Carl quickened his pace as he headed for the airport.
“Good luck Carl!” Everyone cheered. “You got this!”
Optimism fueled him as his tiny bug feet clicked on the ground. He was not going to take no for an answer. He would be the first bug pilot in the world. His time had come.
6 1/2 weeks later he arrived at the airport. Another 4 days and he found his way to the terminal and finally inside an airplane. By the time he found his way to the cockpit the airplane was already above the clouds.
“Let me fly!” he shouted to the pilot.
“Who said that?”
“Down here! My whole life I’ve wanted to be a pilot. I know I can do it. Just give me a chance.”
The pilots jaw dropped. “A… a talking bug?”
“Yes! Let me fly!”
“I can’t let a bug fly. That’s absurd!”
“And so is a talking bug,” Carl said, “but here we are.”
The pilot surprised himself when he got out of the seat, saluted Carl, and said, with tears in his eyes, “She’s all yours… captain.”
312 souls were lost that day when the plane smashed into the side of the mountain. But Carl died with a smile on his little bug face. He did it. First bug pilot in the world.
Monday, August 14, 2023
Sunday, August 13, 2023
The Big Fish
There once was a big fish in a small pond. The fish was so big, and the pond so small, that he could only move about in a very small circle. He would spend his days eating bugs and looking up at the squirrels that lived and played on the great oak tree.
“If only I was a squirrel— how much fun I would have!” He looked down at his fins. “Useless things.”
“If I at least had a friend,” he said, tears now filling his eyes, “Then I might not be so miserable.”
As if in answer to his cries a squirrel hopped to edge of the water. “Why are you crying fish?” He asked.
“Isn’t it obvious? I can barely move and I have no friends. I can’t climb trees like you squirrels. It looks so fun!”
“Wow. That is sad!” And without another word the squirrel ran back to the tree to continue playing with the others.
This was too much for the fish. The crushing loneliness now crushed harder, and so he began crying. He cried like he’d never cried before. And then he cried harder. Tears poured like a fountain as the fish gave in to a dark despair.
The tears kept flowing and it didn’t take long for his many tears to raise the water level of that little pond. Higher and higher the water went until it began to spread beyond the pond and across the ground. The startled squirrels scurried up the tree to avoid being washed away by the mysterious, rising tide.
The fish soon realized what was happening and began swimming out of the pond. To where? He did not know. He could die on this swim and it would be worth it. The water ran like a current taking the fish finally into a fast moving river. The river ran even harder and the fish felt helpless as the water moved him along and into—
He had never dreamed of a body of water this big. Was this a lake? He swam up and down, whirling and twirling, laughing and splashing. Faster and faster he swam and soon he was joined by other fish that wanted to be part of the fun.
The fish was smiling now as he looked at his new friends and then at his magnificent fins. “I’d like to see a squirrel do this!” he thought.
“If only I was a squirrel— how much fun I would have!” He looked down at his fins. “Useless things.”
“If I at least had a friend,” he said, tears now filling his eyes, “Then I might not be so miserable.”
As if in answer to his cries a squirrel hopped to edge of the water. “Why are you crying fish?” He asked.
“Isn’t it obvious? I can barely move and I have no friends. I can’t climb trees like you squirrels. It looks so fun!”
“Wow. That is sad!” And without another word the squirrel ran back to the tree to continue playing with the others.
This was too much for the fish. The crushing loneliness now crushed harder, and so he began crying. He cried like he’d never cried before. And then he cried harder. Tears poured like a fountain as the fish gave in to a dark despair.
The tears kept flowing and it didn’t take long for his many tears to raise the water level of that little pond. Higher and higher the water went until it began to spread beyond the pond and across the ground. The startled squirrels scurried up the tree to avoid being washed away by the mysterious, rising tide.
The fish soon realized what was happening and began swimming out of the pond. To where? He did not know. He could die on this swim and it would be worth it. The water ran like a current taking the fish finally into a fast moving river. The river ran even harder and the fish felt helpless as the water moved him along and into—
He had never dreamed of a body of water this big. Was this a lake? He swam up and down, whirling and twirling, laughing and splashing. Faster and faster he swam and soon he was joined by other fish that wanted to be part of the fun.
The fish was smiling now as he looked at his new friends and then at his magnificent fins. “I’d like to see a squirrel do this!” he thought.
Saturday, July 1, 2023
EXILE
You hear about it your whole life: Cut off from everyone and everything. All of society. Food, shelter, entertainment, heated seats. You see it on the news, the cautionary tales, what happens when you take advantage. But you never think it could happen to you, or at least, I never thought it would happen to me. But there I was at my sentencing and the words echoed in my mind. ‘We sentence you to exile.’ It was so final. No appeals process, no exit orientation, no pat on the back, bag lunch or even a ‘good luck with that’. So my good fortune ran out. But you won’t hear any complaints from me; I’d been pushing it for too long. Let me be perfectly honest with you: I deserved it. Ok, so I might be the first guy to be exiled for swiping a candy bar, but it was about much more than that. They say I’ve shown ‘a pattern of disrespect’ and that I ‘take advantage of a polite society’. They’re one hundred percent correct. One hundred percent.
I’ve never done anything particularly heinous, but if a million mosquito bites can drain the blood from a man, then I’ve done more than enough to bring this fate upon myself. You know it’s funny, but I finally have a little respect for these people. My people. I thought they were too weak and lacking in sense to take any real action. A candy bar here, a wallet there, cutting in line, punching more than a few who deserved it (even if they didn’t break any written laws). I found the line drawn in the sand and danced before it, making sure never to cross it—and I never did. But they saw through it, and dammit, they did the right thing. I thought another lashing was coming my way, some more pain and scars reminding me to play nice. That, I was all too used to by now. And they knew it.
If I lived long ago I would have been locked in a cage— like an animal— with other ‘rule breakers’, only to be released and recaptured, over and over again. How utterly barbaric. No public lashings, no exile, and a society filled with disgusting, selfish, rude people. A society filled with people like me— and worse. It was right then that I found. a deep appreciation for everything I was leaving. That peaceful society wasn’t so bad. Kind and generous people, prosperity, good food, good fun, and plenty of opportunity. I guess you never know what you have until it’s gone. But deep down, something always bothered me. The niceness. The sweetness. Somehow, it all felt so fake. Maybe I’ve always secretly wanted to live with the wild people on the outside, struggling every day. But that was just daydreaming. I was about to find out what it was really all about. They say you’re lucky if you survive the first week. Your whole life you hear stories of the exiles: wearing animal skins, killing their food, their enemies and the weak. Nothing but lying, cheating and stealing, without comfort or fun.
And so, without ceremony, they shoved me into a shuttle that would take me to the edge—to the great wall that circled Goldhaven, dividing paradise from the outlands. This shuttle, I realized, was the last taste of luxury I would enjoy. The seats were soft, reclined, and temperature controlled. The things we take for granted, and I was about to lose all of them. It was a three hour trip, so I made the most of my time by leaning back, closing my eyes, and drifting off.
I awoke when the shuttle screeched to a halt. The door slid open. This is it, I thought. I’m going to walk out there and the snipers on the wall will put a hole in me if I don’t run. I’ll probably run away into the woods only to be killed (or worse) by some savage, waiting to swoop in on some fresh meat. It wasn’t officially a death sentence, but it might as well have been. I took a step toward the exit and my legs were shaking. What I felt was, surprisingly, not fear. Not at all. I felt alive. I felt really alive. For the first time in my life I felt like I wasn’t lying in a soft recliner with a methadone drip, watching someone else’s life on a tv. I wasn’t watching some fictional character in danger, I was in danger. Me! I could feel my hairs standing on end, my vision coming to a sharp focus. As I stepped into the evening air, something stirred inside of me.
The sun was drifting down into the horizon, just enough light to see the snipers guns fixed. They didn’t say anything, and they didn’t need to. I knew how it worked. Deep breath. 1, 2 — I was off! I ran like I’d never run before. I ran free! ‘CRACK’ went a gun from the wall, blasting the ground two feet in front of me, kicking a cloud of dust up and into my eyes. Are they trying to hit me or just sending a message? I wondered. Better not find out. I ran like a deer from a wolf, possessed by the crazed spirit of survival. Was that another gunshot? It didn’t matter. Even if I was hit I’d have felt nothing but the madness driving me forward. When I finally reached the cover of the trees my lungs burned with every breath—but I didn’t stop. Maybe a part of me just wanted to get it over with and face whatever was out there, whatever terrible thing I was going to run into first. A snapping branch stopped me in my tracks. I looked back and saw only forest. Another SNAP. This time I saw something move. Someone, or something, was following me.
I’ve never done anything particularly heinous, but if a million mosquito bites can drain the blood from a man, then I’ve done more than enough to bring this fate upon myself. You know it’s funny, but I finally have a little respect for these people. My people. I thought they were too weak and lacking in sense to take any real action. A candy bar here, a wallet there, cutting in line, punching more than a few who deserved it (even if they didn’t break any written laws). I found the line drawn in the sand and danced before it, making sure never to cross it—and I never did. But they saw through it, and dammit, they did the right thing. I thought another lashing was coming my way, some more pain and scars reminding me to play nice. That, I was all too used to by now. And they knew it.
If I lived long ago I would have been locked in a cage— like an animal— with other ‘rule breakers’, only to be released and recaptured, over and over again. How utterly barbaric. No public lashings, no exile, and a society filled with disgusting, selfish, rude people. A society filled with people like me— and worse. It was right then that I found. a deep appreciation for everything I was leaving. That peaceful society wasn’t so bad. Kind and generous people, prosperity, good food, good fun, and plenty of opportunity. I guess you never know what you have until it’s gone. But deep down, something always bothered me. The niceness. The sweetness. Somehow, it all felt so fake. Maybe I’ve always secretly wanted to live with the wild people on the outside, struggling every day. But that was just daydreaming. I was about to find out what it was really all about. They say you’re lucky if you survive the first week. Your whole life you hear stories of the exiles: wearing animal skins, killing their food, their enemies and the weak. Nothing but lying, cheating and stealing, without comfort or fun.
And so, without ceremony, they shoved me into a shuttle that would take me to the edge—to the great wall that circled Goldhaven, dividing paradise from the outlands. This shuttle, I realized, was the last taste of luxury I would enjoy. The seats were soft, reclined, and temperature controlled. The things we take for granted, and I was about to lose all of them. It was a three hour trip, so I made the most of my time by leaning back, closing my eyes, and drifting off.
I awoke when the shuttle screeched to a halt. The door slid open. This is it, I thought. I’m going to walk out there and the snipers on the wall will put a hole in me if I don’t run. I’ll probably run away into the woods only to be killed (or worse) by some savage, waiting to swoop in on some fresh meat. It wasn’t officially a death sentence, but it might as well have been. I took a step toward the exit and my legs were shaking. What I felt was, surprisingly, not fear. Not at all. I felt alive. I felt really alive. For the first time in my life I felt like I wasn’t lying in a soft recliner with a methadone drip, watching someone else’s life on a tv. I wasn’t watching some fictional character in danger, I was in danger. Me! I could feel my hairs standing on end, my vision coming to a sharp focus. As I stepped into the evening air, something stirred inside of me.
The sun was drifting down into the horizon, just enough light to see the snipers guns fixed. They didn’t say anything, and they didn’t need to. I knew how it worked. Deep breath. 1, 2 — I was off! I ran like I’d never run before. I ran free! ‘CRACK’ went a gun from the wall, blasting the ground two feet in front of me, kicking a cloud of dust up and into my eyes. Are they trying to hit me or just sending a message? I wondered. Better not find out. I ran like a deer from a wolf, possessed by the crazed spirit of survival. Was that another gunshot? It didn’t matter. Even if I was hit I’d have felt nothing but the madness driving me forward. When I finally reached the cover of the trees my lungs burned with every breath—but I didn’t stop. Maybe a part of me just wanted to get it over with and face whatever was out there, whatever terrible thing I was going to run into first. A snapping branch stopped me in my tracks. I looked back and saw only forest. Another SNAP. This time I saw something move. Someone, or something, was following me.
Friday, June 30, 2023
An Unexpected Journey
Before you know it you may find yourself under an enchantment that calls you back at any hour, until your quest is completed or you feel hollow at having failed.
Thursday, June 29, 2023
Silent Veil
Through each of us there runs a silent veil
A window which no mortal eyes see through
Behind which lies our inner faerie tale
Our endless worlds there hid from common view
And oft we do feel hidden in our caves
Beneath the lonely mountains of our soul
A magic realm, yet lonely as a grave
A half of what should surely be a whole
And when you find one faithful, kind, and true
Your inner worlds shall meet and grow anew
A window which no mortal eyes see through
Behind which lies our inner faerie tale
Our endless worlds there hid from common view
And oft we do feel hidden in our caves
Beneath the lonely mountains of our soul
A magic realm, yet lonely as a grave
A half of what should surely be a whole
Until a burning fire doth transcend
That barrier that only love can cross
For those who only seek for their own ends
Will never know the beauty they have lost
That barrier that only love can cross
For those who only seek for their own ends
Will never know the beauty they have lost
Your inner worlds shall meet and grow anew
Saturday, May 27, 2023
Owl Eyes
A switch is flipped, the light goes out at once
My eyes so quickly drowned in liquid black
My legs they twitch, my feet all set to run
My eyes so quickly drowned in liquid black
My legs they twitch, my feet all set to run
To anywhere! No thought of coming back
For what am I to do without my sight?
So helpless I’ve become. Could I dare stay?
And wait for boars and bears to charge and bite?
And tear my limbs apart, to drag away?
Have I been forced into this helpless stance?
For what am I to do without my sight?
So helpless I’ve become. Could I dare stay?
And wait for boars and bears to charge and bite?
And tear my limbs apart, to drag away?
Have I been forced into this helpless stance?
Or has despair crept in and hid through fear—
A truth so clear if only I would glance—
That while I wailed the world had reappeared!
The Lord has answered all my tearful cries
He blessed me with these glowing Owl Eyes
He blessed me with these glowing Owl Eyes
Friday, May 26, 2023
Heavenly Father
Heavenly Father
Holy is thy name
Thy will shall be done
And thy kingdom shall come
To Earth as it is now in Heaven
Give us today the bread we need
For the nourishment of body and soul
Forgive us Father, for our sins against you
As we forgive those who have sinned against us
And shine your heavenly light down upon us
That we may find our way back home
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