April 2013
1 post
4 tags
Here’s to quiet joy Here’s to good friends and warm nights To conversations stretching into the dawn With bonfires burning low
Drinks that are bottomless, and meant for fun Comfort without despair Bring on those fresh starts, Those new opportunities
Find what brings you peace, Clear heads, a touch of luxury, Smart women and their enthralling wisdom, Treasures worth falling into
Give...
December 2012
2 posts
8 tags
The cabin in the winter
The snow fell lightly on the lake. A small breeze whipped through the trees, sending streams of white into the air. The lake was frozen, or perhaps it had never thawed before. A low fog stretched out across it into the horizon. Where the ground ended and the gray sky began was a mystery, it was simply an endless gloom. Winter had not only come, it perhaps always had been there.
The man moved...
I have not forgotten this blog
I don’t like to post things beyond my writing here, but I wanted to offer an update. I’m currently eight days away from finishing college, where I have been very busy these last few months. Once I finish I’m going to dive back into writing, partly poetry but a lot more prose. Expect updates in the coming weeks.
-Nicholas
October 2012
1 post
5 tags
A is for You
A is for you Because it’s you that I miss I never put it to words, But I guess you figured it out You’re the one who got me, Who helped me feel like I wasn’t alone You’re a friend, a confident, and someone I care for Shame I never got to show it Why was it so hard for me? Why couldn’t I just say it? I guess it’s because I wanted you to be happy With who you...
June 2012
1 post
8 tags
#ShortShortStory
The @WriteRCastle Twitter account (set up for the fictional author Richard Castle from TV’s Castle) recently put out a call for six-word stories, using Hemingway’s famous story as an example. Here was my entry to the #ShortShortStory hashtag:
“He loved her. She left him.”
April 2012
2 posts
4 tags
Find life. Find love. Find an escape. Find an adventure. Find your friends in the crowd. Find that one old album, find that secret spot. Find something worth dying for that’s even better to live and enjoy. Find your own path. Find meaning. Find a way away from worry. Find life.
5 tags
Let's take a walk
Let’s take a walk It’s only just pouring And now it’s sunny But we’re already wet
Let’s travel around See what the city’s like All the nooks and crannies Full of people and place
We can go, To the trees in the hills, The dunes at the beaches, And the alleys downtown
Let’s go explore Come on, it will be fun We’ll run from the crowds Or sneak into...
March 2012
2 posts
5 tags
Love and lust
What happened to love And why do we end up in flings?
I know I’m Shy Clueless Awkward And I know nothing comes easily
But are we really giving up on love? Are we settling for a bit of lust? Intimacy is beautiful, But devoid of passion It’s a hollow joy
Why do we run around Seeking hookups, One-night stands, Flings, Or anything in between
I’m told romance is dead And to take a...
6 tags
I am a traveler
I am a traveler Or at least I long to be I yearn for the windy road And the unexpected paths
I see it, you know Just beyond those hills Sunlight lands and shadowy plains. Places I know not
I want to see the world But I know nothing of it My shoes not right But my dreams so bright
Maybe I feel shut in, Stuck in the land of fakes and faking Or I just want to see beyond my life And know the...
February 2012
2 posts
5 tags
It’s cold to the touch And sharper than a thousand blades It cuts into me, Deep, drawing my breath
No way back, just stagnation or the unknown plunge The world in front of me leaves me blind Is it dark because it’s dark and empty Or are things so bright they drown my eyes?
It’s going to be a splash, No quiet or meek escape It’s now or never The shackle or the dive
I...
5 tags
It's the little moments →
nslayton:
Where the weight falls away When you know just for that moment Who you really are
Moments when all the stress in life All the clamor and worry Of love, of work, of life Just fade away And you feel like it all just
Stops
It’s the knowing smile And the dawning realization That you can feel the…
January 2012
2 posts
Grow wiser. Seek out knowledge. Cherish every moment. Share a drink with a friend. Try something new. Get free. Live life.
5 tags
I’m done with the second guessing, I’m done with feeling second rate I’m done with being distracted by cold comforts And delusions of the mind
I am to grow, I am to be better I’ve faltered and made a fool Now I know what I need to do The destination is not clear, but the path is
I won’t let my faults be my engine, Not missed opportunities or failed attempts, Missed...
November 2011
3 posts
5 tags
Poem: I Pray in Cairo →
I wrote this in my first week in Cairo this summer, overwhelmed by the history of some of the places I visited.
8 tags
We are the Lonely Ones (inspired by Elliot)
I was reading The Hollow Men and feeling a mix of wanderlust and hopeless romanticism. Just a quick piece.
We are the lonely ones
We are the loving ones
Crowded together
Heart echoing with love. Alone!
9 tags
A Better Life →
As promised, here’s another short story of mine. My friend, the brilliant writer Jeff Campagna, wrote an excellent story about identity, set on the beach. I loved the imagery and wanted to write a beach story. What spun out of it was an exercise in enjoying life. Of love. Of sundrenched beaches, crystal waves, passion, and more. Enjoy.
October 2011
4 posts
5 tags
Summer
I wrote this as the summer ended and I prepared to go home to Los Angeles. I did a lot of traveling this summer, met some interesting people, and challenged myself in ways I didn’t think I would. Enjoy.
We all spread out To walk across the earth, Some seeking a purpose And others guiding a new breed
We go places we have never been Both on land and within ourselves We go to find what is...
5 tags
A Writer's Dream (a poem)
An old poem, but I felt the need to repost it.
I dare not open the door For fear of disturbing what lies inside. Through the crack that sheds no light A cry rings out into the night.
“Come, masochist, come martyr Give in to your obsession and do not run. Let my ink be your blood, And my lines your veins.”
Standing breathless I watch As my hand moves toward the crack Responsibilities and plans...
8 tags
The Remnants by Nicholas Slayton →
Here is the first short story I ever wrote, published on the indie arts magazine Zouch. It was my attempt to write a Poe/Dostoevsky response to Hemingway. Here’s an excerpt:
The fog hung low over the hillside, resisting the rays of the morning sun. Instead of fields of green, only gray could be seen. A few farmhouses could be seen through the haze and the trees, blurred monuments to the...
4 tags
I Fell For a Girl Once (first poem!)
I fell for a girl once A smart, clever girl Who’s smile and kindness stirred the heart And made the shadows retreat.
I wanted to tell this girl, Spend time with her and her ideas Have a laugh, share a day, Maybe find a companion in the world.
But who was I kidding? I am not one to be loved I am the meek, the quiet, The unsure friend.
I fell for a girl before Smiling in the distant...
