Haunted Woods The woods are haunted, they say In the pleasant town Of smiles for strangers and niceties for neighbours…

"The woods are haunted, they say
In the pleasant town
Of smiles for strangers and niceties for neighbours..."

winluckwong.com/poetry/haunt...

#Poetry

My skull contains a bass drum that a baby Lilliputian just discovered with glee.

Lotus They buried us in their murky cemetery Of buds crushed and shells empty…

"They buried us in their murky cemetery
Of buds crushed and shells empty..."

winluckwong.com/poetry/lotus/

#Poetry

Writing is pride that you'll arrive early at the office before realizing halfway there that your efficiency was made possible by skipping a few key steps. Like changing out of your pajamas. #Writaphors

Cottage For Sale This spacious property Overlooks the river That embraces trees of either side…

"This spacious property
Overlooks the river
That embraces trees of either side..."

winluckwong.com/poetry/cotta...

#Poetry

What to Watch and Read This Weekend: January Was a Rough Year, So Here's Ian McKellen Reading Shakespeare - Reactor Plus: A fantasy retelling of Charles Dickens and a rare chance to recommend Venom: The Last Dance

Give yourself the gift of Ian McKellen reciting Shakespeare this weekend.

And then mini nuclear winter set in, white tissue fallout covering up the craters.

Yes, it may look like a shaving cut.
Or maybe an epic microscopic war raged above my upper lip until a cluster of mini-nukes detonated.

Away Perhaps you’re right That the flight I dreamt Was not the freedom I sought…

"Perhaps you’re right
That the flight I dreamt
Was not the freedom I sought..."

winluckwong.com/poetry/away/

#Poetry

Writing is the toilet paper aisle where you wonder if this is the moment to upgrade to 3-ply. Maybe the one with a green leaf so you feel like you're doing something good as you do your business. You leave in the end with what you trust: 2-ply. Jumbo rolls. Club pack. #Writaphors

Dawn Dawn shed her red dress For a ray of hope…

"Dawn shed her red dress
For a ray of hope,
A day of infinite possibilities..."

winluckwong.com/poetry/dawn/

#Poetry

Buried under the rubble of Post-It notes with a thousand paper cuts of things yet to be done.

Just a reminder to our followers: Every #book we feature here is #ForSale! We can send them anywhere #CanadaPost delivers (pick up in person if you're in/near #SaintJohn, #NewBrunswick)! If you see something you like, send us a DM, and we'll make it happen! daveshootsbookseller.com #Booksky

Serenity in Death Nabalor heard the whistles through the air behind him and he instinctively launched himself upward…

"Nabalor heard the whistles through the air behind him and he instinctively launched himself upward..."

winluckwong.com/fantasy/sere...

#Fantasy #ShortStory

Writing is the patch of ice you slip on during garbage day as the trash bin forsakes your friendship by toppling onto your face. You frantically try to reclaim your dignity, praying the neighbours did not witness your fall from grace. (They did and were quite amused.) #Writaphors

Immortal I remember the shadows that leapt away From fractures promising life in a dying darkness…

"I remember the shadows that leapt away
From fractures promising life in a dying darkness..."

winluckwong.com/poetry/immor...

#Poetry

Powering down. Internal hydraulics malfunction. Commencing system diagnostics. Analyzing. Reboot advised. Reboot. Reboot. Reboot failed. Red Alert. Initializing hibernation sequences.

Shit.

Black and white author photo pf PP Wong

Canada Reads 2026 longlisted author PP Wong joins us for #writersblock & talks about her second novel, SLICE THE WATER (@gooselane.bsky.social), the grounding power of nature, & the impact of spending years writing one protagonist.

Read the full interview at: alllitup.ca/writers-bloc...

2025 Clarkesworld Readers' Poll - Nomination Phase You have until January 22nd 3pm EST to nominate!

Help us select the 2025 finalists for our annual Clarkesworld Readers' Poll.
Nominate your favorite Clarkesworld stories and cover art at:
www.surveymonkey.com/r/clarkeswor...

POLL CLOSES THURSDAY, JANUARY 22th at 3PM EST

Huthammer Sparks flew as hammer met yellow steel caught between its own fevered shouts and the unyielding anvil…

"Sparks flew as hammer met yellow steel caught between its own fevered shouts and the unyielding anvil..."

winluckwong.com/fantasy/huth...

#Fantasy #ShortStory

Writing is the front door you locked and then walking all the way back up from the driveway three times to confirm that it is indeed still locked. #Writaphors

Lakeside Just one glimpse Of me is all I ask…

"Just one glimpse
Of me is all I ask.
A second of your time
In exchange for my past..."

winluckwong.com/poetry/lakes...

#Poetry

Anyone Can Vote in the Hugo Awards — And Here's How - Reactor You — yes, you! — can nominate work and vote for the winners of the 2026 Hugo Awards!

We want you 🫵 to vote in The Hugo Awards and it's really not as complicated as it looks:

I discovered my superpower: reverse-psychology time manipulation! All I have to do is stare at a clock. If I want it to go slower, it'll go faster and vice versa. Perfect for keeping those anxiety levels at a steady high!

Small Talk I know a place beyond These stamp-sized plots Our tongues are used to licking…

"I know a place beyond
These stamp-sized plots
Our tongues are used to licking..."

winluckwong.com/poetry/small...

#Poetry

Writing is the pause after pouring orange juice in your cereal and eating it with a shrug because, hey, you're still putting in something. #Writaphors

Renee Nicole Good, murdered by ICE, was a prize-winning poet. Here’s that poem. Renee Nicole Good, 37, mother to a six-year-old boy, was murdered earlier today by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, a few blocks from her home. According to the Minnesota Star Tribune: [An ICE agent] s…

“i want back my rocking chairs, / solipsist sunsets, / & coastal jungle sounds...”

A poem by Renee Nicole Good, who was murdered by ICE earlier today.

lithub.com/renee-nicole...

On this #ScienceFictionDay, I emerge from bingeing "Alien: Earth", shrieking at the sight of an earwig skittering by.

#HappyNewYear! Here's to a year where words flow easily from mind to fingertips to reed, brush, quill, pen, keyboard or holographic interface (depending when on the time-space continuum you're from).

The Tree Bled It bled often, the tree that took our flying kicks We learned from kung fu movies Rallying us against bullies…

"It bled often, the tree that took our flying kicks
We learned from kung fu movies
Rallying us against bullies..."

winluckwong.com/poetry/the-t...

#Poetry