or that they stayed hidden until she was long gone. She knew only that she found peace here, peace in the midst of her terrible life. It was these stolen moments of joy that kept her from throwing herself from the high cliffs she stood upon, falling to a death that would end her misery. She couldn't know how her life would change after that day.

Céline Dawson has lived her whole life under the control of her sector's military. Taken from her parents at birth, she was raised to be a soldier. Life is a bit more difficult on earth ever since the oxygen was destroyed during the great Xavium vs Human war 2,000 years ago. Céline was thrown into a Cave Extermination Squad where she is paired up with an old childhood friend. When she is separated from her partner, she travels deeper into the mountain and stumbles on something amazing. Something she was never meant to see. Something that will change her life forever......

Mary is new to Gladstone High school. And she meets who she thinks is the boy of her dreams. But is he keeping a deep secret? And what will the consequences be when she finds out? This is a story of true love and death.

Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers. Cover done by @zuko_42

A few thought’s and pointers for the poem: - I have always tried to build at least 3 topics into my poetry. This one has many more parts to it than most. The Poet and the Mermaid talks strongly to the Id, Ego and Superego through each of the main characters, though just who the main characters are shifts substantially. The Gods represent personal aspects, parts of the human make-up and things we do. The pixies, goblins, sprites, elves etc. are the playful, hurtful, mischievous, dangerous aspects of life. The references to being up amongst the gods is both theatrical in it’s height aspect, relating to the cheap seats and the fact of watching the acts, and also is religious in concept. Both Freud’s originally postulated basic drives, self preservation and Eros – the driving force related to sexual urges and preservation of the species – come through in the text. The Poet and The Mermaid carry important personal traits inherent in each of us and my idea was to have you swing between liking and disliking both characters at certain points of the text. You’re not sure who is telling the story deliberately and even the beginning lines where ‘you bump right into me’ are they talking to you the reader or ‘you’ the object of the story. The Mermaids strength of character, behavioral traits, apparent care for self first/others second make you want to shake her one minute and cuddle her the next. The poets weaknesses and wimpishness but undying love and physical strength where he ‘dove and clenched’, his near drowning experience – self inflicted perhaps – his belief in the inevitable and desire for his ‘true love’ move the reader through many emotions. According to the Chinese understanding of nature, water is a symbol of the elemental force of yin. Water is the essence of life for the Taoist. The Christian church uses water for baptism and many have a belief in its healing powers, of cleansing the soul. Freud talks of water dreams re