A. D. Barncord

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Requested by Robin Wiley

Se - Extraverted Sensing

Totalling absorbed
Sensing current physical surroundings
searching for data


Si - Introverted Sensing

Internal comparison
Memory-based differences found
Referencing history



Ne - Extraverted iNtuiting

Hidden meanings
Threads of thoughts brought to light
Woven into patterns



Ni- Introverted iNtuiting

Unexpected inspiration
Surety from depths of the unknown
Creating solutions


Te - Extraverted Thinking

Empirically based
Theories and research referenced and organized
Contingencied planned


Ti - Introverted Thinking

Catagories refined
Must find the precise term to describe
Include everything



Fe - Extraverted Feeling

Grace unbounded
Openly friendly and socially approachable
Conversation starter



Fi - Introverted Feeling

Beneath the surface
Sensing the undercurrents in the gut
Values upheld

for Vivian

Oh, treacherous body, have I fallen asleep yet?
Muscles relax and breathing slows down.
Rest, beautiful rest, like the colors of sunset.
Claims me in its blissful ground.
I see my lips smile in joyful sleep.
Feel the warmth of healing in my bones.
Energy into my very marrow seeps.
As I dream of this alone.
Then wakefulness come to betray me.
My body, denied of true rest, protests.
The pain and weakness pulses through me.
This is the part of morning I thoroughly detest.
Oh treacherous mind, how could you unite
With my body in this torture at night?

Morality Play


"Ah! Good morning, Dr. Francis! I'm glad you could come meet with me today!"

"You said that the Congressional committee had an important directive for my people and I, Senator Lewis, in regards to treating and educating the clones taken from Dyamin, Inc.," Heidi Francis said, as she sat down in the leather chair, across from the senator.

"That I did," Senator John Lewis answered. "That I did. Horrible thing, all those clones taking over the research compound like that and killing three scientists."

"Yes," Francis said, keeping her voice level. "Who knew that clones have emotions? It not like they don't have the same brain structures and developmental needs as the rest of us. I mean, what normal person would snap after years of being devalued and denied healthy social interactions?"

Lewis laughed. "You should be in politics, doctor. You're quite good at delivering sarcasm with a straight face. But in all seriousness, we have one hell of a powder keg here. There are religious extremists even now calling for the clones deaths as a mean to correct what they consider an affront towards God."

"I see their picket lines every day, senator. And I have a couple extremist scientists who call me frequently, wanting to perform more tests on them," she pointed out. "The one thing the two groups have in common is the belief that the clones are not real people. Probably a projection of their own feelings of personal inhumanity, if you ask me. Luckily, most of the science and religious communities are at least non-committal, and a few are even supportive of our efforts. For the record, Senator, I think we're lucky they only killed a handful of people in their bid for freedom."

"Of course, Dr. Francis. I am quite aware of your work with murder committed by family members. That's why we chose you to lead the recovery team. The committee and I just have one request for you."

"And what is that?" she asked.

"It has been suggested that along with the mental health treatment programs your people are doing, you should also give the clones some moral education--to make up for those social values they missed out on as test subjects," he told her.

"And what exactly do you mean by moral education?"

"Nothing overtly religious, of course," Senator Lewis said. "That would cause all sorts of trouble. We're thinking more along the lines of Aesop's fables, though perhaps more modern."

"What's wrong with the original ones?" Dr. Francis asked.

"Well, take that Tortoise and Hare one," he said. "I didn't win my congressional seats by being slow and steady. I won them by turning on the speed and the relaxing in Bermuda after the results came in. Do you know what my last opponent is doing now? He's teaching at a university and running a non-profit organization for homeless people. The man can't even on a decent vacation on his current income."

"I see," Francis nodded. "So you want me to educate them in a secular moral code, taking in account modern society."

"Exactly!"

"I believe we may be able to do something in that area, Senator."

"I hope so, Dr. Francis," he said in dark tone, "because we are counting on you to make these clones model citizens. If they commit any more crimes against society, it will be your fault."

Dr. Francis met the senator's menacing pose with a quiet defiance of her own, as she stood up. "I will take responsibility for my own actions and that of my people, senator. The government and the scientific community needs to take the same responsibility for their own." She walked towards the door.

"What are you trying to say, doctor?"

Francis paused for a moment in the doorway, and then turned back to face the senator.

"I think I might be giving this moral education to the wrong population."

The door clicked firmly after her.

I love you from the core of my lizard brain.
You are the addiction I can't contain.
Your eyes are gravity wells that captured my soul,
With a gentleness that warms me like anthracite coal.
Your brilliance with the magnitude of Sirius A,
Mesmerize me with the thoughts you display,
Expanding the fabric of my universe with the possibilities
Generated within the bounds of our theories.
You are the greatest collaborator a person can find--
So, my heart's desire, please be my Valentine.

Halfway, stand I, between the demise and the mortal shell
That once housed my kinsman so long and so well.
A man of honor - a man of grace.
One who would willingly die for this place.
To save the knowledge that others must learn.
To save it from those who would spurn
The sacred wisdom of generations past.
To seal his sacrifice, this spell I cast.

As kinswoman, I call on the blood of his and mine.
This protection to the region bind.
Let no ill pass through this dome.
Let no invader call this home.
And all the drops of our kins' blood that fell,
Join, secure and protect those here as well.
Infused into the soil that surrounds,
No enemy will peacefully walk these grounds.

Halfway, stand I, between my grief and sorrow
For both him that fell and him whose arrow
Pierced the generous soul of my kinsman so dear
For he that killed, also shed I my sympathetic tears.
Fervently I wish it had not come to this.
Would that I had been able to mend what went amiss.
Years ago when all our mortal paths were new
And I was still in the graces of he that killed too.

As kinswoman, this blood-bonded spell I cast.
For as long as our family survives, it will last.
Be there always kinfolk of the blood here called
So this beloved region will forever be walled.
May the awful tragedy that here did pass
Become a blessing and and our sorrow surpassed.
May we recall more of the joy and less of the pain
That the happiness here given to us always remain.

Halfway, stand I, between the states of Heaven and Hell.
As kinwoman, I tip the balance and darkness dispel.

I have put up some of my art for sale. Feel free to look at it and send your friends to it.

Original Art - http://amandadiane.etsy.com
Prints - http://mamaslyth.deviantart.com/store/?utm_source=deviantart&utm_medium=userpage&utm_campaign=storefront
Merchandise - http://www.cafepress.com/adbarncord

I probably should explain that I will occasionally let friends give me poem prompts and then write something for them. "Bellatrix's Obsession" was for a Harry Potter fan. This is for another friend. (She's also a HP fan, however.)


Alchemy

night
darkness
primordial
lead and clay
matter unformed
waiting to be born
talent and sweat
gold and gems
refinement
creation
light

I have spent most my life dealing with depression and anxiety. In my case, it is a biological part of me that can only be managed like diabetes. That doesn't mean I am doomed to be depressed and anxious--only that I have to be aware that I am susceptible to it when I don't take care of myself. Realizing that part after attending a NAMI presentation made a very big difference for me, because it was then I realized that I was not a failure, but working under the false notion that I could cure myself from depression permanently. Ever since I've corrected this thought, my mental health has improved greatly.




Hello Depression


Hello there.
I know, we've already met.
In fact, we've been together most of my life.
But I decided it was time for a formal introduction.


You see, I've been operating under a pretext,
The idea that I would one day be free of you.
All I had to do is find the right things to think,
And get the right type of help and support.

But you would just wait until I let my defenses down.
Ambushing me like a tiger in wait.
Giving me a double blow. Sending me into a spiral.
Causing me to doubt my abilities to deal with you.

I've finally accepted that you are a part of me.
That when I fail, it isn't because I am a loser.
It's because you are hard-wired into me.
Through genetics, trauma and happenstance.

Even though you are part of me--you are not me.
I just wanted to make that clear.
Those thoughts or doom and despair are not mine.
They are you speaking to me.

And that's all right.
You can speak to me.
Because when you speak,
I have forgotten something.

However, I have the final word.
Things are never as bad as you say they are.
I want to make sure you know that.
It is time I give you credit for your ideas.

So, here's the head up.
I'm not going to play your games.
We will have to work together instead.
Trust me. It's better this way.

Bellatrix's Obsession

The most beautiful being I've beheld
My lord, my master, my beloved
The power of him radiates
Tingling every inch of my skin
Without him even touching me

There can be no one else for me but him
He is the perfection I must have
There is nothing I wouldn't do for him
Nothing I wouldn't give to him
No act too low I wouldn't perform
To prove my loyalty to him

Someday, he will see
That I am the only one worthy of him
Someday, he will know
That I am the only one he can love

Someday, he will be mine...

Title: The Riding Lesson
Fandom: Original Fantasy
Pairing: Wendon Copperthorn/Hildara Swiftwind
Rating: G
Prompt: Lesson
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: All the characters are my creations.
Word count: 595
Summary: Just a scene. I'm spending most of my time on NaNoWriMo.

( Read more... )

Title: A Meeting in the Desert
Fandom: Original Fantasy
Pairing: Wendon Copperthorn/Ashevid
Rating: G
Prompt: Betrayal
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: All the characters are my creations.
Word count: 1285
Summary: Part of Wendon's trip to the South Desert. Better than the last snippet.

( Read more... )

Probably, but not too much. I came up with a story idea last night that really isn't something I normally like to write about. And since NaNoWriMo is upon us, I decided I would work on the story idea for it. Understand, I'm not planning to finish NaNoWriMo. I'm not even going to try to keep up. I'm just going to write at my own pace.

I already have a title, a synopsis and a bookcover up at http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/230528

If it turns out to only be a short story, so be it.  I'll treat myself to a piece of cheesecake and continue with my busy life.

Title: The Only Place for Him
Fandom: Original Fantasy
Pairing: Wendon Copperthorn/Melcar Clearwater
Rating: G
Prompt: Confusion
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: All the characters are my creations.
Word count: 611
Summary: Melcar finally finds out Wendon's secret.

( Read more... )

Title: Belac - Tall and Proud
Fandom: Original Fantasy
Pairing: Wendon Copperthorn/Belac Bearfriend
Rating: G
Prompt: First
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: All the characters are my creations.
Word count: 1170
Summary: How Wendon and Belac first became buddies.

( Read more... )

This isn't actually part of my writing for 25_lovers, but I thought I'd post it separately to give people an idea of the type of guy Wendon is/was:


"Wendon Copperthorn was a man that many were familiar with, but few really knew. Despite his open nature, his life contained more mysteries than the stories he told of the past. As an infant, he was found abandoned in a boat by a fisherman in the seas around the Nettle Islands. There was blood on the boat, but he had no wounds. A healer and her husband adopted Wendon as their own. By the time he was six, he showed magical abilities and his father took him to Dorin to be looked at by a talent tracker. That moment marked him for a path that only he could take. For the first time in recorded history, a person had been found to be talented in wizardry, sorcery and witchcraft - and Wendon was determined to learn all of them."

"In fact, not only did Wendon want to learn the magics he was gifted in, he wanted to learn about all magic. By the time he entered Clarstel University, he already had studied the Thorn Mages he grew up around and compiled his findings in a leather notebook. During his journeyman years, he studied dreams in the Kingdom of Silac, to uncover their secrets. As a young scholar, he took a sabbatical to the Valley of Color and charmed his way into learning of their magic. You couldn't find a man more knowledgeable about magic than Wendon. Clarstel has lost its greatest treasure with his passing."

"For not only was he an impressive scholar, but he was a diplomat and host extraordinaire. I suspect that Wendon has smoothed more ruffled feathers than there are chickens in Starton. The harmony we now enjoy in the City of Magic would not have been possible without Wendon's tireless efforts. I haven't known many worthy of sainthood in my life, but if I could grant it to one person, that person would have been Wendon. However, I am even more honored for the ability to have called him my friend. May he rest peacefully in the presence of Orlan and may we all learn from his example."

A friend of mine started a community called 25_lovers. The idea is to claim a character and write 25 pieces dealing with the relationship between your claimed character and another character. Despite the name of the community, it doesn't have to be a relationship between lovers. It can be between friends, family members, enemies, competitors, etc.

I decided to do an original character of mine--Wendon Copperthorn. He's one of those "knows almost everybody" type of guys and it's time I explore that part of him more.

My prompt table:

01. First	02. Confusion	03. Betrayal	04. Present	05. Tired
06. Stranger	07. Classic	08. Spark	09. Morning	10. Angel
11. Mistake	12. Back	13.	14.	15.
16.	17.	18.	19.	20.
21.	22.	23.	24.	25.

Those interested in this world can read the details I've put together on it here - http://adbarncord.livejournal.com/tag/havor


Stories already set in this world are:

A Winter's Reckoning*

A young sorceress, who has been singled out because of her powers, decides to throw everyone a curve so she can follow her own fate.

The Stories of Jasmer the Radical*

Novel done for NaNoWriMo 2007. It is post-everything in the Havor universe and an experiment in breaking the fourth wall.

The Color Walk*

A young woman finds out what her talents are. (Pre-A Winter's Reckoning.)

A Gift in Kind*

Sequel to "The Color Walk". A young scholar causes a commotion when he visits the Color Valley.

If Mad I Be*

A mage deals with the possibility that he may be incureably insane. (Happens after A Winter's Reckoning.)

The Rose Duchess*

A pregnant woman defends her city, while her husband is at war. (During the Thorn Rebellion.)

Scarlett's Lot*

Another Havor story, which takes place after A Winter's Reckoning. A wizardess finds herself seeking redemption, while trying to protect a witch she put in danger.

And the unfinished story which started it all - The Forces of Ether, with Wendon as the main character.

My Gossamer Warrior

Thou spun such a brilliant image
Of a brave soldier leading his men
Into the valley of death and despair
Little did I know, I was actually the one
Being lead into that valley lair

Many nights I cried my soul into the darkness
Praying for thy safety
Wishing only that I could be there
To nurse thy wounds to health and kiss thee

We created a pretty tale, thee and I
One that would bring hope to the darkest night
A wonderful fairytale to make one sigh
Only to be destroyed by truth's harsh light

All the emotion I felt for thee
Was truer than the Northen Star
Blazed into agony then turned bitter cold
When I found out what you really are

I could have loved the truth
If I had known it then
But now the trust I had for thee
Has caused my soul to rend

Thou are only a gossamer warrior
Made of dreams and fantasies
Stories woven from lies and deceits
A will-o-wisp to lead the unsuspecting
Into a bog of regrets and disbelief

I don't need thy tale any more
I can make my own
Upon the basis of truth
A foundation stronger than stone.

Let me go, thou dream of a stranger
Let me heal from my misjudment
As the agony of a hundred hells burn through me
May I find rebirth and refinement

Since the links don't seem to be working now...


The Curse Breaker

You can now read The Curse Breaker in the Mused - the BellaOnline Literary Review - Summer Solstice Issue.

To quote the editor:

We also have a macabre summer read in The Curse Breaker, by Amanda D. Barncord Doerr. To accompany our artwork depicting death, demons, vampires, goths, Egyptian princesses, pirate ships and thunderous summer storms, this tale of witches and cursed artifacts makes for satisfying reading.