Dawn Leslie Mullan Studios

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T14:20:00.000-08:00

Hoping Everyone has a Joyous Season!

See you after the first of the year... ;)--=

Dead

2011-10-20T16:09:00.000-07:00

Dead
By: DL Mullan

I don't know what I'm doing here
everything seems such a blur
one minute i'm standing upright
next i'm a sidewalk bleeder

I don't know what happened
I don't know what I did
I do know i'm not with you
and think I now am dead

all I wanted was some space
I stepped off a ledge instead
I didn't mean to do what I did
I blindly charged ahead

I don't know what happened
I don't know how to fix this
It was fun while it lasted
but there's no accounting for stupid

I took the wrong exit
one simple mistake...

confused, I don't know where to go
should I go up to heaven?
or see what's down below?
funny how there are no directions

hey! who's running this place?
the grim reaper? charon?
where is the ticket booth?
I want a refund!

I can't believe what happened
now I know what I did
one minute i'm about to leave
the next, i'm wearing some toe tags

life just isn't fair...

Self-Inflicted

2011-10-12T23:29:00.000-07:00

Self-Inflicted

By: DL Mullan

you left me naked on the floor
not even my self respect was there
you disappeared with my heart
and returned the bloody mass torn

you're like a self-inflicted
gun shot wound
bigger going out of my life
than you ever been coming in

you seem to destroy what you touch
nothing really matters to you
but making sure i drown in silence

which doesn't say much for you

you're like a self-inflicted
gun shot wound
so i keep pointing the revolver
at my temple and pray...

leave me and never return
if your love is true than
being absent would heal me

from these darkening powder burns

you're like a self-inflicted
gun shot wound
it appears you removed
all but one bullet

do you like how i play?
pull the trigger
and continue to stay?
all you are is lazy
since i'm the only one in the game

you're bigger going out of my life
than you ever been coming in
bang, bang, bang, you're dead,

now who's left hanging in the wind?

you're like a self-inflicted
gun shot wound
i've saved myself from the next time
and used all your ammunition to end the lie

bonus material from the upcoming chapbook: A cappella lyric soprano
please check out the artist on Facebook, friend: Dawn Leslie Mullan (dlmstudios)

Grim Reaper

2011-09-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

Grim Reaper
By: DL Mullan

deep, dark
silent muse
how i wait for you to come.

buried beneath the surface
i wonder if you'll soon arrive.

grab me.
spin me.
take me to the other side.

or, let me rot in this fleshy shell.

i'd rather go with you,
then count another inch worm
inching across my chest.

where are you Grim Reaper
to take me out in my Sunday dress?

New Logo

2011-09-28T17:09:00.000-07:00

i've been making to the division between my writing and my art. now i've remade my logo for this blog to denote that it's about my writing craft.

the art and book cover site is linked here via my links section. it's called dlm visual stuidos. i'm still getting that blog together and hope to get everything sorted out real soon.

thought i was resting on my laurels, now didn't ya?

Autumn and Horror Poetry

2011-09-26T15:54:00.000-07:00

Welcome to fall.

Let the games begin... horrific, strange, and autumnal poetry is now the theme for the blog until Halloween is over or until the turkeys get me...

Ghost

2011-09-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

Ghost
By: DL Mullan

the veil between our worlds
is very thin indeed
so translucent and opaque
that I can see you
but you can't see me

i'm a ghost
beeping the x-ray
machines of life
I can make
all the noise
I want but...

I exist in my own realm
far away from everyone
I like that i'm here
since I don't have
to answer to anyone

i'm a ghost
beeping the x-ray
machines of life
I can do
whatever
I want...

do you feel me
standing there?
do you know i'm around?
would you care to join me
on this death-defying
merry-go-round?

i'm a ghost
beeping the x-ray
machines of life
I can make
all the noise
I want and...

when it's your time
i'll be waiting for you

Closed for the Season - Call for Submissions

2011-09-16T15:42:00.000-07:00

DLM Studios' call for poetry/short prose submissions.

"Closed for the Season" is a poetry/short prose anthology. The theme is the feelings, mood, and setting that is invoked by the phrase "closed for the season." It's after the holidays but before spring.You're by your fireplace writing...

This chapbook will be published in January 2012.

Poems should be under 70 lines and be rated PG-13, so that everyone has a chance to be included. 3 poems per poet allowed for submission.

Short Prose should be limited to under 50 lines and be rated PG-13. 2 short prose allowed for submission.

Submit poems and/or short prose to: dlmstudios@ymail.com. Subject heading: CftS Submission Jan 2011. No attachments. Place your poem or prose in the body of the email with your name (how you want it to be spelled in the chapbook) and title(s) of the piece(s) in Arial 12 point.

The last day to submit is midnight October 31st. Submitters chosen to be included in the anthology will be listed on the dlmstudios blog on December 1st.

Hope you have fun with this topic and good luck.

Thank you,

DL Mullan

You

2011-09-12T08:40:00.000-07:00

You
By: DL Mullan

whatever i hold inside
i hold alone
it rips me
it slits me
it pours down in me
hot blooded magma
scorches my every vein
until it reaches my chest
where it explodes
from my inner being
the pain
the fire
the birth
wanting the lingering
burn that is inside to stay
so i can harness
the volcanic rock that pumps
the agony throughout my body
and bursts into a catharsis
a small box which i lock away
that contains the memory of you

9.12.01

2011-09-09T23:35:00.000-07:00

9.12.01
By: DL Mullan

Silence.
Such silence.
There are no airplanes in flight.
Trains and buses stay unscheduled.
Cars remain parked.
No one moves.

The awkward stillness is pierced
by the roar of fighter jets
as pilots make their rounds-

We reflect.
Somber.
Lived lives have gone unfinished.
Words, feelings were left unsaid.
Missing brothers and sisters,
all 2973 dead.

To this, the next day,
Everything is different;
In some way, everyone is changed.

September 12th.
Towers, Pentagon, and Flight 93.
We are in silence.
Not out of fear, silence is respect.
A moment to honor courage,
and another to bury our dead.

Evening

2011-09-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

Evening
By: DL Mullan

darkness settles in
moonlight rises from beyond
mountain viewed landscapes.

Always Empty

2011-09-02T20:37:00.000-07:00

Always Empty*

By: DL Mullan

you may not be sleeping with him

but you're still giving it away

you're enthusiasm wanes 'til

only the emptiness remains

why do you do this to yourself?

you become the other woman

hidden inside a desperate shell

an always empty someone else

always empty

always empty... someone else

you're emotionally invested

with a man who doesn't exist

he is with another woman

and never will be open to this

why do you do this to yourself?

you're settling for second best

stop living in that prison cell

an always empty someone else

always empty

you deserve more

always empty

so take a chance

never full of what's good in life

you spend your waking hours blue

hoping that neglectful somebody

wakes up and wants to be with you

always empty

always empty... someone else

why do you do this to yourself?

take your heart off that dusty shelf

always empty

you deserve more

always empty

someone else

*from the upcoming lyrical chapbook: A cappella lyric soprano

For Sale

2011-08-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

For Sale
By: DL Mullan

i have a heart
i can do nothing about
of love it falls in and out
seems i have no control
but i'm subject to the pain
to end my suffering
i place an ad of this:
FOR SALE
used Heart
broken but mended
after each use
rusted in spots
but still works well
Marriage OBO
i'll settle for more
if you can keep up
i promise a life of bliss
but if you never
answer this ad
my Heart will surely
never know...
aren't i worth the risk?

Calling My Angels

2011-08-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

Calling My Angels
By: DL Mullan

i'm calling all my angels
stay with me tonight
the darkness deepens within
and i have no insight

everything is closer than
it appears to be
but the mirror of instant
judgment remains unseen

i hope their wings hold me tight
and keep me spellbound
before the coming abyss
steals me and holds me down

i'm calling all my angels
to come save my soul
because when i sleep, i die
in the vast morbid cold

when i wake, the sun dries tears
of red-soaked sorrow
and abandoned hope which leads
to an unknown morrow

so i remain in shadow
as I wait alone
for angels to come hide me
from my own reflection

Hive Mentality

2011-08-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

Hive Mentality
By: DL Mullan

"can't believe what you're telling me in your status...
did he really do that? he's such a loser!"

bzz, bzz, bzz, is all you say
doesn't matter what you type
as long as you get your way

you brag and your friends agree
make sure you down people like me
whoever "they" may be...

hive mentality
caught up in the buzz
do whatever you want
trash all your neighbors
be sure you're on top
bzz, bzz, bully... stop

you swarm around there
in your little clique
if you're challenged by
the truth, step on them
quick! so the lesson sticks

hive mentality... group think
get out before you reek

you're such a damn follower...
copy and paste wretched lies
forget your morals because
it's about power over
other people's little lives

bzz, bzz, bzz, is all you say
doesn't matter what you type
as long as you get your way

hive mentality, have you got your buzz?

"yes, i know... that picture. she's so lame.
i can't believe she wore that."

Innocence

2011-08-20T15:17:00.000-07:00

Innocence
By: DL Mullan

This nescient
addictive reverie
how I long for your embrace.
Thin, fine strips undress me
and free me from my reality.
With this breath, I consume
the sweet nepenthe:
a vague, tentative elixir
that revenants do educe as
an aesthetic oblivion
equivalent
to divine amnesty,
but I rather be eaten by this ambrosia
then succumb to the numbing
affects of omniscient withdrawal.

Zombie

2011-08-19T00:39:00.000-07:00

Zombie
By: DL Mullan

blood thirsty dunce
only coming out
during the night
why are you here now?

white-eyed, silver-tongued devil
entrance by your own lies
you're nothing but a zombie

got bitch-slapped, necro,
felt good to give you one-
should've placed you down
a long time ago...

white-eyed, silver-tongued devil
entrance by your own lies
you're nothing but a zombie

showed you up so
no one's following
your pathetic lead?
you're now all alone-

what does it feel like?
where you put me
you get to live and
wait out this deranged
fantasy, zombie

you're nothing but a zombie

just another sin

2011-08-18T02:37:00.000-07:00

just another sin
By: DL Mullan

if i closed my eyes
could i still dream
of you here with me?
or are you gone?

just another sin
a one night could've been
but it's not what's within
just another sin

so for all we knew
we could have stretched
curiosity
and became true.

just another sin
another could've been
just another sin
seems like a trend
to never love beyond the dim

just another sin
a one night could've been

you changed my mind
but you're in it
for the goodbye
it's your byline

just another sin
but it's not what's within
just another sin
so i close my eyes

Ghost Hunter

2011-08-17T20:12:00.001-07:00

Ghost Hunter
By: DL Mullan

always
wanted to see
a shy apparition
staring back at me from the hall
spirit

Ingenuity

2011-08-16T21:14:00.001-07:00

Ingenuity
By: DL Mullan

repaired
my tv
with a hammer
it stopped working on me
so i smashed the thing for revenge
temper

Longing

2011-08-15T19:42:00.000-07:00

Longing
By: DL Mullan

crave
me.
desire
what's inside.
crimson life pulsates and invites
the hunger, the thirst, and the sensation- that is you.

Last Day

2011-08-14T20:09:00.000-07:00

Last Day
By: DL Mullan

breathe in
hard, steady
emotions
it's never easy standing in patched grass to see you
curved concrete, lots to say
in carved form
letters
names
dates

Drunk

2011-08-12T22:31:00.000-07:00

Drunk
By: DL Mullan

welcome
to my dream state;
dancing swine and green dogs
rotate around starry light bulbs;
don't drink.

First they came for...

2011-08-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) about the inactivity of German intellectuals following the Nazi rise to power and the purging of their chosen targets, group after group. The text of the quotation is usually presented roughly as follows:

inspiration for my poem Freedom, and it still remains true today.

First they came for the communists
and I didn't speak out because I was't a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came

Freedom

2011-08-09T11:06:00.000-07:00

Freedom
By: DL Mullan

And then they came for me…
I stood by and watched them come
as they took you away,
I did nothing.

You were different, lowly;
pathetic and useless.
When they wanted your freedoms, your rights…
your life,
I cheered them on.

I worked. I obeyed. I didn’t buck the rules.
I was free.

You questioned. You yelled. You screamed.
You wanted equality.

But it was easier to hate you then, stand up for you.
I didn’t use my voice.
I didn’t see the bigger picture.

As long as they were focused on you,
they weren’t watching me.
I was free.

So now that you’re gone, I am questioned.
I am yelled at. I am screamed at.
They want my freedoms, my rights…
my life.,
but I’m not cheering anymore.

Now, I know I was never free.

Blame

2011-08-06T16:19:00.001-07:00

Blame
By: DL Mullan

these words are alleged-
illusion become defined;
when they're left unsaid.

Rainy Day

2011-08-04T19:56:00.000-07:00

Rainy Day
By: DL Mullan

sometimes i realize
it's never going to change.
whatever path i set forth on,
i end up in this cage.

would it be this easy,
if i didn't have to say...
why am i alone on
every rainy day?

i can't let go of the memories.
i don't see myself anywhere else.
if i choose to remain here,
is there any type of help?

what's going to happen?
why is it so cold?

would it be this easy,
if i didn't have to say...
why am i alone on
every rainy day?

why does it rain?

Lost

2011-08-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

Lost

By: DL Mullan

i closed my eyes
to catch this feeling
in a memory.
i remember the smell:
pungent, but sweet.
the sounds of laughter
and screams filled
my ears.
the weather was cold.
my jacket was warm, blue suede.
footsteps clanked against
concrete paths in all directions.
for everything i can muster,
the one thing i cannot do:
is see you.
broken, shattered
memories fade with time.
as if a jigsaw puzzle i'm
meant to solve, i struggle
to put the pieces back
the way they were.
but the shards
are not connectible-
the sharp points stab
my heart when i try.
so i stand here alone,
fractured, and bleeding
over the lost memory of you.

bday

2011-08-01T23:26:00.000-07:00

bday
By: DL Mullan

trigger pulled- bang! bang!
round and round with tail in hand;
my birthday party.

August

2011-08-01T10:49:00.001-07:00

August

By: DL Mullan

Overhead

the summer sun

begins to slip toward

the autumnal equinox-

minutes

subtract

as nighttime becomes dominant

the northern hemisphere

cools as leaves turn

to gold.

afghan

2011-07-31T01:56:00.000-07:00

afghan
By: DL Mullan

constrained,
tightly woven
embroidered emotion
let's no one see the inside you;
afghan.

Echoes

2011-07-29T01:36:00.000-07:00

Echoes
By: DL Mullan

Shadows appear here
between mist and reverie
dreams within a dream

empty heart

2011-07-28T15:44:00.000-07:00

empty heart

By: DL Mullan

Always empty-
the place I used to be.
Chasms of echoed fears
reverberate inside a hollow heart which:
cannot beat
does not stir
will not feel
How can I survive with a rusted,
chunk of flesh rotting within a bone-trap?
nothing gets in
nothing leaves
Unwanted, unnecessary emotions are stifled,
diluted, and exchanged as charged electrons.
One after another positive and negative energies
bounce and create friction.
Each ping shocks the heart awake.
What monster has the universe rendered?
Broken, leaking fission irradiates from within.
The emptiness was never cured only unleashed
as a destructive power unto the world.

Home

2011-07-21T21:04:00.000-07:00

Home
By DL Mullan

i have spent a long time searching...
for a road that leads nowhere.
i drive and drive but nevermind
the bumps and potholes that reside
on uneven shoulders and turn offs.
i'm looking for that stretch of highway
with no streetlights.
i ready my turn signal.
an abandoned area that leads to mountain ranges, or the fountain of youth.
the place doesn't matter as long as i
travel there alone.
a road less traveled by is a place that i call home.

galactic ride

2011-07-17T18:36:00.000-07:00

galactic ride

By: DL Mullan

I thought myself a Zen Master

and I centered myself on the moon.

I climbed the highest peak where

I viewed the whole universe on my knees.

Then I slid down into a bowl of ice cream.

French vanilla swirled in a sea of

chocolate and cherries and caramel syrup.

Dripped over, since I ate the sundae with a fork.

After I slurped the last drop, I snapped my fingers

and materialized myself back on Earth.

I took the utensil and wrapped the

cold metal around my wrist.

I gave the bracelet to someone

walking down the street as a gift.

I stuck my thumb out and caught a ride.

In the back of a pickup, I felt the wind.

I traveled the rough and winding road

until the cosmos called me again.

With a breath, I found myself strolling

on the rainbow colors of Saturn’s rings.

I viewed my little blue world from a far

until I caught the tail of a comet passing by.

I swung around the asteroid belt

and tighten the notch one more time.

As the ice traveler flew passed the sun,

I propelled myself between the moon and earth.

After I let go, I glided down through the atmosphere

where I fell to Earth on this very spot.

Essence

2011-03-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

Essence
By: Dawn Mullan

dripping
life collects downward
spreads across the infinite
stops.

the silvery liquid floats
ebbs in and out
up and down.

the universe is full.

as water gives birth to life,
it also renews and cleans
all of our insanity away.

Wild West Journal

2011-03-14T06:39:00.000-07:00

Wild West Journal

By: Dawn Mullan

it's March 5th, 1854.
i was riding toward the southwest territory,
Arizona as it was called.

i was headed toward Mexico

Cannibals had taken over a small town.
it was my duty to help the local people
take back their homes.

in the bright sun of the desert,
the blue sky seemed endless.
my throat was dry and
my trusty steed tired.

as i rode horseback, i had
a confession to make:
i didn't know how to stop them
cannibals.

Archer is my gunfighter name.
More subtle then Jesse James.
More accurate then Billy the Kid.
But my name was not well known.

i survived gun shot wounds and
dancing with left footed Miss Claire.
i've done it all.

as i came into town,
one person met me at the sheriff's office.
he was scrappy but robust.
he shivered with fright.

He told me his name was Warner.
As i observed his hand ringing
while he told me the story
how his whole town was eaten.

i shot him. dead
maybe he should have
taken the spoon out of
his back pocket.

I mounted my horse
as the sun set, i went east.
i heard Georgia had a sasquatch.

And that's how i saved the
southwest from being
devoured by a cannibal.

Grim Reaper

2011-03-13T06:17:00.000-07:00

Grim Reaper
By: Dawn Mullan

deep, dark
silent muse
how i wait for you to come.

buried beneath the surface
i wonder if you'll soon arrive.

grab me.
spin me.
take me to the other side.

or, let me rot in this fleshy shell.

i'd rather go with you,
then count another inch worm
inching across my chest.

where are you Grim Reaper
to take me out in my Sunday dress?

Windy Day

2011-03-12T01:26:00.000-08:00

Windy Day -haiku

whipping wind mixes
clouds and sky, checkered streams fade
in the noon sun light.

Introvert

2011-03-11T02:33:00.000-08:00

Introvert

time for introspection
i need to be alone
but no one understands
they think: loner, creep, dangerous.
i can see it in their eyes.

i don't mind.
not usually, anyway.
when i see them, i think:
co-dependent, followers, monsters.
i'm sure they can read my face.

my parents hope i'll grow out of it.
i don't.
i like me.
for all my parents' worries,
i think for myself.

so keep staring at me.
let other people make your decisions
and make you feel bad.
i see how adults push you around
and your friends act indifferent, even cruel.

i'll be standing over here watching
and deciding who i want to be
and how i don't want to be treated.
i'll be going on to bigger things soon
as i watch life pass you by.

Wishing for Rain

2011-03-10T02:38:00.000-08:00

Wishing for Rain

days
grow
longer-
flowers smile.
the sun shines above.
with no rain in sight, blooms cry out:
"bring us liquid to wash our thirst and hunger away."
but mother nature does not heed.
sun warms and dries out
the moist lands...
until
rain
comes.

The Root

2011-03-09T06:34:00.000-08:00

The Root

my confession would melt the polar caps.
that's how much it hurts.

i envision the ice in the closed
corridors of my mind:
melting, seeping, slipping away.

i never wanted to go there;
never wanted to feel this way.

but no one stopped the crushing blow,
no one dared to fathom:
pounding, pulsating, eating me away.

i'll stay here for as long as i have to,
but only to heal the watery grave of my pain.

General Strike

2011-03-08T20:05:00.000-08:00

A call for a Nationwide General Strike!! Time Thursday, March 31 · 9:00am - 9:00pm.

Get with Mike Benedict, Yuri Hall Keegstra on FB.

I usually don't do this type of thing, b/c this arena is for my creative pursuit but I feel those pursuits are in jeopardy. Without basic human rights, there is no future for the artist or poet. This strike is not about unions. It's about the right to exist as free, independent people.

In that regard, I believe this day is significant. This strike is for anyone and everyone. So far, it's in the USA, but I believe in spreading the wealth.

Everyone who has a sick, personal, or vacation day should do it. We should not be paying austerity. We should go where the money is: Wall Street and Banks.

The strike is to get our money back. Let's bring this nation(s) to a standstill for one day. The politicians and corporations would crap their pants. As they should.

Join the peaceful resistance. Post this on your Blog, Website, Twitter, and FB Status.

And, it's BYOS: Bring Your Own SIgn.

Thank you.

Spring Colors

2011-03-08T06:54:00.000-08:00

Spring Colors
Haiku
By: Dawn Mullan

awash with color
the prairie whispers as words
the sweet smells of spring

Love Me

2011-03-07T02:23:00.000-08:00

Love Me

It's not the diamonds, gold, or pearls-

I have those pieces in my jewelry box.

It's not the roses, daisies, or sunflowers-

I have those flowers in my garden.

It's not about trinkets or the flower shop.

Things don't show affection;

only clutter life.

What I want is for you to love me.

Love me with your words.

Love me with your touch.

Love me with your eyes.

Create a space just for us.

Dim the lights and pour some wine.

Shut the curtains, your eyes to be the lure.

Then the diamonds, gold, and pearls;

the roses, daises, and sunflowers;

these would no longer be trinkets-

but a gesture of your good will.

Life is full of splendor.

Make your love count with each second.

Give all of you in your embrace.

Love me in your arms.

Love me with your lips.

All I want is your time, attention, and love.

Bulbs

2011-03-06T13:30:00.001-08:00

Bulbs
Haiku
By: Dawn Mullan

always seeking light
the cold ground cracks with warm rays
as bulbs burst upward

A capella lyric sorprano Chapbook

2011-03-06T12:39:00.000-08:00

A capella lyric sorprano
Original Lyrics By: Dawn L. Mullan

Songs about heartache, pain, and love

Please browse by Style or Subject.

*Published in print media or online (other then DLMS or Authorsden).
**Poems without traditional structure.
_

_

Unruly Chapbook

2011-03-06T12:21:00.000-08:00

Unruly
Original Poetry By: Dawn L. Mullan

Emotive, tragic, and confessional

Altitude Chapbook

2011-03-05T20:47:00.000-08:00

Altitude (Online Chapbook)
Original Poetry By: Dawn L. Mullan

Astronomical, Macabre, Nature, and Speculative Fiction

*Published in print media or online (other then DLMS or Authorsden).
**Poems without traditional structure.

575 Chapbook

2011-03-05T20:39:00.000-08:00

575 (Online Chapbook)
Original Haikus By: Dawn L. Mullan

*Published in print media or online (other than DLMS or Authorsden).

Everlasting Chapbook

2011-03-05T20:31:00.000-08:00

Everlasting (Online Chapbook)
Original Poetry By: Dawn L. Mullan

Current Events, Love, Inspiration, and Introspection

*Published in print media or online (other than DLMS or Authorsden).

Moving Forward

2011-03-05T06:13:00.000-08:00

Moving Forward
Poems
By: Dawn Mullan

As I saw the sun rise,

the rays stung my eyes.

So I turned away and sighed:

another day had gone by.

Just yesterday I realized

how short it seems our lives

can be. But it’s a lie.

Some may hope, some cry,

that life is somehow trite.

We’re born. We live. We die.

I see something more kind.

I see a world without bias,

rage, or terror. I see a side

that no one can sell, trade, or buy.

I envision tears that dry

and people who try

to make this a better place for you and I.

monorhyme

Featured Poem on Gaia Community 3/5/11.

Everlasting

2011-03-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

Decided to make the poem collection found here a chapbook called Everlasting. Some day, the collection will go into print form. Until then, please enjoy the ever growing creativity.

The Blue House

2011-03-03T13:34:00.000-08:00

abandoned

i live there
away from the city;
rugged.

i stay inside.
i rarely venture out.
i cannot be found.

entombed, conscious

the blue house calls.
it too does not want
to be alone.

so i stay.

That Feeling Again

2011-03-01T09:40:00.001-08:00

That Feeling Again
Poems
By: Dawn Mullan

you could take my breath away
if you wanted to
and i could play coy;
not listen to what you say

words can confuse,
debilitate, and incite.
all i want is emotion;
a feeling i can't lose

but that wouldn't give me
the happy ending i seek.
i need more than just staring
into your eyes, i need peace.

Reflections

2011-02-28T18:17:00.000-08:00

Reflections

Drabbles

By: Dawn Mullan

Reflections in a pond become wrinkled by a drop of rain. The heavens storm above- lightning and thunder- loud, bright. However, the rain does not come to Mother Nature's children below. The clouds wait for the right time to give out their gift of life. This endowment is plentiful, yet, rare when it touches all of Earth's creatures. Hours pass before relief comes. Droplets begin to fall and the mirror image of the landscape is erased in the water below. A new image will appear with the passing of the storm; and a new beginning will follow . . .

Facebook Page

2011-02-28T12:11:00.000-08:00

I am a member of Facebook. So if you want up to the minute art, poetry, and writing, then friend me at: Dawn Leslie Mullan (dlmstudios).

to dream

2011-02-27T19:07:00.000-08:00

dream

let the breeze take a breath;
breathe on me

let the morning dew dry, inside
and out and refresh my soul-
me

i need this dream

i want the feeling to show me
guide me
absorb me until i cannot surface

drown in the mists of the past
create a future and live in the present

dream

so the life i live has meaning

Blood War Cover Redo

2011-02-27T03:15:00.000-08:00

what do you think? compare with the one on the right.

Love Life

2011-02-16T19:58:00.000-08:00

Still hoping everyone has love for the rest of their week!

Black-Eyed Children - Cover Art

2011-02-09T11:43:00.000-08:00

An urban legend comes to life in art.

Chapbook Cover: The Rain

2011-02-08T09:53:00.000-08:00

I have an epic poem I wrote. Here's the chapbook cover I created:

Join me on Facebook

2011-02-06T07:57:00.000-08:00

If you like art, poetry, and writing, then friend: Dawn Leslie Mullan (Dlmstudios).

After you have checked out my blog and website, use the Links section and find me everywhere!

Thank you

and "like" my community and author pages as well.

Voodoo Hearts

2011-02-05T15:21:00.000-08:00

Voodoo Hearts

Novella

By: Dawn Mullan

On a vacation in New Orleans, Kyra Watson gets more than she bargains for... love, adventure, and vampires.

How's that for a night out?

Kyra is running away from two men and engagement rings. She goes to Marie Laveau's crypt to ask for a sign. Which one should she choose? She loves and respects both of them but she isn't in love with either of them. With the prospect of a lonely old age, she feels forced to choose.

On her way out of the cemetery, she meets Algernon. He is strange, scary, but captivating. Has Marie answered her question? Or, given her more to think about?

Her quest to do the right thing has caught the eye of Madam Chantel Cavalier, the local vampiress. The vampire factions are out of balance, and good needs to raise the stakes. Kyra might be the one that restores the balance between good and evil to the world.

No matter what Kyra does, her heart is ensnared in that old fashioned voodoo.

Story is set up as a stand alone.

__________________________________

Inspired by Jim Butcher, Forever Knight, Angel, and Supernatural.
Rated PG-13.
__________________________________
Chapter 1

Reviews

_________________________________
Art for the book cover provided by:
public domain

Images are copyright- and royalty- free images, or used with permission.

Cover layout and design by DLM Studios.
_________________________________
Follow our Twitter page. Thank you.

Please leave comments in the sections or below for the story as a whole.

Poetry -Red Shift

2011-02-01T10:21:00.000-08:00

Red Shift

Speculative Fiction: Red Shift*

By: Dawn L. Mullan

Drift away-

come full circle

in this fish bowl.

Swirl around the circumference;

stars and planetoids seem motionless

underneath the castle’s dome, protected.

Waves crash above as galaxies collide-

destruct and construct the beaches

which all life resides.

Swim forever in the emptiness...

Read the rest at: http://www.dlm-studios.com/2009/07/red-shift.html

original creative images

2011-01-30T19:16:00.000-08:00

mockup sample

beautiful day

deconstructed

red aberlams

2011-01-29T07:39:00.000-08:00

2011 Collection

Pallegic from the Spacescapes collection

2011-01-28T09:23:00.000-08:00

pallegic... spacescapes

loved creating this piece. i followed where the image led.

Vase - haiku

2011-01-26T13:28:00.000-08:00

Free Verse; Haiku
By Dawn Mullan

Cerise, ink swirls down
around the slick circumference
molded, opaque glass

The Venus Conspiracy

2011-01-25T09:14:00.000-08:00

Well, it's not a real book, but it sounded good for this mockup!

Fade Away

2011-01-21T17:03:00.000-08:00

Fade Away
Free Verse; Love; Lyric
By Dawn Mullan

what do you expect

when the love runs out?

emotions darken, swirl around.

closed off rooms with curtains drawn.

all that you have known

becomes in doubt.

didn't know what was coming

didn't want to let it fade away

didn't let love live

instead held love at bay.

you look in the mirror

and see a stranger there.

lost yourself and didn't take heed.

the relationship ended

before it began,

a casualty of mindless care.

didn't know what was lost

didn't want to let it go

didn't let love flourish

so you reaped what you sowed.

forever seemed endless

to the heart's content.

now you know that

it takes more than being around.

love is fickle, selfish.

what was once spirited and open

becomes hell bent.

Book Cover Art

2011-01-19T17:44:00.000-08:00

I have done cover art for my stories. I will display some of those pieces here as well as some mockups as examples in this online portfolio.

3D Books:

some mockup session examples:

If you would like to have a mockup session for your book, then please email dlmstudios [at] ymail [dot] com.
________________________________
Book cover art and mockups use original art and public domain images.

2011 Resolutions

2011-01-03T10:42:00.000-08:00

For this year, I hope to:

get well
help other writers
become a book cover artist (for others)
and
create more art and writing!

How about you?

Leave your resolutions in the Comments.

dawn is ill

2010-11-07T13:33:00.001-08:00

until further notice dawn will not be updating this blog.

dawn now with mold infection/lyme disease

2010-11-07T13:32:00.000-08:00

Until then . . .

2010-10-05T20:35:00.000-07:00

Dawn is critically ill. She will not be able to update for the foreseeable future. She may not be back ever.

If you would like to help her get medical help please contribute to her Paypal Account at dlmullan at yahoo dot com.

It is urgent.

Thank you.

Pretend -Poem

2010-10-05T15:29:00.000-07:00

Pretend

DL Mullan

All we are is this façade.

Made up-

pale face

red lips

darkened eyes.

Drawn similar with identical features.

We are nothing like ourselves.

We hide away our true visage.

Selfish.

Deficient.

Our aspirations detached.

Silent reveries and ardent beliefs forgotten.

The world is absent.

We belong nowhere.

We are nothing.

Only painted features:

pale lips

red eyes

blackened face.

We are the living dead.

Freedom has condemned us to live.

Masked.

Concealed-

liars.

Miscellanos

2010-10-03T17:43:00.000-07:00

Achromatic

2010-10-03T17:38:00.000-07:00

Wallpapers - Digital Art

2010-10-03T17:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some assorted digital art wallpapers for your computer:

Digital Art

2010-10-03T16:51:00.000-07:00

2011 Collection

Achromatic

Fantasy

Spacescapes
Miscellaneous

Wallpapers

Fantasy

2010-10-03T16:47:00.000-07:00

Spacescapes

2010-10-03T16:44:00.000-07:00

Publicity photos added

2010-10-03T14:32:00.000-07:00

New photos for publicity/media as well as desktop wallpapers of the artist! Click here.

Fanfiction Site

2010-09-05T19:21:00.000-07:00

With my work on Circles, I decided to upload my story to FanFiction.net:

http://www.fanfiction.net/u/2527111/

The Babylon 5 fanfic will not be posted until Tuesday evening, but you can always read it as part of the Featured DLMS Reads.

Revisions and Updates

2010-09-05T12:39:00.001-07:00

Updating layout, pages, and stories.

Check out the Featured DLMS Reads.

It's My Birthday!

2010-07-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

Online Resources - You Write On

2010-07-18T00:03:00.000-07:00

Want a critique of your writing? Try You Write On. It's better than Authonomy and gives writers a real chance to succeed.

Source: YWO

Ob-Scene Work - POV

2010-07-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

Point of view or POV is a writer's focus in a particular story or scene. Today, shifting POVs in the middle of a scene is taboo, though some writers still accomplish this task readily.

I remember when the omniscient third person was a good read. Now limited third person and first person are now the rage. For the reader, these styles lend to more secrets, twist and turns.

If you're reading a book, see which POV you enjoy. You might want to write what you are comfortable reading.

Source: Suite101

Contempt for Contemporaries - Internet

2010-07-08T16:02:00.000-07:00

Prince, the musician, believes the Internet is over. Really?

It's news to me. Well and a billion or six other people, /What gets me is that this ridiculous conclusion made news. Why? Slow news day?

I can tell Prince that the Internet is safe and sound. With technology booming, cellular phones and twitter are great devices and programs to entertain oneself, I doubt if they are going anywhere anytime soon.

So for those of you who are rattled (like no one), technology is going forward, not into the '80's.

Ob-Scene Work - 3 Act Play

2010-07-07T12:20:00.000-07:00

Some writers like to plot out their stories while others (like me) enjoy the characters molding the story.

No matter how you slice it, a novel is a three act play. Introduction, climax, and resolution are the three main arcs to a story.

Source: Suite 101

Vocab Expander - frog-march

2010-06-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

frog-march • \FROG-march\ • verb

: to seize from behind roughly and forcefully propel forward

Example Sentence:

When the patron became loud and belligerent, a hulking bouncer swiftly pinned him in a half nelson and frog-marched him out the door.

Did you know?

There are a couple variations of the "frog's march" used to carry off an unruly person. The first involves carrying the person face downward by the arms and legs; when this is done by four people each holding a limb, the person's body resembles a stretched out frog. In another version the person is carried off by his collar and the seat of his pants, again giving the image of a frog but this time with limbs uselessly flailing about. These ways of moving a person gave us the verb "frog-march" in the late 19th century. The verb was also extended to cover more general, less frog-like, methods of removal, such as forcing the intractable individual forward with arms held in back or at the sides.

Source: MW

Ask the Artist - Fantasy vs Reality?

2010-06-20T00:02:00.000-07:00

How do you know when you've successfully blurred the lines between fantasy and reality?

Most of the time, I listen to the voices in my head. I know it sounds crazy to non -writers or -creative types. Characters speak to me there. In auspicious times too, the character warble on about something they want me to write down.

I also have the gift of visualizing my characters. I see and hear them act out scenes in my head. It's quite helpful.

As for knowing when I have successfully blurred the lines? That happened recently. I was getting critiques and reviews of Gossamer Square. (It's not quite finished.)

An exercise outside of my comfort zone. I don't write Historical Literature/Romance. It has it's flaws but I love it just the same. Great characters.

A person who was critiquing my work ask if Gossamer Square was a real place. The place I made up. It's set in London, England. I have never been. Nor have I been in the 19th Century! So the question was a great compliment to me, my writing, and world building skills.

So yes, I have been successful in blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.

If you want a peek, read Gossamer Square today.

Vocab Expander - paean

2010-06-15T00:37:00.000-07:00

paean • \PEE-un\ • noun

1 : a joyous song or hymn of praise, tribute, thanksgiving, or triumph

*2 : a work that praises or honors its subject : encomium, tribute

Example Sentence:

"I'm supposed to write a paean to Spring for my creative writing course, but all this rain just makes me depressed and uninspired," sighed Jessica.

Did you know?

According to the poet Homer, the Greek god Apollo sometimes took the guise of Paean, physician to the gods. The earliest musical paeans were hymns of thanksgiving and praise that were dedicated to Apollo. They were sung at events ranging from boisterous festivals to public funerals, and were the traditional marching songs of armies heading into battle. Over time, the word became generalized, and it is now used for any kind of tribute.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

Source: MW

A Novel Idea - Title Generator 1

2010-06-13T00:40:00.000-07:00

I got stuck recently while trying to name a story. On my blog, the title is The Darkside's Light.

I have written different incarnations:

of Blood and Justice
Blood War
Blood Ties
Bound by Blood
Blood Rival
Blood Game
Night Game
Dark Justice
Caught in the Middle
Out for Blood

then I found this nifty Random Title Generator to help expand my imagination.

I settled on The Vampire's Seer.

We'll see how it fares. If people like it, then I'll change the title here too. If not, it's back to the drawing board and name generator as well.

If you have any suggestions, please feel free to share a title in the comments section.

Quotables - Jane Austen

2010-06-09T00:03:00.000-07:00

"Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves; vanity, to what we would have others think of us."

Sources: FP&P

Weapons that We'll Need

2010-05-29T00:39:00.000-07:00

When writing science fiction and fantasy, as well as crime dramas, characters may need weapons.This time we go back several hundred years to investigate the weapons of the Revolutionary War.

Want to know if your story needs a musket, cannon, or flintlock pistol?

Then take a surf over to our source.

Source: Revolutionary War Antiques

Quotables - John Ashbery

2010-05-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

"I write with experiences in mind, but I don't write about them, I write out of them."

Source: FP&P

Artistry and Art - Pallegic

2010-05-27T02:28:00.000-07:00

In honor of the shuttle's last mission, here's one of my Spacescapes:

Pallegic

Vocab Expander - irrupt

2010-05-25T01:32:00.000-07:00

irrupt • \ih-RUPT\ • verb

1 : to rush in forcibly or violently

2 of a natural population : to undergo a sudden upsurge in numbers especially when natural ecological balances and checks are disturbed

*3 : to become active or violent especially suddenly : erupt

Example Sentence:

The stadium irrupted in applause for the local high school choir's outstanding rendition of the national anthem.

Did you know?

"Irrupt" and "erupt” have existed as discrete words since the 1800s. Both are descendants of the Latin verb "rumpere," which means "to break," but "irrupt" has affixed to it the prefix "ir-" (in the sense "into") while "erupt" begins with the prefix "e-" (meaning "out"). So "to irrupt" was originally to rush in, and "to erupt" was to burst out. But it's sometimes hard to distinguish the precise direction of a violent rush, and "irrupt" came to be used as a synonym of "erupt" in the senses "to become active or violent especially suddenly" and "to break forth," as in our example sentence.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

Source: MW

Dawn Leslie Mullan Studios

Happy Holidays!

Dead

Self-Inflicted

Grim Reaper

New Logo

Autumn and Horror Poetry

Ghost

Closed for the Season - Call for Submissions

You

9.12.01

Evening

Always Empty

For Sale

Calling My Angels

Hive Mentality

Innocence

InnocenceBy: DL Mullan

Zombie

just another sin

Ghost Hunter

Ingenuity

Longing

Last Day

Drunk

First they came for...

Freedom

Blame

Rainy Day

Lost

bday

bdayBy: DL Mullantrigger pulled- bang! bang!round and round with tail in hand;my birthday party.

August

afghan

Echoes

empty heart

Home

galactic ride

Essence

Wild West Journal

Grim Reaper

Windy Day

Introvert

Wishing for Rain

The Root

General Strike

A call for a Nationwide General Strike!! Time Thursday, March 31 · 9:00am - 9:00pm.

Get with Mike Benedict, Yuri Hall Keegstra on FB.

Spring Colors

Love Me

Bulbs

A capella lyric sorprano Chapbook

Unruly Chapbook

Altitude Chapbook

575 Chapbook

Everlasting Chapbook

Moving Forward

Everlasting

The Blue House

That Feeling Again

Reflections

Facebook Page

to dream

Blood War Cover Redo

Love Life

Black-Eyed Children - Cover Art

Chapbook Cover: The Rain

Join me on Facebook

Voodoo Hearts

Poetry -Red Shift

Red Shift

original creative images

red aberlams

Pallegic from the Spacescapes collection

Vase - haiku

The Venus Conspiracy

Fade Away

Book Cover Art

2011 Resolutions

dawn is ill

Innocence
By: DL Mullan

bday
By: DL Mullan

trigger pulled- bang! bang!
round and round with tail in hand;
my birthday party.