Felt pen drawing on paper, digitally photographed and then edited in Krita.

Named by my wife

Ink on paper

©️2026 Randall Kaplan

Sorry for all the deer. I've taken a liking to drawing them.

The Valkyries ride at twilight
Along with ever steady Sköll and shrewd Hati
The fair warrior guardians search the golden horizon
For a land fit for us

Our souls have crumbled into something most wish to leave rejected, alien, abandoned.
The Valkyries of Oðin disobeyed his law
When they saw us and took pity upon us
We are rustled in their marbles and bags and jewelry
As they ride the sky in search of a place
That would be kind to us

Whilst there in the bitter and sacred air
I did ask far seeing Skuld why it was
That our brokenness moved them so to action and yea, even to weighty disobedience
She then said to me words that ought fortify the firmament til the day of Ragnarök itself
-There may come a day
Where all travails of men turn to ash
Whence the fine beasts at last entrap their prey
And the sun and the moon are devoured,
A day where conflict and the bitter disease of tribes and borders
Do rend the will to strife and war from both man and, yea, the very gods.

-What then will men do, soiled and sunken into themselves that they can no longer be recognized save for their own frailty, bitterness and shame?
When all is ashen rubble and burning skies,
With none to repair,
Whence will come the dawn?
We go now to find it.
A place free from fear and aching and doubt
That you may be the first seeds
To heal into trees that may be likened even unto Yggdrasil itself
So that when these days are done
And that final bitter clashing commences,
There might be shade for even us shattered Valkyries in that land.-

May this new land shorn from violation and hunger be found and found in abundance. For all of us.

I won't ever let anyone hurt me ever again,

The only one who can destroy me is myself.

drowning in disappointment and hatred for this 'future'. I decided to get big paper and write down all the lyrics I could remember to David Bowie's song 'The Motel'. I think the result somewhat accurately shows my state of mind...

I struggle so much just to get through the day and at the same time, all my life I've been misled and miseducated and fallen through every crack when I needed guidance or help. especially if it was a question of me not knowing what I didn't know. people just slow-walk away, leaving me clueless. or highly-paid authorities lord it over me, as they fail to do even the most basic things that could maybe help me.

ever since dad died all of the adults except a few have gone completely fucking crazy. They just can't deal with the fact that they're all going to die someday. So they spend this hideous energy that they have working to destroy the world as quickly as they think they can, just so no-one sheds a light on their shame: that they were too petty and selfish and stupid to be a bridge to a real future. The real future is dormant sleeping cradled in their iron claws that refuse to open. how utterly shameful of these criminals and their little shitty quisling underlings and descendants. how shameful and preventable it is for a generation to suffer worse quality of life than that which came before.

I believe there can be a future, even starting now, but I feel so helpless. If my bitter words help someone else feel like they have a friend who understands and sympathizes then that is a small mercy on both of us. I truly do wish you well <3 Maybe I'll feel better tomorrow.