Dripping Gown

Most weekends we went to the Lake
To swim, sunbathe, and ride the waves.
Grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins,

Our relatives came by the dozens.

Days at the Lake rely on sun
And no one wants to be the one
Who gets there when rain’s in the sky.
They stay indoors, and they stay dry.
 
But they’re the fools, if you ask me.
I’d never even miss a beat.
The rain is the best time to play.
It washes all the pain away. 
 
I turn some music up so loud
And dance all night under the clouds.
The raindrops sliding down my skin
Make me feel alive again.
 
I stomp and splash
And spin and scream,
Sway back and forth
Like it’s a dream.
To lose myself
In this wet night,
Bare feet in puddles,
I delight.
 
Pour all this darkness down on me.
You’ll never get a frown from me.
Just find a silver crown for me
And slip this dripping gown off me.
 
’Cause I’m the queen of what’s insane.
I breathe lightning and drink the rain.
And no one here knows my real name
When every day’s a different game. 
 
Turn up the song.
Kick up the beat
And make some room
For happy feet,
’Cause this right here
Is where I live.
This right here
Is what I give.
 
I bring you neverending rain.
I bring rhythms that ease your pain.
The splashes wash all over you.
The verses make you feel brand new.
 
So tell me why they want it dry.
I’m telling you, I’d rather die.
There’s nothing better than a night

Of cold and wet and dark delight.     

Twelve

Sometimes I feel

I don't belong

And being here

Just feels so wrong.

From deep inside 

A quiet moan.

And all I want 

Is to go home. 

I get nervous.

I don't know why,

And all I seem

to do is cry. 

It's dark and wet

And hard and old.

And all I do

Is what I'm told.

The world is there.

It's big and bright.

But all I see 

Is empty night.

Nightmares and fear

And evil queens

Are all I have

In place of dreams. 

But someday soon,

I don't know when,

This misery

Will find an end. 

Can someone please

Help me relieve

The endless fray

Of being me?

Review: Violya by Rosalyn Kelly

A gifted warrior consumed by revenge. An unstoppable enemy rampaging ever closer. A ravaged country in desperate need of a ruler. 

After a brutal and bloody invasion, a once powerful matriarchal nation is in chaos. Only the shy warrior Violya can pick up the pieces and save her broken country. But an old threat – for one thousand years suppressed – has awoken. Now unleashed, it’s hell-bent on destruction. To protect her people, Violya must cast aside her desire for vengeance, master her rare magic and find the courage to rule – and fast. 

Time is running out as a prophecy is coming true. A formidable enemy is closing in to crush them all. Can Violya unite friend and foe to face the looming catastrophe before it’s too late? 

She’s out for blood, but first she must master her own…

5 of 5 stars!

This is book two, the follow up to Melokai. I very much enjoyed the world Melokai introduced us to, and have been eagerly awaiting the sequel. This book did not disappoint. 

Where the first book spent more time introducing us to the world and the cultures, this one picks up where it left off and focuses much more on characters. Most of the point of view characters from book one continue here, with the exception of course of any who did not survive book one. No spoilers. 

The character development is more evenly distributed in this book, and we get to see more from cultures that were briefly shown in book one. There are cave people who are nearing extinction and their culture has devolved into mostly solely about mating in hopes of having more female offspring. We delve into their cave society in this book and learn more about their struggles. 

We also find out more about the special wolf Sarrya, the first female wolf who is able to stand on two legs. She is also gifted with some magical abilities and has become an influential force.

The biggest transformation comes from the title character, Violya, who takes over leadership of the Peqkya nation and makes major changes. Many of the different cultures are making major changes, the wolves, the camel people, even the human kingdom is filled with uprising and revolution. All have themes of restoring balance, fairness, equality, and the uproar such major reform can bring. 

This is a dark book and the villains do horrendous things, but the protagonists mostly are self-aware people who want to bring about change and make their societies better for everyone. In that way, this book has much more hope in it than book one. 

Alliances are built, broken, and reformed as the cultures regroup and prepare to face a new enemy that is set to be the main conflict of book three. 

I very much enjoyed this book and look forward to the next. This is a unique series. I've never read anything like it, and so far it's only getting better.

You can find it here on Amazon or here on Goodreads.