Last Week, On Vocal
October 14, 2024
Good morning, and happy Monday! If this is your first time here, welcome! This weekly blog post highlights some of the terrific writing posted on Vocal Media over the past week. If you’re already subscribed, thank you very much, and if not, please consider doing so! Without further ado, here are my picked poems and stories for the week of October 6 - 12.
Poem 1: Who Are You To Say I Am Too Much? by Amanda Starks
I can’t say enough about this absolutely gorgeous bit of poetry. Amanda beautifully contrasts feelings of love and hate, care and despair, and lets us know with vivid imagery that she is the sum of all her feelings. I must have read every word at least ten times, drinking it in. Check out this stanza: “I am a culmination of all I have felt before, every tidal emotion and burning emptiness, made flesh by nature's will and power.” I get chills reading it. This poem is one you do not want to miss.
Poem 2: My Type by D. J. Reddall
Typically, I only post one poem per week here, but good gawd, this one had my eyes popping. As a lover of gothic and horror stories, D. J.’s abecedarian poem was right up my alley. It tells a story of a primal being, full of her god-like prowess and rightfully looking down upon the rest of us, from the politically powerful to the most desperate street urchins, mere cattle meant to provide sustenance and nothing more, and thankful for the opportunity to do so. Read it! Read it now!
A Short Story: In the Closet with Monsters by J. Otis Haas
Vocal Media has a current horror challenge in which every entry must start with the same prompted sentence. So far, J. Otis’ entry is my favorite. It features the spirit of a dead child living with the monsters in the closet, and if that description alone isn’t enough to raise the hair on your arms, I don’t know what will. It also packs one helluva good ending, so give it a read!
A Sobering Story: Facing Milton by PK Colleran
This week, we’ll end on a sober note and delve into PK’s top story on Vocal Media. This piece reminds us that we can prepare for anything and everything, but nothing in life is guaranteed. While the devastation caused by Hurricane Milton is heartbreaking to read about - much less live through - PK also shows us that there is hope and that if we can be kind to one another, we can help each other through the most challenging times.