Here is my brief poem about a minor character in George R. R. Martin's work:
Blind (Maester Aemon)
My enemies die too slowly beyond the wall,
while those who burst like summer skyfire
live too boldly and too quick.
I can no longer see the distant campfires
where dark dreams burgeon,
yet here I stand sentinel, forgotten by blood.
Bright were the days of my youth,
bright the memory, brighter still
the promise of coming darkness.
I wrote it yesterday at a workshop run by the Huntington poet George Wallace. Of the many prompts given, one was "My enemies die too slowly..." My mind drifted to
Game of Thrones. Less than a week ago I began binge watching the first season and am now at the beginning of the second season. I have been reading the many extensive Wikipedia entries to connect the dots.
Most importantly, I got the first five books of
A Song of Ice and Fire on Amazon Kindle. I plan to read as much of the series over the summer as I can. I can tell you from what I've read: this looks like literature of the highest order. I haven't been so excited about fantasy in years.
Though I am a newcomer to all this, I encourage you to learn more about George R. R. Martin, the books, and the HBO series. Martin has fascinating ideas about writing that translate into a massively memorable experience. I can't wait for more!
Cheers,
Angus
