30 August 2007

lost in space

you were light-years behind me
and when I turned,
to return,
you were already gone



i spin, waiting,
and forget myself
amidst stars



you eclipsed my path
and left me
for other darknesses



i came to be
in massive fires of gas
and i remember
every burning touch


:     :     :   :   :   ::   :::

28 August 2007

lost in the supermarket

your barefoot voice
pulls me to you
with two grassy arms


Well, that was a long wait. I'm planning a wine party, plotting a wedding (not mine; perish the thought), and creating two worlds, one complete with language and culture and I'm already forgetting, I have a story to write.

Sometimes I find the creation for more entertaining, especially after watching The History Channel and getting inspired. My dominant culture now has a huge tattoo-ing industry, but it's a fairly classist (not classicist) society with a certain sort of caste system in place, so tattoos equal rank, prestige, power, class, or, conversely, display a lack of the former. Slaves are marked in a certain way. Tattoos are expensive, a luxury, and only highly trained professionals do the work. Tattoo removal is practically unheard of due to cost/health/recovery, but possible.

There is, of course, a burgeoning black market for tattoos, but only the desperate turn to this. Brothels, renegades, criminals (obviously) and the like.

Soo.... my imprisoned concubine has a peacock across his lower back. It is an incomplete tattoo for reasons which are not yet to be divulged. Our... antagonist has wings across his shoulders. The top wingtip curls just over shoulders pointing upwards.

Tattoos can also hold religious significance I have decided. But this is not common. It is a holdover amongst certain segments of society that are probably, descendants of the old Salouri culture. It is also a Hazouri trait (descendant branch of the extinct Salouri) and that, in turn, makes it distasteful to the bulk of Luscatian society.

eta: Oh, I have just decided! The religious class is going to be made up, in large part, by descendants of the Salouri. Not wholly, mind you, but a large part. They are, however, distinctly Luscatian, not holding on to what once was, but still, they have the memory of marking themselves for God, and the Luscatians prefer to mark for pleasure and power. Also, possibly, the idea of being marked for God after spending the night with a prostitute marked for pleasure, they feel, is hypocritical and it makes them feel guilty. Just as they should, would say the priests of Luscat. Although, religious tattooing is done by the priests, as ritual, and isn't for display.

So... upper arms, back of neck, thighs, chest, these are the places for religious tattoos. Regular tattoos would be seen when unclothed, but most who have them display them. Not quite like the prostitutes display, but, say, a removed shirt on a man in certain areas would not be unseemly. Shoulders and upper back are most popular for men of rank, power, et cet. Lower back is solely the location of tattoos for prostitutes and concubines, however, there are certain tattoos that would not be found on a prostitute unless he/she'd come from the court harem. These prostitutes obviously command a high price. The prostitutes are not above 'enhancing' their past to up the dollars.

This is, of course, forbidden and those found professing a history they do not have are charged with a crime, and the tattoo artist found to have created a suitable imitation of the court harem work will be charged as well. (Or in rare cases offered a respectable job, but this is rare.)

Ok, end of eta.

Well.

There we go.

Now for wine.