Monday, March 12, 2007

As Liberty Spread Her Wings And Soared

AS LIBERTY SPREAD HER WINGS AND SOARED
As Liberty spread her wings and soared a small boy sat alone on the edge of a pier in the Great North Woods. There was no one else on the lake and the morning mists had risen. He took his eyes from the fishing bobber and looked at the island as the sun sparkled the water and listened to the small waves splash and slap the foam on the shore. There was a twitter of birds, croaking of frogs, buzz of insects and sounds of the forest. He was vacationing with his Grandparents far from the city. A pair of dragonflys spun around the end of his fishing pole and he thought of the Dragon that lived under his bed, back at home. He was just a little boy and knew the Dragon was not quite real. Then again he was wont to think that if he were born in days of old that he would have drawn the Sword from the Stone with ease, walked on water, and become a hero in all manner of lore and stories. Just like any other little boy.

A caw in the air cleared his thoughts as he looked at the island and the main feature that was the Eagle's nest in the highest tree. He often took the old row boat made for a man to the island. It was no small task for a child to manage the oars but he would lift, splash and pull, lift splash and pull until he got to the island. After pulling the bow upon the rocky shore and a bit into the grasses he would walk the island. There were no signs of any other ever being there. No human signs or litter. The little boy would then walk to the base of the tree below the Eagle nest and look at the fish bones. Then look up at the nest and wander about the island sniffing plants, wild flowers, ferns, pines, birch, berries and wild grapes. How blessed he was to be so free and alone.

At the edge of the old pier that creaked when one walked on it, and some boards were missing and half of it was covered with moss, sat the small boy watching his bobber bounce in the small waves when there was a shadow that startled the child and he almost dropped his fishing pole. It was the Eagle. Quietly gluiding with magnificent wings spread not ten feet from the pier. The child stood and spread his arms trying to look like a bird as the Eagle seemed to look him directly in the eye. For a moment, time seemed frozen and there seemed to be a communion. Then the Eagle took flight and I nearly fell off the pier.

In the distance I heard a call. " Stephen, Stephen it is time for lunch." It was my Grandmother Evelyn. A voice like no other, a song in the woods. The boy gathered up the fishing gear and returned to the cabin.

At the table with a plate of steaming food. She asked, " Did you catch any thing? "

The little boy said, " Yes, but the fish got away."

The Eagle in my eye is forever a memory and a melding that I can not explain.
Liberty Spread Her wings and Soared

As ever be well. With love, Stephen Craig Rowe


This week I met Rob Marcello from the band Danger Danger.
http://truthinshredding.blogspot.com/2006/11/robert-marcello-more-noodling-insomia.html

He is a good man and a good friend.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Liberty and Dragon

LIBERTY AND DRAGON-ECLIPSE, MAGIC, MYTH AND SOMETHING ABOUT THE MOON

Liberty stepped softly from the clouds and spread her wings then soared. White feathers stretched as she sailed and the Sun light glinted all around her, in the clear blue and the twilight she found the Dragon and thwacked him on the snout. There was a quiet rumble and a puff of smoke as the Dragon began to wake. One red eye, then the other opened, to see Liberty. The Dragon then smiled and wagged his tail. Or rather, slapped and thumped it in the Cave.
Liberty was rubbing her right elbow and smiling at the Dragon as she folded her wings and said,

" Dragon, did you see the Eclipse last night? It was so glorious and a moment to behold."
The Dragon sat upright and wiped the sleep from his eyes, took a drink of dragon brew and cleared his throat, then said. " Of course I saw the Eclipse, I made the Moon look red!" With a small puff and an expression of indignation. Rather child like in a dragon sort of way. Liberty was right there.
"Silly Dragon, you had nothing to do with the Eclipse or the color of the Moon. These are not the Olden Days." She said, in a firm but gentle voice.
The Dragon put his claws together, looked down and there was a slight twitch of his tail. He was silent for several moments, staring off into Space. Liberty just stood there and touched his head, graced his brow and patted him like he was an old dog. Warm and friendly. The love of eternety returned and there was a spark in his eye as he said.
" Yeah, I know the Olden Days are gone. That is why I slumber so. You look better than ever! Why do you keep rubbing your elbow?" The dragon then took another draw of the dragon brew as Liberty smiled and replied.
" It is nothing, but a slight pain from holding the Torch. More of this later." She said and sat next to the Dragon with a wing and an arm around him.
Head to head they nustled in silence as the worlds and words spun about them. The memory of the Olden Days and the New Worlds and thoughts of their place These Days. Oh, there the memory of Liberty and Dragon danced with the Lords and Ladies, the Faries and Angels people of the forests, rock, stone, river, streams, oceans and all the Saints and Fires that glimmer in the night and imagination. That have ever been and ever shall be......Then Dragon held out his hand and said with a smile. " Sissor, rock, or paper?" Liberty laughed out loud! A laugh that rings in all things, it was so sharp and sweet.
She smiled at the Dragon, rubbing her elbow. Then Said, " Dear Dragon, it is written somewhere that in the Beginning Was the Word. The Word became that which gave us life in the mind of humanity. There we have given Humanity the beauty of the Myth, the Magic and healing quality of words. The poets and the Muse. The Dream of the Other Worlds and the beauty of All."
There they both sat in profound silence and reviewed the sad state of human history. All the terror, wars, greed, disaster, famon, starvation, man's cruelty to man's own kind and the rape and pilliage of the Planet that gave them birth. Sacred sweet life, the ability. The desire, the Dream.
Liberty, sighed and said, " My elbow is sore from holding the Torch," as she held the Dragon and wept.
The Dragon, wiped her tears and said, " Dear Liberty, though they need us not in the times of their own making and folly. They need us forever in the beauty of the Myths, Magic and Glory of it All."Yes, there we shall ever be." Liberty spread her wings and soared with a song of Freedom holding high the Torch for All to see the Light.

To me, the beauty of the myth, is as dear as the reality. There we are able to examine our heritage as our heritage is paramount to the future. We need and desire fiction that is more than entertainment. Thus, we were given the Word and the desire to share.
As ever be well, With love, Stephen Craig Rowe