A Steppe in Time
Satirical spy thriller A Steppe in Time, by Dragon in Post author, Peter Ball, follows the powerplay between man and ideas as the unscrupulous Prime Minister, his brother and The President play politics on the Steppes, seeking to control the world’s last natural resource. Enter several ideas of varying shades of decency who, along with Lady Portcullis have alternative thoughts on how exactly all this will play out… A great read for Pythons, Red Dwarfs and Douglas Adams fans in particular. So will the cliches win? And will that be such a bad idea?
The world is full of Ideas, and they are constantly trying to attract our attention. They can be as stubborn and unrealistic as the humans they wish to influence…
The last great natural resource on the planet is about to be stolen by an alliance of devious minds. Sorry, governments. The People that live there have lost contact with their gods and goddesses, and do they even realise what is about to be stolen from them? Will a long lost daughter of that Nation, Just Cause, help them find their way in the modern world as it rudely interrupts what’s left of their ancient customs?
Will the smelliest and most inept forger the world has ever seen find his true identity and be re-united with his mother?
Can Lady Portcullis, a tractor of a woman, bulldoze a platform of diplomacy as opposing sides attempt a cricket match? More importantly, can she find a husband who will survive the passion of her love?
How are all these problems going to be solved?
Enter Henry Hardshoulder, an Idea with a Mission.
Dragon In Post
Dragon in Post is a collection of poems and illustrations dealing with people and their relationship with power. The illustrations add yet another dimension, underscoring, but not defining the meaning of the poem.
The title poem ‘Dragon in Post’ wonders how or why identical influences can be used for creation or destruction. The sufferers blame the blessed, and the blessed ignore the sufferers. ‘One man’s truth becomes another man’s lies.
Power is an enormously emotive subject. It heals, wounds, creates and destroys. Desire for it conspires against peace, and taints any search for an understanding of our place in the cosmos. For many of us, there is more to life than our systems dictate. And we like to say so.
Dragon in her Blood
My friend Maori, wandering free,
Listens to no-one, not even me.
She wears her habit, on her arm
Likes to think it’s a good luck charm.
Yes, it’s the needle, but not what you think,
this is the kind that shoots up ink.
She got dragon in her blood and fire in her soul.
An intricate tale, traced on her skin,
A ripple of muscles shows where we’ve been.
Nerves of steel, deep underground.
Bones grow old, with hardly a sound.
She follows her heart, goes her own way
Listens to no-one, what can I say?
She got dragon in her blood and fire in her soul.
Mystery and magic are a myth these days,
But I believe what Maori says.
Life and death, it’s epic flow,
How rivers twist and mountains grow
We live in a cradle of time and space,
This is Maori’s tattoo space.
She got dragon in her blood and fire in her soul.
Maori hears the sighing sea,
feels the pulse of a growing tree.
She stands in the shadow of the fear we make
Cannot believe the things we take.
She wears her habit on her arm,
Hopes it will be a good luck charm.
She got dragon in her blood and fire in her soul.