Author: lazaruscarpenterauthor
Lazarus Carpenter
I have lived in Wales for over twenty five years. Born in North Yorkshire, I am now an author, actor, musician and song writer, previously being a therapist, trainer and researcher, specialising in mental health. He was educated in Middlesbrough, Sheffield and Cambridge. With a fascination for Welsh History, I create worlds within worlds; magical, haunting, spirituality permeating sound moral codes of life. I live quietly with Debbie Eve (also my illustrator and our dog, Noodle in a small cottage surrounded by the beauty of the Brecon Beacons in the Valleys of South Wales.
Burning at the Gates of Hell
A long road to follow, and they know you will take the ride
A hard lesson to swallow as you take it in your stride
Deciding the way it will go and you have not got a clue
Only they really know no matter what you might do
They blind you with values foreign to the earth
Lying and cheating with so many put to death
You cannot say this and dare not say that
You are so sure to miss it; no welcome on the mat!
A hard mountain to climb, and yet we know the way
There is no time to waste listening to lies they say
All around the earth is changing
We sit blind to All That Is
Trembling and shaking on the edge of the abyss
With one voice, make it end to stop the killers in their tracks
We cannot borrow or lend or give Earth’s resources back
Cry for freedom on earth in the name of love. Be free
Choose life over death; open your eyes and learn to see
Scream and shout before it’s too late; now we have little choice
Burning at the gates of hell shout now with one voice
(Copywrite 2024 – Lazarus Carpenter)
A Tale of Friendship and Adventure
Once upon a time, in Mongolia’s rugged and vast landscapes, there lived a hermit named Altan who had a most extraordinary companion—a massive bear that he rode like a horse all over the mountains and plains. Altan was known far and wide for his wisdom, kindness, and unique bond with the bear, whom he called Bataar, meaning “hero” in Mongolian. Altan and Bataar’s story begins on a stormy night when Altan finds a wounded bear cub abandoned near his humble dwelling. Altan took the cub in despite the danger, tending to its injuries with care and compassion until it grew strong and healthy. As the cub grew, so did the bond between Altan and Bataar, forming a friendship that transcended species barriers.
As Bataar grew into a massive, powerful bear, Altan discovered that the bear possessed a gentle soul and remarkable intelligence. Through patience and understanding, Altan taught Bataar to trust him, and together, they roamed the wild lands of Mongolia, exploring hidden valleys, scaling towering mountains, and crossing endless plains. The people of Mongolia whispered tales of the hermit and his bear companion, marvelling at their unlikely friendship and the awe-inspiring sight of Altan riding Bataar like a king on his noble steed. Some believed Altan possessed magical powers to tame such a fearsome beast, while others saw in their bond a lesson in the harmony that could exist between man and nature. Altan and Bataar faced many challenges together, from fierce blizzards to treacherous cliffs, but their trust in each other never wavered. Bataar’s strength and speed carried Altan swiftly across the land, while Altan’s wisdom guided them through even the darkest times. One day, as they traversed a rugged mountain pass, they encountered a group of travellers desperately needing help. Altan and Bataar sprang into action without hesitation, offering aid and protection to those in need.
Their selfless acts of bravery and compassion earned them the respect and admiration of all who crossed their path. As the years passed, Altan and Bataar became legends in Mongolia, and their story passed down through generations as a testament to the enduring power of friendship and the boundless wonders of the natural world. To this day, some say that Altan and Bataar continue to roam the mountains and plains, their spirits forever intertwined in a timeless bond of loyalty and love. In conclusion, the tale of Altan the hermit and his bear companion Bataar serves as a reminder of the magic that can be found in the unlikeliest of friendships and the profound connection between humans and the natural world.
Radio Play – Rockfall
Depths of Discord
ACT 1
[The sound of pickaxes striking rock echoes in the darkness. Heavy breathing and metal clinking against stone can be heard as three miners, JACK, SAM, and PETE work in a cramped underground tunnel.]
JACK: (grunting) “Blast it, Sam, watch where you’re swinging that pickaxe! You nearly took my foot off!”
SAM: (defensive) “Well, maybe if you weren’t crowding my space, I wouldn’t have to worry about hitting you!”
PETE: (trying to diffuse the tension) “Come on, guys, let’s focus. We need to get this tunnel reinforced before the next shift arrives.”
SAM: “Yeah, yeah, but tell that galoot Jack, to keep out of my space, always crowding me, see!”
JACK: “You need to wind your neck in Sam Jones, always moaning you are. You are lucky I am a calm man, or you would be in a heap on the ground.”
SAM: “Did you hear that Pete? Fighting talk if ever I heard it. Threatening me he is.”
JACK: “I am not, I am stating facts. Things are bad enough for us down here six days a week in the cold and damp, without you moaning when a man bumps into you. Accidents happen, it was an accident, get over yourself.”
[The sound of a sudden rumble fills the air, followed by the creaking and groaning of the tunnel walls.]
JACK: (alarmed) “What the…? Everyone, get back! The walls are shifting!”
SAM: “Pete, Jack, over here!”
PETE: “I’m behind you both, quick!”
[The tunnel collapses, plunging the miners into darkness as the sound of falling debris fades away.]
ACT 2
[The miners are now trapped in a small cavern, their only source of light a flickering lantern.]
PETE: (panicked) “We’re stuck! How are we going to get out of here?”
SAM: (sarcastic) “Maybe if someone hadn’t distracted me, we wouldn’t be in this mess!”
JACK: (furious) “You want to blame me for this? You’re the one who’s always causing trouble with your recklessness!”
PETE: “Will you two give it a rest, this is no-ones fault, its a fall. Look at the size of those rocks, how the hell are we gong to get out of here?
SAM: “Boys, this is a mess!”
JACK: “We are trapped, right! Lets get organised. What water have we got and food, whatabout food? I got me flask of tea, me sandwiches and a piece of our Morganna’s cake.”
PETE: “Yer right Jack, we need to sort ourselves out, we don’t know how long we are going to be down here. I have me lunch and tea and two bottles of water.”
SAM: “I got me dinner and tea, (sarcastic slur) we don’t have lunch in our house,
PETE: ” Will you stop with the snide remarks Sam, we have to make a real effort to stay in control. I don’t think we should talk to much, we have no idea how much air is trapped here.”
JACK: “I got nothing to say boys, best preserve our breath, I think we are going to need it.”
SAM: “Howlong do you think we are going to be down here Pete?”
JACK: “Not the sharpest chisel on the shelf are you Sam?”
(Sam grunts dismissively)
PETE: “Well they will know we are trapped by now, mind you I’ve not heard the claxon.”
JACK: “We can’t hear that down here, just like they won’t here our shouting, so not a lot of point in that is there!”
SAM: “Lets put all our supplies on this slab so we can see what there is and divide it up into portions.”
JACK: “Somebody has sharpened the chisel!”
SAM: “Aw, give it a rest!”
(Sam strikes a match about to light a cigarette)
PETE: “Put that out, no smoking, what if there is gas?”
JACK: “Yup that’s all we need, trapped behind tons of earth and stone, a thousand feet underground, with him smoking, leaking gas and us all going boom!”
SAM: “I’ve put it out, I’m sorry I wasn’t thinking.”
JACK: “I wonder how long the light will last?”
[The tension in the cavern builds as the days pass. The miners bicker and argue, their tempers flaring in the oppressive darkness.]
ACT 3
[As the days become a week, the miners’ situation grows increasingly dire. Their food and water supplies dwindle, and the air grows thin and stale.]
PETE: (desperate) “We can’t keep going on like this. We need to find a way out of here.”
SAM: (defeated) “What’s the point? We’re trapped, and nobody’s coming to rescue us. We’re as good as dead.”
JACK: (determined) “No! We’re not giving up. We’re going to find a way out of here, and we’re going to do it together. I know we have moved a lot of stuff but there is more we can do.”
SAM: “Wait, listen, shush!”
JACK: “What’s that?”
(Faint cries and sounds of digging can be heard on the other side of the rocks)
JACK, PETE, SAM: “We are here, we are alive.”
JACK: “Do you think they heard us?”
PETE: “Shout again, come on altogether, shout!”
SAM, JACK, PETE: ” Help, help!”
(A distant shout is heard)
VOICE: “We hear you we are coming, hang on boys, hang on!”
(With newfound determination, the miners work together to clear debris, using their remaining tools and strength to break through to a nearby tunnel. As they emerge into the open air, they are greeted by the cheers of rescue workers who have been tirelessly searching for them)
PETE: (relieved) “We made it!”
SAM: (grateful) “I never thought I’d be so happy to see daylight.”
JACK: (reflective) “We may not have liked each other when this all started, but we survived because we worked together. Maybe there’s hope for us yet.”
SAM: “I need a pint!”
PETE: “Thats makes three of us!”
JACK: “I’m buying boys.”
(The miners emerge from the depths, forever changed by their harrowing ordeal)
ACT 4
Aftermath of Survival – Resilience and Blame
After seven harrowing days trapped underground in a dark and suffocating pit, Jack, Sam, and Pete emerged into the light of day, their bodies battered but their spirits unbroken. The trio found themselves in a local pub, seeking solace and perhaps a sense of normalcy after their near-death experience. The past week’s events loomed large in their minds as they sat around a table, nursing their drinks. Jack, normally the jovial and optimistic one of the group, was uncharacteristically quiet, his eyes staring into the distance as if trying to make sense of it all. The practical and stoic member, Pete, seemed lost in his thoughts, his hands fidgeting with his glass. Sam, on the other hand, was visibly agitated. His usual easygoing demeanour was replaced by a palpable tension, his brow furrowed in anger and frustration. With each sip of his drink, his words grew more pointed and accusatory.
SAM: “It’s all your fault,” Sam mutters, his voice laced with bitterness. “If you had listened to me, we wouldn’t have ended up in that pit in the first place.”
Jack and Pete exchanged a weary glance, understanding the tumult of emotions swirling within their friend. They knew that surviving such a traumatic ordeal could leave lasting scars, both physical and emotional. But they also knew assigning blame would not lead to healing or closure.
JACK: “Sam, we all made mistakes,” Jack says gently, his voice breaking the heavy silence over the table. “But we also worked together to survive. We supported each other when it mattered most.”
Sam scoffs, his eyes flashing with defiance.
SAM: “Support? All I saw was incompetence and recklessness. You two almost got us killed down there!”
Pete speaks up, his voice calm but firm.
PETE: “Sam, we can’t change what happened. What we can do is learn from it and move forward. Blaming each other won’t undo the past.”
As the conversation continues, a glimmer of understanding dawns on Sam’s eyes. He realises that his anger stemmed from the past week’s events and a deeper well of fear and vulnerability. In lashing out at his friends, he was trying to regain control over a situation that had spiralled out of his grasp. With a heavy sigh, Sam set down his glass and met the gaze of his companions.
SAM: “I’m sorry,” he says, voice tinged with regret. “I’ve been so focused on blaming others that I forgot to be grateful for being alive.”
Jack and Pete nodded in understanding, their hearts heavy with what they had endured. At that moment, as they sat together in the dimly lit pub, they found solace not in assigning fault but in the shared bond forged through adversity. The three friends raised their glasses in a silent toast to survival, their eyes reflecting a newfound appreciation for life’s fragility and resilience. In that simple gesture, they acknowledged the past while embracing the future, knowing that no pit, no matter how deep, could extinguish the light of their friendship.
ACT 5
Returning to the face!
Setting: A dimly lit room with a small table and a few chairs. The walls are lined with mining equipment and helmets. The atmosphere is tense, with a sense of unease hanging in the air. The three miners, Jack, Pete, and Sam, are seated around the table, sipping cups of coffee. They exchange hesitant glances, each lost in their own thoughts.
PETE: [breaking the silence] “Two weeks ago, we were lucky to make it out alive. I’ve been thinking… maybe we shouldn’t go back down there.”
JACK: [nodding solemnly] “It was a close call, that’s for sure. But we can’t let fear dictate our actions. The mine is our livelihood, after all.”
SAM: [eagerly] “I agree with Jack. We can’t let one accident stop us from doing our jobs. We’re miners; it’s what we do.”
PETE: [sighing] “I understand where you’re coming from, but I can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right. What if it happens again? What then?”
SAM: [placing a hand on Joe’s shoulder] “We’ll be careful, Joe. We’ll stick together and watch each other’s backs. We’ve been through worse together and always come out stronger.”
JACK: [determined] “Sam’s right. We’re a team, and we can handle whatever comes our way. I say we go back down there and show that mine who’s boss.”
The room falls silent as the miners contemplate their decision. After a moment, Pete nods his head resolutely.]
PETE: “Alright then. Let’s suit up and head back down. We’ve got work to do.”
The miners stand up, determination etched on their faces. They grab their helmets and gear, ready to face the darkness again.
SAM: [smiling] “Together, we can conquer anything.”
The three miners share a brief moment of camaraderie before heading towards the pit entrance, their shadows dancing on the walls as they disappear into the depths of the mine. The scene fades to black as their footsteps echo through the darkness, symboling resilience and unity in the face of adversity.]
The Girl, the Baby Dragon, and the Six Little Bluebirds
Once upon a time, in a quaint village nestled between rolling hills and lush forests, lived a little girl named Lily. Lily was known throughout the village for her kind heart and adventurous spirit. She spent her days exploring the woods, picking wildflowers, and helping her neighbours with various tasks. One sunny morning, as Lily wandered through the forest, she stumbled upon a hidden clearing she had never seen before. In the centre of the clearing, nestled among the trees, was a baby dragon. The dragon was small, with shimmering scales and big, curious eyes that sparkled in the sunlight. At first, Lily was frightened by the sight of the dragon, but as she watched it play with a group of six little bluebirds, she realized it was just a playful and friendly creature. The baby dragon and the bluebirds seemed to be the best of friends, frolicking and chirping joyfully together.
Intrigued by this unusual sight, Lily approached the baby dragon cautiously. To her surprise, the dragon greeted her with a warm smile and extended its tiny claw in friendship. Lily’s fear melted away as she reached out and touched the dragon’s smooth scales, feeling a sense of wonder and connection, unlike anything she had ever experienced. From that day on, Lily and the baby dragon became inseparable companions. They spent their days exploring the forest, playing with the bluebirds, and embarking on exciting adventures together. The dragon, whom Lily named Spark, had a mischievous streak but a heart of gold, always looking out for Lily and their feathered friends.
As the seasons changed and the years passed, Lily and Spark’s bond grew stronger. They shared laughter, tears, triumphs and challenges, creating memories lasting a lifetime. The six little bluebirds became their loyal companions, accompanying them on journeys and filling their days with song and joy. Through their friendship, Lily learned valuable lessons about courage, kindness, and the true meaning of loyalty. She discovered that sometimes the most extraordinary friendships can blossom in the most unexpected places, bridging the gap between different worlds and bringing magic into everyday life. And so, in the heart of the forest, surrounded by the beauty of nature and the warmth of friendship, Lily, Spark, and the six little bluebirds lived happily ever after, their bond unbreakable and their spirits forever intertwined in a tale of wonder and enchantment.
Lazarus Carpenter - Author 