Another day in the kingdom

Another day in the kingdom!

The princess wakes from a long sleep; after periods of cold, and wondering why she didn't have a blanket. She rubs her eyes until they are open wide. She sees light. She stands confused, how can there be light in this cold dark place? She turns around to see the door of the dungeon standing wide open. The sunlight is shining on her pale skin. She wonders; was it the captor that opened the door? Was it the voice with the key? Her thoughts move quickly; quickly to the here and now, she is free at last. She leaves all the thoughts of the dungeon behind her. In her heart all that is left are the lessons learned while in the dungeon.

In the Land of the Stars

Once upon a time in the land of the stars, there lived a princess. The  
princess had been locked away in a cold dungeon. Over time the dungeon  
had become a familiar place, not at all the frightening place it once  
was. One day the princess heard a voice off in the distance. The voice  
was hopeful and calming. The princess wondered how she could reach  
this wonderful voice. The voice then came to her; calmed her fears and  
presented her with the key to the dungeon. The princess was scared,  
scared to leave the place that had become familiar. The voice spoke to  
her softly and often with words of hope and encouragement.  The princess  
kept the key hidden from from her captor and from the rest of the  
kingdom. Often she would take the key from it's hiding place to admire  
it and the possibilities of freedom. The day came when the princess  
took the key from it's hiding place; held it firmly in her hand and  
approached the door. She put the key in the lock and turned it, to  
open the door. Her heart was pounding with fear and excitement. The  
princess heard the voice, it said come, don't be affraid. It is  
beautiful; you are beautiful. The princess stepped out of the dungeon  
only to find that there was another door. She did not have the key to  
this door; the voice then said, don't worry you will find the other  
key. This went on for quite some time. The voice spoke less  
frequently. The last thing the voice said from far off in the distance  
was, I have found the key. The princess never heard the voice again.

Unfinished Business

Unfinished Business
A dream of you, the churning and burning begins again, again.
Unfinished business.
Back to the beginning, to the end.
Foolish thoughts, words, yours, mine.
A broken lease, an eviction notice served to a vacant apartment.
Shaken faith, betrayed trust.
The magnetic pull, the sailor’s knot, can’t break free.
Unfinished business.
Souls connected.
A desire to defecate on the memory, yours, mine.
A song sung to the deaf, a picture painted for the blind.
Unfinished business.

No Matter

Sharp pointed.
A knife, a sword, or ice pick.
The men that carry them.
Double edged, razor sharp or piercingly pointed.
Directed at your heart or your back, no matter.

Soft colorful.
The tongues that wag, the mouths that drool, and speak from both sides;
The mouths that paint pictures, pictures thick with oil paint,
sketchy drawings, no matter.

Black, White, or Grey.
Words and paper, fresh new words, aged faded words.
Words that build up, words that tear down.
Truthful words, placatory words.
Not sticks, not stones, just words, no matter.

A Love

An old building, the curves, the architectural detail.
An appreciation for the passion and talent of those who spent an entire lifetime in its design.
The dedication it takes to create a thing of true beauty.
The individuals who died before the completion of their work of art.
The grey hues that are acquired over the years.
The painstaking efforts of preservation and restoration.
The lives that were touched at all stages, the design, the construction, the admiration.
These are the things that can be felt when admiring an old building.

The Garden

The Garden

Barefoot, standing in the freshly tilled soil; the warmth of the soil on your feet. You dig your toes in and look to the sky. The sky is a glorious shade of blue. You stand there; reach in your pocket, the pocket closest to your heart. Now in your hand are a collection of the most beautiful seeds. You open your hand to admire the seeds. You wonder¸ am I ready to plant these seeds. Is the weather right? Is the soil right? Will there be another freeze? The soil is so warm; you hope these precious seeds will not be wasted in the wrong weather conditions. You look to the sky again, it is so beautiful; you smile and carefully scoop the soil away from each spot where you intend to place your precious seeds. You carefully remove one seed at a time and place it into the little soil nest that you have created. Again, you look to the sky, it is so blue and you feel the warmth of the sun on your shoulders as you carefully plant all your precious seeds.

Filled with such a sense of accomplishment you step away and realize that your little possibilities need to be watered. You quickly go to your watering can and fill it with water, step gingerly around your precious seeds and slowly lift the heavy watering can and lightly water each precious seed. The soil surrounding your seeds is now the most wonderful shade; a nourished chocolate. There is such warmth in you now. Your seeds have all they need to flourish. You step back to admire your days work. Ah the wonder. You are now delirious with joy, and a sense of sleepiness comes over you. You are now lying down covered in velvet, the light dims.

You waken from your peaceful slumber, the seeds! It is a new day, you stumble to the garden. Carefully you move from nest to nest. You stop when you see the most precious little green sign of life. The first born, if all others perish your efforts will be worthwhile. This small green life is so bright and strong, you are filled with joy. You still have concern; should I water again? What will today’s weather conditions bring? You trust God; who realizes all your efforts and knows the outcome. This comforts you. You fill your day with the necessities of life. Again you are covered in the velvet, have thoughts of your little possibilities.

How many days have passed? You run to your garden.

The Pretender --- Jackson Browne

I'm going to rent myself a house
In the shade of the freeway
Gonna pack my lunch in the morning
And go to work each day
And when the evening rolls around
I'll go on home and lay my body down
And when the morning light comes streaming in
I'll get up and do it again
Amen.
Say it again
Amen.

I want to know what became of the changes
We waited for love to bring
Were they only the fitful dreams
Of some greater awakening?
I've been aware of the time going by
They say in the end it's the wink of an eye
When the morning light comes streaming in
You'll get up and do it again
Amen.

Caught between the longing for love
And the struggle for the legal tender
Where the sirens sing and the church bells ring
And the junk man pounds his fender.
Where the veterans dream of the fight
Fast asleep at the traffic light
And the children solemnly wait
For the ice cream vendor
Out into the cool of the evening
Strolls the Pretender
He knows that all his hopes and dreams
Begin and end there

Ah the laughter of the lovers
As they run through the night
Leaving nothing for the others
But to choose off and fight
And tear at the world with all their might
While the ships bearing their dreams
Sail out of sight

I'm gonna find myself a girl
Who can show me what laughter means
And we'll fill in the missing colors
In each other's paint-by-number dreams
And then we'll put our dark glasses on
And we'll make love until our strength is gone
And when the morning light comes streaming in
We'll get up and do it again
Get it up again

I'm gonna be a happy idiot
And struggle for the legal tender
Where the ads take aim and lay their claim
To the heart and the soul of the spender
And believe in whatever may lie
In those things that money can buy
where true love could have been a contender
Are you there?
Say a prayer for the Pretender.
Who started out so young and strong
Only to surrender.

Say a prayer for the pretender
Are you there for the pretender?
Say a prayer for the pretender
Are you there for the pretender?
Are you prepared for the pretender?