Richard H Fay - Artist/Illustrator/Poet/Polymath
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Richard H Fay - Artist/Illustrator/Poet/Polymath
@azurelionprod.bsky.social
1.6K followers 1.1K following 9.7K posts
multi-genre artist, illustrator, poet
print-on-demand artist & photographer
My PoD shops:
https://tee.pub/lic/sp_YC96pfhI
https://www.redbubble.com/people/RHFay/shop?asc=u
https://www.zazzle.com/store/richardfay
My poetry collection:
https://a.co/d/7iEjfrM
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Richard H Fay - Artist/Illustrator/Poet/Polymath @azurelionprod.bsky.social · Nov 4
AzureLionProductions TeePublic Store
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Azure Lion Productions Redbubble Shop
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Azure Lion Productions Zazzle Store
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AZP_Photos Zazzle Store
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#zazzle #teepublic #redbubble #art #photos
Azure Lion Productions Zazzle Store Header
azurelionprod.bsky.social
With the short story "The Horla" (1887), Guy de Maupassant wrote cosmic horror before H. P. Lovecraft was even born (1890).
February 13, 2026 at 5:44 AM
azurelionprod.bsky.social
Added my photo of "Bumblebees on Marigold" to a bookplate in my AZP_Photos store and created a cover image for the item showing what it looks like in an old book.

Bumblebees on Marigold Bookplate www.zazzle.com/bumblebees_o... via @zazzle

#zazzle #zazzlemade #bees #flower #bookplate
Bumblebees on Marigold Bookplate
February 13, 2026 at 5:05 AM
azurelionprod.bsky.social
Spellcheck claimed the way I spelled "cumberbund" is wrong. I checked Merriam-Webster's online dictionary. It seems "cumberbund" is a less common variant of "cummerbund".
www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/c...
I've always spelled it with two "b"s.

Leave it to me t use a less-common variant!
February 13, 2026 at 4:06 AM
azurelionprod.bsky.social
I've even written horrorku (horror-themed haiku), and still write them on occasion. Here are two recent examples:

wrapped cumberbund / exposed intestines bound /
zombie prom

alone in the dark / a voice not my own / sobs softly

#poems #poetry #haiku #horrorku
azurelionprod.bsky.social Richard H Fay - Artist/Illustrator/Poet/Polymath @azurelionprod.bsky.social · 2h
Four recent examples of my dark poetry (yes, I'm still writing dark poetry on occasion)...
February 13, 2026 at 4:03 AM
azurelionprod.bsky.social
Four recent examples of my dark poetry (yes, I'm still writing dark poetry on occasion)...
Murder in the Rain By Richard H. Fay Rain falls. Rivulets flow down This lonely dark lane. Blood drips From my gore-stained axe, Reddening the stream. Streaks mar Your once ruddy cheeks Now turned ghastly pale. Deed done, I slowly tromp on As the rain still falls. Buried Secrets By Richard H. Fay Muffled by the earth Piled on your grave, Muted words never heard By your deafened ears Fall from trembling lips And misdeeds unknown Stay ever secret. Silenced by your death, Sharp tongue cannot wag, Stilled voice will not tell, Crimes remain concealed. Voices in the Forest By Richard H. Fay Deep in a dark forest, Strange voices softly speak In a language long lost To civilized mankind. Whispering shades beckon To bewildered human In words long forgotten By a more settled race. Strangely savage souls draw That bewitched mortal lad Deeper into the wood To meet a sudden doom. A Mystery Better Left Alone By Richard H. Fay As I undo the rusty latch Binding this fusty tome, I eagerly await answers To arcane questions Sane folk never dare ask. Beneath the bound cover, Within crackling pages Rendered from human flesh, I seek to learn forbidden lore, And solve the riddle of life. Reading words penned in blood, Gaining knowledge forsaken by all, I forfeit my very soul To resolve a mystery Better left alone.
February 13, 2026 at 3:55 AM
azurelionprod.bsky.social
Since I previously mentioned the fact that I write dark speculative poetry, here are four examples of my darker works (all of which have seen publication in various edited small-press venues)...
Life is the Life by Richard H. Fay Roused from decades of sepulchral slumber By savage cannonades and rifle fire, Departing the dark comfort of my tomb, I roam a mad world ripped apart by war. Venturing forth like a smoky blue veil Wafting across this cratered countryside, Searching for the base essence of being, I am drawn to fields of lingering death. Drifting amidst battle-broken bodies, Ignoring agonizing cries of pain, Invisible to dimming mortal eyes, I harvest embers of vitality. Finding a suitably ravaged vessel, Sensing sustenance within battered flesh, I drain lifeblood to feed this hungry soul - A dying youth becomes my golden cup. Energies flow from spirit to spirit Fuelling my ethereal existence. Leaving behind the soldier's empty husk I retreat into deepening shadows Revitalized. Originally published in The Monsters Next Door, Contest Issue 4.5, November 15, 2008. Poetry winner, “Through My Eyes” writing contest. The Damnation of Daniel Brewster by Richard H. Fay Decades of debauchery Erode both body and soul 'Til mortal becomes mere shade Devoid of substance and light. The living are like strangers As the dead draw all too near. Weary of this wretchedness, Searching for scraps of solace, Hoping to find warm comfort, Remembering kinder days, Daniel Brewster returns home To his old New Bedlam haunt. Time and neglect take their toll, Sapping life's pleasing lustre From forsaken roof and walls. Heavy feet climb creaking stairs, Sweaty hand turns rusted knob, Bent form enters crooked house. Seeking signs of simpler times With blackened heart beating hard, Daniel finds cobwebs and dust. Twilight's dimming glow snuffs out As strangely stirring shadows Ensnare him in choking gloom. By himself but not alone, Daniel faces his fell past. Throngs of cast-off lovers hold Never-born sons and daughters Snuggled against bloodied breasts While wrecked spirits wreak ruin. Knives reflect feral gleamings Of eyes glinting in the murk. Fey spectres chant together "Welcome back to New Bedlam, Welcome to your damnation," 'Til drowned out by endless screams. Originally published in The New Bedlam Project, Vol. 1, Issue 1, April 2009. Corpse-Candles by Richard H. Fay Glittering bright orbs Move through naked trees, Dancing and darting Like restless children Playing hide-and-seek In a quaint garden. Souls lost in the night Soar in the still air. They gather near me, But stay out of reach. They lead me deeper Into the dark wood. As a moth to flame I follow the lights. Blackness surrounds me. Only the flicker Of spectral candles Guides my reckless steps. The ancient oaks part To reveal headstones Hidden in the wood. A forlorn graveyard Choked with thorny weeds Lays beneath the stars. Lights cavort above The overgrown graves, Then descend groundward. I spy pale phantoms Pining for warm flesh Long reduced to dust. The sad shades beckon And draw me along A perilous ridge. Blindly I stumble And tumble headfirst Down a rocky grade. Broken and bloodied, My body grows cold. As life ebbs away From this mortal shell, My spirit will join That fey troupe of lights. Originally published June 2008 in Niteblade) Cosmic Grind by Richard H. Fay Placate otherworld gods With sex and violence. Sacrifice flesh and blood To tentacled idols. Feel the pulsating throb Of an eldritch drumbeat. Let that sound drown your soul In orgiastic bliss. Enter the manic press; Gyrate with strange beings. Lose your body and mind To that fanatic mob. Copulate with creatures Painted red head-to-toe. Embrace inhuman forms In rites of carnal lust. Lay a crimson-skinned wretch Upon a black altar. Slit the thing’s offered throat To open cosmic doors. Shudder with ecstasy As the gore-stained ground quakes. Spy the summoned arrive In a protean mass. March toward a mad god Quivering with delight. Leap though its gnashing maw To be ground into dust. Originally published in Infernal Ink Magazine, Vol. 1, Issue 2, October 2012
February 13, 2026 at 3:45 AM
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This past November, I was told "it's 2025, no one gives a shit about a poet".

Well, it's now 2026. Let's make this the year folks start giving a shit about poets and poetry! I'm certainly doing my small part to make that happen.

#poets #poet #poetry
February 13, 2026 at 3:30 AM
azurelionprod.bsky.social
Adding my photo of "Bumblebees on Marigold Flower" to more items in my AZP_Photos Zazzle Store. Here it is on an all-over print tote bag.

Bumblebees on Marigold Flower Tote Bag
www.zazzle.com/bumblebees_o...

#zazzlemade #zazzle #totebag #bumblebees #marigold #bees #flower
Bumblebees on Marigold Flower Tote Bag
February 13, 2026 at 12:47 AM
azurelionprod.bsky.social
For a little while, I attended a local poets' corner held in a backroom in an area library. I mentioned the fact that I write (among other things) dark speculative poetry. That fact made certain fellow poets visibly uncomfortable. Looked like they thought I might murder them all!
February 13, 2026 at 12:46 AM
azurelionprod.bsky.social
Adding my photo of "Bumblebees on Marigold Flower" to more items in my AZP_Photos Zazzle Store.
Here it is on a patch:
www.zazzle.com/bumblebees_o... via @zazzle
#zazzlemade #patch #bees #bubmblebees #flower #marigold #photo
Bumblebees on Marigold Flower Patch
February 13, 2026 at 12:29 AM
azurelionprod.bsky.social
There are currently 202 pins on the "My Poetry Board" I have over on Pinterest, and NONE of the 202 poems featured on those images was penned using generative AI.

Images featuring my poetry. pin.it/6sSSKSpCR via @pinterest

#poems #poetry #poet #pinterest
190 My Poetry ideas to save in 2026 | poetry, poems, cinquain and more
Feb 8, 2026 - Images featuring my poetry. See more ideas about poetry, poems, cinquain.
pin.it
February 13, 2026 at 12:17 AM
azurelionprod.bsky.social
I'm such a misfit that, several years back, I wrote a poem about it.
#poem #poetry #misfit #squarepeg
Never Find My Way, Never Fit In I am a man lost at sea, A fog-bewildered soul Always peering through the murk, Never spying a friendly port. I am a man out of place, A square-shaped peg Jammed into a round hole, Never finding a proper fit. I am a man wandering the wild, Roaming far from the warmth Of welcome roof and hearth, Never following the path home. I am a man out of his element, A fish out of water Gasping for breath, Never catching a break. I am a man roving a wood Cloaked in grim shadow, Searching for a sunlit lea, Never reaching the forest's edge. I am a man out of touch, Reading outdated books, Writing outmoded works, Never thinking like the crowd. I am the wrong man In the wrong place At the wrong time, Never getting it right. Will I ever find my way? Will I ever fit in? Ever? Never.
February 13, 2026 at 12:07 AM
azurelionprod.bsky.social
<"if someone tells you 'you're weird', what would you reply with?"<

Thanks!
<"if someone tells you 'you're weird', what would you reply with?"<
February 12, 2026 at 11:52 PM
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I've been cast in the role of outsider for so long now that I'm rather comfortable with it.
February 12, 2026 at 11:50 PM
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You save 20%!
Enter code FEBZAZSAVING at checkout.

My AZP_Photos Zazzle Store:
www.zazzle.com/store/azp_ph... via @zazzle

#zazzle #zazzlestore #zazzlesale #sitewidesale #photos #photography
images of six items featuring photos taken by Richard H. Fay with text... You save 20%! Enter code FEBZAZSAVING at checkout. AZP_Photos https://www.zazzle.com/store/azp_photos
February 12, 2026 at 11:45 PM
azurelionprod.bsky.social
THIS!
Thee Aries @GiftedAsia · 5h Consuming diverse art, literature and culture is how you become well rounded. Being anti-diversity basically promotes mental, emotional and intellectual regression. Exposure to different ways of living and being can literally only help you.
February 12, 2026 at 11:29 PM
azurelionprod.bsky.social
Tolkien was so conservative and such a traditionalist in some of his views (especially regarding languages) that, after the Catholic Church switched to saying Mass in the local language, he continued to respond loudly in Latin.
M.C.A Hogarth @mcahogarth · 9h It's crazy the things people accept without introspection. Do you honestly think someone like Tolkien had "high openness?" Maybe consider that the reason you think so many artists have 'high openness' is that modern curators have created that situation. Dylan Orosz @finalboyo · 7h Unless I am misunderstanding the term, anyone capable of inventing culture probably has high openness. M.C.A Hogarth @mcahogarth People tend to use 'high openness' as a synonym for progressive politics, however. Which is one of the problems with the entire debate. 10:49 AM · Feb 12, 2026 · 47 Views
February 12, 2026 at 11:28 PM
azurelionprod.bsky.social
Over at Zazzle...
Save up to 20% on customizable favorites made just for you!
Enter code FEBZAZSAVING at checkout.

My Azure Lion Productions Zazzle Store:
www.zazzle.com/store/richar... via @zazzle

#zazzle #zazzlestore #zazzlesale #sitewidesale
images of six products featuring art by Richard H. Fay with text... Save up to 20% on customizable favorites made just for you! Enter code FEBZAZSAVING at checkout. Azure Lion Productions Zazzle Store https://www.zazzle.com/store/richardfay
February 12, 2026 at 10:35 PM
azurelionprod.bsky.social
If it's true that, when it comes to my reading preferences, I have "middlebrow tastes", then I'd rather have middlebrow tastes than be a pompous pretentious prick with highbrow literary tastes.

I loathe snobs, especially literary ones!
February 12, 2026 at 10:31 PM
azurelionprod.bsky.social
There's very little truly constructive criticism to be found on the crazy-net.
February 12, 2026 at 10:01 PM
azurelionprod.bsky.social
Artists, QP something silly!
Cover art for Doug Hilton's How We Play Football in Alabama and Other Short Stories from Doug's World Backed by a crimson tide design, an jai alai basket-wielding elephant in a football helmet chases two football players down the field.
February 12, 2026 at 9:43 PM
azurelionprod.bsky.social
Noticed a trend on social media. People older than me assume I'm younger than I actually am (57), while people younger than me assume I'm older than I actually am (some say I look like I'm in my 70s!).

At times the situation reverses, but in general, the trend seems to hold.
Rick Feb 12 2026
February 12, 2026 at 9:37 PM
azurelionprod.bsky.social
The pretentious pricks of the literary/reading world number among the most pretentious of pretentious pricks out there. They really are absolutely obnoxious snobs.
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 PM
azurelionprod.bsky.social
For today's Black History Month look at the works of black poets, I'm looking at "Length of the Moon" by the Harlem Renaissance poet Arna Bontemps.
www.poetrysoup.com/famous/poem/...
Nice imagery in this one!
#poem #poetry #blackhistorymonth #blackpoets #blackpoetry
Length of Moon by Arna Bontemps
Then the golden hour Will tick its last And the flame will go down in the flower.A briefer length of moon Will mark the... Poem summary, analysis, and meaning
www.poetrysoup.com
February 12, 2026 at 8:37 PM
azurelionprod.bsky.social
I'm NOT putting up with some pretentious misogynistic racist Baby Boomer prick looking down his nose at me over my personal tastes in literature. At least I'm willing to read literary works by women and people of color (I've currently been reading a lot of poetry by black poets).
February 12, 2026 at 8:32 PM