A Long Winter’s Night — 2022 Edition, Day 1

| December 21, 2022

The Winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere occurred today at 17:48 Atlantic Time, and so marked the first step in our march toward Spring by way of an uncertain road. And again it draws forth this annual event — A Long Winter’s Night — unleashed here this evening to dog your heels until Boxing Day, […]

Dark Sentiments Season 13 — Day 24: A Sort of Duel

| October 24, 2022

The concept of Armageddon isn’t an invention of nuclear armed modernity. For those of us whose formative years were incubated in the warmest parts of the Cold War, Armageddon in those days looked like a short, sharp, war not unlike the one so recently ended back then, but that played out not in the span […]

Dark Sentiments Season 13 — Day 23: Who’s Hungry?

| October 23, 2022

Cultures the world over have funeral customs involving food. Food for the dearly departed to take on his or her journey into “the afterlife’, and of course food for those left behind. Relevant recipes abound and some funeral services will even provide suggestions for the menu. In these parts, and setting aside the still uncommon […]

Dark Sentiments Season 13 — Day 21: Of Thorns and Roses

| October 21, 2022

“The thorn defends the rose, yet it is peaceful and does not seek conflict.” As you will surely know Goode Reader, I make little attempt to keep my appreciation for cold steel and those who deftly wield it any kind of a secret around here. Tonight, please join me in revisiting a representative rhyme from […]

Dark Sentiments Season 13 — Day 20: The Watchstone

| October 20, 2022

In the spirit of Stonefall, tonight’s Dark Sentiment reflects on another case involving rocks moving around with outside assistance, mixed with a little imaginative historical interpretation. The actual stone on which this is based, pictured above, is the largest of a small cluster of “glacial erratics” — stones picked up by advancing glaciers in the […]

Dark Sentiments Season 13 — Day 19: … and then we’ll be okay ….

| October 19, 2022

About Exurb1a Exurb1a likes fiction with a metaphysical backbone. He enjoys trying to write that kind of stuff himself. He also runs a subpar YouTube channel of the same name. His words, not mine. We’ve previously met our feature artist only yesterday in Thoughts From Your Deathbed. Tonight we’re going back.

Dark Sentiments Season 13 — Day 17: Fathercraft

| October 17, 2022

In past seasons I have written here of such Dark Sentiments as True Love, how to tell when it is, and its perils when unrequited. You can roll around in some samples from this list of links: Dark Sentiments – Day 28 (True Love) Dark Sentiments Season 9 — Day 21: When is Love “True”? […]

Dark Sentiments Season 13 — Day 13: Everybody’s the Villain in Someone’s Story

| October 13, 2022

On the heels of our last foray into the subject of inner monsters, tonight’s Dark Sentiment is about letting it out to play. Based on matters of which I may have some personal acquaintance, albeit not in the form of action but rather a promissory note. I am happy to report that the message was […]

Dark Sentiments Season 13 — Day 12: Monsters Monsters Everywhere, Up Your Bum and In Your Hair

| October 12, 2022

“None are innocent. There are only those weak enough to believe they are, and those strong enough to revel in the knowledge that they are not.” ~ Jacob Strauss, Magus of the Shining Hill, London 1940 “The monster within” has found a lot of traction lately, most eloquently addressed by Dr. Jordan Peterson. Naturally, the […]

Dark Sentiments Season 13 — Day 11: Gonads and Strife

| October 11, 2022

Gonads and Strife By LFM Much is said of sex and love, And conduct when push comes to shove, So differences between the two May be confused by some of you. First to know’s about the heart, And get this straight right from the start, Grown girl to woman, boy to man, If you can’t […]