Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts

"Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts" by Brandon Shaffer

Due to my efforts to forgive an forget,

I've been trapped in a labyrinth of lies.

For ages, the Trojan horse has been set.

I failed to hear the assailant's cries.

The face that launched a thousand ships;

I know that face quite well.

The bane of a thousand relationships;

I know it rings a bell.

Oh yes, She's why I lie awake at night,

My pillow soaked with tears.

I don't know who I am anymore

After she's haunted me for years.

Friendship

"Friendship" by Brandon Shaffer

Friendships face the guillotine.

One remains firmly in bloom.

Too many come and go it seems

now resting soundly in their tomb.

Come a little closer my dear friend;

I impart these words to you.

I hope not to fail you in the end.

You've been a good friend through and through.

Time for me is at it's end.

Life's been such a trial. 

You know what my dear friend?

You've made it all worthwhile.

Touch the Sky

"Touch the Sky" by Brandon Shaffer

How I long to touch the skies

like a falcon with silver wings.

I wonder if the songbirds hear my cries

And aim to soothe me when they sing.

For surely, they know what it's like

To fall short of the heavens;

To find wanting for more.

Exasperated by a world truly suffocating.

Story Idea 2

The main character was born unable to walk. It bothered him that he couldn't play sports like the other kids. As he grew older, he was bullied, being called things like "weak" and "useless." He prayed to God for help but to no avail. Through sheer willpower, he grows a pair of wings and takes to the skies.

Story Idea 1

A high school student named Jeremy discovers a watch buried in his attic. The watch has the power to predict the time of death of the person standing in front of him. It also has the ability to transform into a scythe and cloak the wearer in darkness. The main character actually comes from a family of grim reapers.

If You Were Mine

"If You Were Mine" by Brandon Shaffer

If I could have anything,

I'd have you in my arms.

We would dance and sing; I'd buy you a ring

So please don't be alarmed.

Everything I have, I'd give it up for you.

No matter what it is, my words would still hold true.

Even when you're old and gray, my love for you would remain.

I'd fight for you and die for you, through even hell's domain.

We would have a happy life

Together with some kids.

I would make you my wife and save you from strife.

I'd make sure you were never his.

You can do better; you could be mine.

The way you laugh can blow my mind.

When we talk, it's infinite bliss.

Please let me seal it with a kiss.

Love Freely Flows

"Love Freely Flows" by Brandon Shaffer

Into the heart,

Love freely flows.

And from the start,

It was destined to grow.

Over hills and mountains far;

Into the depths of the sea,

I'll always be where you are

As long as you believe.

The Void

I draw much inspiration from many different sources and mediums. One of the biggest inspirations for me is video games. I recently wrote a poem based on the Dark Brotherhood guild in Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. 

"The Void" by Brandon Shaffer

As I drift toward the void,

Aspirations are destroyed.

Contracts filed, people killed.

With the Dread Father, my heart is filled.

Sithis and the Night Mother's love

Send the brotherhood high above.

The five work as a dark hand

Creating a very lethal band.

With Sithis, there's no end in sight

We send the wicked toward the light.

One by one the targets fall.

Toward the top we commence our crawl.

The night mother loves each one of us.

To her children, she instills her trust.

All and one and one and all

Should answer to the voids dark call.

Test Grade

10

Nakrid the Wicked

"Nakrid the Wicked" by Brandon Shaffer

Nakrid is a wicked man.

He's scruffy and deformed.

He causes trouble when he can.

His heart with hate is warmed.

He slaughters innocent civilians.

He fills hearts with much despair.

His body count's in the millions.

He shows not a worry or care.

Nakrid is God's worst creation.

He's evil to the core.

He can kill with joyful elation.

His gruesome message spreads like spores.

Whiskers protrude from his ragged face.

He seems not to have showered in years.

He lacks every kind of grace.

For his victims, he's never shed a tear.

Dreamscape 9/27/2018

An alien race became entirely extinct when their planet drifted into the sun. Before the destruction of their planet, two alien parents send their only child to earth on a ship. When the ship arrived on earth, a small family of farmers found it and took the alien child as their own. The alien had the ability to shape-shift which helped it live among humans as one of them. As the alien grew older, he started to use his powers for the betterment of humanity as he became a superhero.

Dreamscape 9/25/2018

Throughout the ages, there has always been conflict between man and beast. In this particular conflict, the beasts have grown smarter, smarter even than the humans. Evolution led to a large increase in intelligence in a certain species of bird. The birds of this species developed the ability to speak and solve problems like a human. One bird from the species had evil intentions and declared himself divine leader of nature.  He brainwashed other animals into joining his army that he planned to use in the destruction of the human race.

Dreamscape 9/22/2018

The world came to a point where school rivalry became much more violent. Schools developed armies to combat each other and find out the real "King of Schools." The staff of the schools were required to be the most elite forces of all. Some of the student body took war into their own hands however. Various students at Tyrone High School formed a squad of student elites that could overcome even the most skilled armies. This squad called themselves "Tyrone's Finest." As the wars between the schools raged on, Tyrone and Bellwood engaged in combat. Bellwood fired a sundry of vulcan missiles at Tyrone. It was up to Tyrone's Finest to disable the missiles before it was too late. If they failed, it would be Tyrone's final hour. They were Tyrone's only hope.

Dreamscape 9/21/2018

Only two people remained on earth after a virus annihilated most of the life on earth. There remained one male and one female. The future of the human race rested in their reproducing. Problems arose when they discovered that she was not able to have children. She had undergone tubal ligation in order to prevent child birth. Luckily the man was a doctor and knew how to reverse the procedure. Unfortunately, most supplies were destroyed from quarantine. They needed to search far and wide for the population saving procedure while avoiding zombie attacks.

Dreamscape 9/6/2018

In a post apocalyptic world ensuing from a nuclear war, a small society of humans remained. Members of this society learned survival in their everyday lives due to difficult living conditions. Although most life on Earth ceased to exist, lizards underwent mutation and became monstrous beings much like dinosaurs. Among mankind there were only a select few individuals willing to stand up to the tyrant lizards. I was the one of the only humans to take action because I was the only one able to reach the prophecy that foretold the beasts' weaknesses,

A Summer's Day

"A Summer's Day" by Brandon Shaffer

The sun was shining on my face.

I rose to meet its warm embrace.

There were several people making rounds.

There was a cacophony of nature sounds.

Water rippled here and there.

Wind caressed my soft brown hair.

A lone squirrel scampered up a tree.

How wonderful it is to be.

There's a summer's night to every summer's day.

As the night grows old, beauty shall stay.

Crass was vivid and green with age.

Around me hung sweet violet sage.

While sitting in nature I caught a glimpse 

Of Ronald and the friendly nymphs.

I greeted Ronald with a smile.

I'll spend some time with him awhile. 

A Wolf in the Dollhouse

"A Wolf in the Dollhouse" by Brandon Shaffer

A wolf is in the dollhouse;

No one knows why.

Leaving no room for a mouse.

The fox we do try.

The fox, very unintelligent,

Places gold in our hands.

I, the centaur, wise and violent,

Watch our bag ever expand.

The wolf sends a wink.

He is finally done.

The fox's possession soon shrinks,

It is we who have won.

Or maybe it was the creator who won;

His hand reaching in to grab our small souls.

Swiftly the wolf and I spun

The fox seized through the large window hole.

We laughed and we jested.

I was us who escape.

Our luck has been tested.

We leave the window no longer agape.

The Red Mage

Red mage refers to a class of wizard in Final Fantasy that can use the power of the elements to either wound enemies or heal allies. As a child, my best friend and I would play "Final Fantasy" and the read mage was his favorite job.

"The Red Mage" by Brandon Shaffer

Hazel eyes shine,

Shine from under a hat.

Under hat so abundant in fur.

Crying to me with the wink of an eye.

I cast down my defenses.

He approaches with ease.

My mysterious friend strikes a fanciful pose.

Lightning strikes the ground at his feet.

A small crater takes place in the soil.

The crimson wizard slams the ground with great force.

To the surface slithers a miniature serpent.

In the red mage's hand, it becomes petrified.

Fire,

Brimstone,

A crazed incantation.

Smoke rolls from his nose 

While red gleams in his eyes.

Fire bursts from his fingers,

Sparking the serpent.

The mage inhales deeply;

The apparatus does sigh.

From Sweet to Bitter

Awhile back, I wrote the poem "Sweet Insanity," detailing my mental health during a manic state. I have written another poem similar but when I was sorely depressed and mentally unstable.

"From Sweet to Bitter" by Brandon Shaffer

Dead silence all around me,

The voice inside explodes.

Shrieks from deep within me,

I can fight no more.

There's a pilot commandeering 

A portion of my brain.

The more he skews his steering,

The more I go insane.

A voice once beautiful.

A voice once euphonious,

Now is a voice of anger and suffering.

Mental barriers bind him,

The monster trapped within.

Blood curdling screams curse my ears,

Although the voice, as a blessing appeared.

Chilling my blood;

Shaking my soul,

Every moment, I battle this ghoul. 

This battle, I need to win

Or I'll be trapped by my mind's prison.

Dreamscape 7/1/2018

Creative writing has been such a large part of my life that my creativity has carried over into the realm of dreams. I don't always dream but all of the dreams I experience are vivid. Immediately after these dreams, I whip out my journal and record ideas for a writing venture. Which reminds me, ALWAYS KEEP A JOURNAL, you never know when inspiration could hit you.

A boy awakens to familiar songs after being abducted by aliens. He is completely oblivious to the fact that he is now the aliens' test rat. The environment they put him in is exactly identical to his day-to-day life. Even his friends are shown in the illusion. As days go by, he notices small glitches in the simulation that let him now that he is not in his world. He continues to follow the illusion in order to trick the aliens while he thinks of an escape plan. One day, he finds one of the glitches and dives through it. He runs, grabs a parachute, and escapes the alien ship.