JUNIPER’S
DAUGHTER 3: WAR IS OBSOLETE - FUTILITY AND HOPE
BY NICK
ARMBRISTER
A
COLLECTION OF DARK/LIGHT POETRY/NARRATIVES AND STORIES.
A FOLLOW UP TO
MY JUNIPER’S DAUGHTER SERIES.
Poetry
Collections
2006 “Fade
into Focus, Focus into Fade” – ISBN 9780595410354
2007 “Skeward
Images” – ISBN 9780595454563
2008 “Her Name
is Hope – Life Force” – ISBN 978-1-4092-4669-5
2009
“Aeroplane Related Poems” – ISBN 978-1-4452-2045-1
Short Story
Collections
2007 “A Nation
in Flames” – ISBN 9780595478897
Novels
2009 “The
Final War” (Written under the pen name Anneke van Ginn) – ISBN
978-1-4092-9764-2
2009 “Here
Comes the Devil Snails! Quick Run Like Hell! The Laser Beam Poodles are
Coming!” (Written under the pan name Anneke van Ginn) – ISBN 978-1-4092-9591-4
External
Links
“What will it
take for the culture of our world to become one without an enemy? A culture
with no sense of an enemy? This perfect ideal is alleged to exist somewhere,
someplace in our lost confused vicious yet beautiful world. Will we find it
before it’s too late? I wish to find my own inner peace and hope our precious
world finds it too to renounce war forever...”
Nick
Armbrister 15/02/2010
JUNIPER’S
DAUGHTER 3: WAR IS OBSOLETE - FUTILITY AND HOPE
A MIXTURE OF
DARK/LIGHT POETRY/NARRATIVES AND STORIES
A COLLECTION
BY NICK ARMBRISTER.
A FOLLOW UP TO
MY JUNIPER’S DAUGHTER SERIES.
FORWARD
This book was my difficult book number 7 from which I struggled endlessly over
ideas, story or poem or a mixture. Fate brought me into a situation where I
tried to help but was powerless to change the outcome; indeed I could have been
in danger but that thought never crossed my mind. I reacted to events that fate
put me in, I’m unsure of the reasons but I accept my role in them and I did my best.
I saw evil actions and that upset me very much but I was in no way affected
like the relatives of the gun shot victim on that awfully desperate night. For
them things changed forever, I only hope and pray that those responsible for
their vile evil actions get the book thrown at them receiving the longest
possible jail sentence and that they burn in Hell. The message of my book is no
more illegal guns and knives on the streets of Great Britain, enough is enough
with too many people innocent or not killed and murdered. Not to mention those
injured and maimed both physically and mentally. So I ask you whoever reads
this spread the message, no more firearms or blades on our streets. I got to do
my book but I wish I had never done it or witnessed what I did but I’m unable
to change the past, all I can do is say be positive for the future and don’t
use violence to sort your problems out. I’m not really the best person to say
or do this but I’m attempting to, my message is stop this war on our streets,
if a single person changes their behaviour and others follow then that is a
result, isn’t it? I won’t mention gangs or drugs but they’re all related to
these crimes that need to be addressed too but how? I don’t know all I can do
is to do my book and send the massage out, enough is enough; stop this war in
our towns and cities.
This book is dedicated to all those who have lost loved ones and suffered in
the war that is engulfing our towns and cities. I must also mention violence
without guns or knives like that that took the young precious life of Sophie
Lancaster and that hurt her partner very badly. Just because she wasn’t shot or
stabbed doesn’t make that evil wicked act of what happened to her any less
terrible. So I include all of the others who have been touched by the violence
that is engulfing our precious country, really enough is enough. Think about
your actions before you pull the trigger, thrust the knife or throw the punch.
Respect to all those who try to stop these evil crimes and incidents, civilians
and those in uniform. The line between war and chaos and peace and stability is
but a fine one.
I dedicate
this book to all those have lost their lives to the futility of gun, knife and
other violence, for whatever reason. And also to those who are left behind to
pick up the pieces after the awful events, be it loved ones or friends. May the
dead Rest In Peace and the living continue to live in the hope that things will
get better in the future? If not war will engulf our streets and us all and
then our hope was futile.
NICK
ARMBRISTER
Nick
Armbrister (Nicholas Arthur Armbrister) is an English writer, born in Oldham,
Lancashire, England on 26/7/71. He is best known for his poetry and short
stories published since 1996 in the “small press,” his own self published
collection of books, which include the poetry volumes “Fade into Focus, Focus
into Fade” (2006), “Skeward Images” (2007) and “Her Name is Hope
– Life Force” (2008). A collection of short stories “A Nation in
Flames” (2007) brings his early work together. A collection of his
aviation based poetry was released in 2009 on lulu, “Aeroplane Poems.”
Nick moved
into fiction writing completing two novels in his “Juniper’s
Daughter” series, these included “Juniper’s Daughter” and the follow
up “Juniper’s Daughter – Frontier Town.” He released these under his
new pen name of Anneke van Ginn as “The Final War” and “Here Comes the
Devil Snails! Quick Run Like Hell! The Laser Beam Poodles are Coming!”
Nick began
working with Written Expressions (www.e-written.com) editor Milena Gomez in 2008 and released
several online ebooks including a free read “English Goth” and romantic titles
like “Sexy Independence 1” and erotica titles like “Ian Gets a Treat” amongst
other ebook titles.
Early
Life
Born in a
working class town Oldham, north of Manchester, Nick left school in 1987 and
went into college and into several varied jobs ranging from motor vehicle
repair, bakery work to fork lift truck driving. His early aspirations to join
the Royal Air Force came to nothing. As a child Nick wanted to join the RAF due
to his love of aviation and planes but he was put off by the strict discipline.
For most of his life Nick lived in and around Oldham where he worked and
started writing, his writing stemming from his love of music and reading.
Growing up in the latter years of the cold war shaped Nick and he gained a
strong interest in aviation and military history. Along with his love of music
of that era formed his journey into writing. For a few brief years Nick made
plastic model aeroplane kits and drew aircraft drawings on his path to
creativity that would eventually stop in his writing. He is an only
child.
Writing
Career
He tried to
join a band but couldn’t sing or play any instrument. He follows music like
gothic bands of the 1980s like The Mission, All About Eve, The Cult, The
Sisters of Mercy and more. He also a fan of 80s pop like The Bangles and Berlin
and some metal bands like Metallica and Guns n Roses. He got into gothic metal
from Europe and Scandinavia in 2001 when a penpal sent him a tape of The
Gathering and Lacuna Coil. Nick has tattoos of these two bands and some other
band names and other tattoos. All of this inspires his writing and feature in
some of his poems. He has seen many gigs live and this inspires his poetry too.
Nick started writing poetry in April 1996 while listening to Goth and metal
music at an old friends’ flat while getting drunk. Each Wednesday Nick went and
drank beer, listened to music and created his very early work. He did up to
eight short poems or a few longer ones and took a chance in sending them off to
get them published. If he failed and none were accepted, he would of quit
writing. But one was accepted in an early issue of an Alanis Morrissette
fanzine called The Pill, Nick’s poem was called “Ode to Alanis”. Other poems
were published in the “small press” (poetry scene) in a selection of magazines
like pagan magazine Ace of Rods (his long poem in verse “The Dark Tower”). Nick
had poetry included in a variety of poem anthology books featuring various
poets. His first was called “Through my Eyes” in a Poetry Today book called
“Rivers and Bridges” in 1997, more followed. Different subject matter in Nick’s
poems appeared in collections by the Poetry Guild and in up to half a dozen
books by the Select Publications of Tilbury, Essex. Nick appeared in these in
the late 90s with up to two poems in a single book (e.g. “The Road” and
“Mustiness”).
From 2001 Nick
was published in DJ Tyrer’s series of magazines (Atlantean Publishing),
appearing in The Supplement, Awen, Bard, Garbag and Monomyth. Several dozen of
his poems on much subject matter have been published up to 2008. Also several
short stories appeared in Monomyth which is a short story magazine edited by DJ
Tyrer. Two examples of Nick’s stories are themed around the Cold War like “Red
Empire” and “Final Flight”.
Nick’s only
piece to be published in Oldham was called “Kahlia Akasha” this was in a
short story collection book about Oldham titled “Big Sky, New Light” and
was published in 2004. Nick was in the local newspaper called the Advertiser.
His story was about an aeroplane.
Nick moved
from Oldham in December 2005 to the Essex/London area to further his writing
career and to compile his writing anthologies, his first four volumes. This he
did until his return to Oldham in late 2008 where Nick continuously writes. His
first three self published books are with iuniverse of America. The first two
are poetry collections “Fade into Focus, Focus into Fade” and “Skeward
Images.” This was his early poetry. A short story collection followed
titled “A Nation in Flames”; this comprised his stories on war, planes, Goth,
horror and more. Nick compiled a further third volume of poetry under the title
of “Her Name is Hope – Lifeforce”. This contains the rest of his poetry
from 1996-2008 that never made his first two poem books and is published by
lulu.
Nick was
invited to do spoken word performances and work with a guitarist/band on his
poems performing in front of a live audience. This he did in The Abbey pub and
also The Gardeners pub in Oldham in 2009/2010. Nick opened for a Manchester
indie rock band called Blouse at the Night and Day Cafe on 12/02/2010 before
the band played; he read his “Spitfire Bride” poem.
Nick has been
published several times by Written Expressions online publisher doing ebooks on
romance and erotica. His stories like “English Goth” (a free download),
“What Could Have Been?”, “Sexy Independence”, “Banana Nana”, and “Ian Gets a
Treat” are widely acclaimed and just a selection of his lighter online
work.
Nick is
working on a collection of poetry/short stories for 2010 release called
“Juniper’s Daughter 3: War is Obsolete - Futility and Hope.”
CONTENTS
Forward
Section 1
FUTILITY short stories and narratives
Section 2 HOPE
poetry, songs and reviews
Section 1
FUTILITY short stories and narratives
FUTILITY
This is a
narrative of events and some fiction, I saw an incident and it resonated in my
head, one thought came to me. Only a country’s armed forces should be allowed
guns and knives, in no way should such weapons be allowed on the streets. What
brought on this view? I saw a man who had been shot and who was dying, I heard
his wife scream for help, I saw a German car speed away, I heard two bangs all
thrown together in my shocked mind in a cacophony of evil deeds that will be
with me forever. I’m confused though why the bangs after the car went? I hope I
don’t get flashbacks. I must help educate people on this issue of murder by
firearm or knife how unacceptable it is. Also this can tie in with the loss of
Sophie Lancaster two summers ago, a lovely gothic lady who was killed for being
alternative defending her boyfriend. The words SOPHIE tells it all – STAMP
OUT PREJEDICE HATRED INTOLERANCE EVERYWHERE. Now weapon use on our streets can
be added to this cause and any other evil act done by people for whatever
reason with illegal lethal weapons. Through my writing I can help make a
difference I guess and make people realise that if you aim and fire a loaded
gun at a person you will kill them and be on a murder rap; it’s not a water
pistol full of water you’ve got a 9mm bullet will end your life, period. I was
walking back from the pub after a boring night out, early coz my heart wasn’t
in it. I was not very drunk and could walk straight rather than my normal
staggering down the road.
I feel the
last part of my innocence went away from me on 18/09/09 call it my 911 to be
over dramatic but it’s just that. A hysterical wife whose husband was dying not
a yard from me affected me quite a lot and I have to live with her screams, if
only I could have helped and done more. If only… but life doesn’t work
like that, “if” is just that, one of the many variations that could happen
but don’t happen. Do I feel any better living with her screams or seeing her
husband dying on the floor knowing two men have been caught less than
thirty-six hours later for the hideous crime? My answer has to be yes and I
want the bastards to burn in hell for leaving a wife a widow and her two kids
fatherless. Some things should not be seen or happen at all this was one event
I got caught up in by fate, I ask fate why did you pick me on that dark night
to be part of this wicked awful real life drama? I don’t think I’ll never know
but I accept my role in it by fate and that alone, I did my best. I’d do it
again and I’d like to think anyone else would too, your duty as a good person
and all that. If this is what coppers and ambulance people see in their jobs
they can keep their jobs coz I never want to do that job and experience that,
even if it involves saving people and helping them. That’s enough but what goes
with it entails things above what I can deal with, how do they deal with it?
The medic was very calm on Friday night so he was someone who was trained to
deal with and do this most difficult often-dangerous job. I was asked on the
phone is it safe to send the medics? Yes I replied not knowing where the gunman
was, still around? We could all be the next targets; I could for being there,
for being a witness.
Days later
after that awful weekend that changed my life forever and totally overshadowed
my own personal problems with the woman called Sarah I was involved with; I
felt the make up of things had changed in many ways that I hardly understand. I
do know my own problems are nothing compared to the problems people have like
losing their husband. I vowed myself to be a better person and not to cause
undue trouble in life. Will I be able to stay true to this new vocation I set
myself or is it because I’m in shock at seeing a murder? I called up the doctor
and I’ll arrange to see a councillor and just talk this event out of my system.
My father says it’ll pass the trauma and the edge will go, he was a copper back
in the day real old skool you come to Oldham and kick off you’ll get a real
fuckin’ hammering not like today all forms and paperwork and no tough and
ruff ‘em police. How would my father deal with the men who shot dead a
defenceless husband? I can’t answer that.
I know that
I’ve not been sleeping in the aftermath of the attack, at night bad images kept
me awake – haunting me? Her screams piercing the still night air, the
shot man moving after a few minutes though he was out of it his eyes closed
unaware of what was happening, I hope. I’m glad I saw no blood flowing onto the
floor, no bullet hole deep into his body, brains splattered on the wall of no
use there, actually saw him shot by the shooter to fall down mortally wounded.
How would I be after witnessing that awful little list of evil? Terror belongs
to the night stopping me sleep in the night hours, I sleep from 6am to 2pm like
I did the night shift but I do no job, no I suffer the trauma of events from
the night a few days ago. I’m going to write this story and send it to me
editor to say no more guns and also knives on our streets, even though this is
a war. I saw a casualty of war Friday night, his family suffer the collateral
damage, I see the flash backs in no way as bad as their loss. The only people
who should be allowed these powerful terrible weapons should be the military
that bit is clear to me but I doubt it’s possible removing every weapon from
our streets. What do you think? We all have a view and I’d like to know yours.
I know all
about guns, I’ve seen the films to know which end to shoot. I know that there
are different types of handguns like revolvers that take six bullets in a
revolving chamber; these weapons date back to the days of the cowboys. Then
there are the pistols with a magazine in the handle, a more modern design with
more bullets dishing out more death. The modern guns take up to fourteen
bullets in two rows of seven in their boxy magazines in the handle. Some even
fire on fully automatic just like the larger machine pistols (and these can
spit out over a thousand nine millimetre bullets a minute). Truly wicked
inventions very well designed and with one purpose in mind, to kill and maim.
Mankind certainly made an invention to please the Devil this time with easy
death and tragic traumatic after affects lasting a lifetime.
Another
shooting in a different part of my town a few weeks before this event I
witnessed used one of the most deadly and over designed machine pistols ever
invented – the Mac-10. This can fire 1,200 bullets a minute but the mag
only holds thirty. I saw a picture in the paper with coloured markers
indicating where the small bullets had fallen around a man I counted over
twenty markers. The rest of the shots would have hit him I imagine killing him.
Both events maybe linked with the usual suspect words thrown in, drugs, gangs,
tit for tat killing. Even if both murders are linked I say enough is enough.
Yes drugs are bad and need to be eradicated by the authorities in whatever way
they can from the poppy fields of Afghanistan to the streets of our towns and
cities. Remove the guns and knives as well, break up the gangs, stop young
people joining gangs which give them a sense of belonging, alternative family,
a feeling of power and respect between members and other gangs and lastly gives
them access to the weapons of war, guns and knives of ferocious power.
I imagine the
guy I saw immediately after he was shot didn’t suffer much but I can’t be sure,
only the medical staff, people there before I was on scene and of course God
can be sure. With two men in the cop shop being questioned that is a good
result but the event should never have happened, just like each murder and attack
should never have gone down ending lives and tearing families apart. Enough is
enough in this vicious war. To me it looks like everyone has a story and knows
someone who has been a victim of violence in every built up area in the
country.
I talked to my
forklift truck instructor who was a marine for twenty-five years, he said put
the event at the back of my mind don’t keep thinking about it. He’s right you
know I told my lovely artist friend Sue when I saw her wearing her lovely green
dress and green eyeliner, a real English lady. She was shocked when I told her
and how I’m trying to move on and am waiting for counselling after this awful
event. I hope that sorts it out. Ian explained the need to look to the future
but how such incidents can come back months in the future, it all depends on
the individual. I hope I’m over it and that is that but I’d help again. I’d put
my own safety aside and enter danger to try to help but I know my own danger
and flashbacks will be the cost of such a foray by myself. What would Juniper’s
daughter do? Let’s find out…
