Poetry & More

Once there was Darkness

Chapter 50 Part 1

Kol’s dream had been right. It took two years for this journey to happen. Two years of climbing rocks. Blood, sweat and silent tears. And more prayers than either Kessa and Frego had prayed in a life time.

As much as it killed their soul, they had to abandon the horses not half way into the trip. When the horses found their way back to Mecca, Max had to scrape Kol out of his prayer closet. The kingdom had to have its king.

Rajaf kept himself busy working on finding out all he could about the remains.

The threat of war did come. Just as God had shown Kol. Brum was at his gate. The talking was finished. The Shadow People would not wait any longer for Kessa and whatever lies she had to tell. Kol and his army was lined up at the walls of Mecca. Max by his side. Brum and his army had their backs to the open desert.

“Please God please,” Kol whispered as his horse fidgeted under him. Brum motioned for the trumpet call. The first battle cry. Archers pulled their bows as arrows were poised at the ready.

It was faint but Kol thought he heard singing. Brum looked at him in disbelieve. Someone shouted, “Meccian trick.” With each second, the singing got louder. A man’s head could be seen in the distance. Kol’s heart leapt, it was Frego. A wagon came into view being pulled by a man. Frego was walking beside this man.

Luke 15:20 Kol jumped from his horse, stripped off his armor and ran to Frego. When Frego realized what was happening, he ran to meet his father. Two members of the Bejhar that hadn’t gone on the journey, made sure the wagon puller kept on moving.

Frego and Kol were grinning from ear to ear. “I can’t believe you left the front line to come to me.” Frego was truly amazed.

“You are my son, why would I not?”

They stood there embracing as the wagon caught up with them. Frego took a moment to let Kol know Kessa was good.

There was singing. Lot’s of little voices singing. They walked arm in arm beside the wagon.

“He’s your son?” A small voice cut through the singing pulling Kol’s attention to the fact that there were children in the wagon.

“Frego,” he stammered. His son just smiled. After a moment Kol answered the little girl. “Yes, he is my son.”

A little boy asked, “why would you send your son to save a bunch of people you didn’t know?”

The man pulling the wagon shouted, “fool!”

“Pull!” Frego shouted.

A little boy and a little girl had their faces almost pushed through the bars of the wagon. “God told me to send my wife to find you. It was my idea to ask my son to go along as well.”

“Kessa has been telling us stories of your God.”

The wagon stopped with a jolt as the man pulling the wagon fell to his knees. The singing stopped.

“I know this man.” Brum slid off his horse. The archers lowered their bows.

One of the Bejhar opened the wagon and children came spilling out. All of them looked to be under the age of 12. Many of the Shadow warriors ran to their children.

Frego spoke to Brum, “good King Brum, Lady Kessa is down by the river with two of the children; a boy and a girl. They wanted to wait.”

Brum asked, “wait for what?”

“That I don’t know. The children spoke with her and she seemed very sympathetic to what they told her. Luke,” Frego pointed to the Bejhar that opened the wagon, “is to go get them.”

Kol motioned for Luke to join them, “When are you to go get Kessa and the other two children?”

“She didn’t give me a set time.”

The man that was pulling the wagon spoke. Still on his knees. Still bound to the wagon. “You fools.” He spat on the ground. “Those two bastards have no parents. They didn’t want to get hurt,” he pouted as he talked, “by all the love shown to the other children.”

“What happened to their parents?” Brum asked.

He licked his teeth with his tongue. “We had to eat something. And I’m not a very good hunter.” The laugh that escaped from him made Kol’s blood run cold. Was he telling the truth?

Quote for today: writing

“Write drunk. Edit sober.” Ernest Hemingway

Guineas, country watch dogs

Chico will bark at any and everything. My neighbors guineas are no exception. Most people are afraid of guineas because they are mean (very protective). Chico thinks he’s a mastiff so this guineas are no match for him. 😂

At the beginning of the video, he’s standing an his back paws. I think that is super cute. I’m not pulling in the leash either. At the end of the clip when he turns his head; I can imagine him saying, “that thing again.” 😂

The Snake and The Rabbit

Mr. Cooper P. Merryweather

A cold wind was whipping down Bakers Street in mid-November. Holmes was pacing across the floor like a man possessed; his hands behind his back, and his chin to his chest. I could only imagine smoke boiling from his ears like an old steamer ship. Not only was I struck by the rapid pace he was maintaining but by the fact that he was not wearing a jacket. Holmes’ appearance was always immaculate. A jacket was always required.

“We have a ten o’clock visitor this morning Watson.”

He never looked up nor broke his stride. I was almost sure he was unaware I had even entered the room had he not spoke. “Do you have a card?”

“Table,” his word was as heated as his steppes.

On the table was a white card that read Mr. Cooper P. Merryweather, President, City and Suburban Bank on the back written in pen was Tuesday, 15th, 10:00 am.

There was a knock at the door, Holmes froze in his tracks. “Take care of this. You know my methods.” He flew into his room leaving the door ajar.

I took a deep breath for courage and opened the door. There were two gentlemen. One I recognized from earlier and my opinion of him had not improved. I still saw a snake when I looked at him. He was accompanied by an older man. “Please come in and have a seat.” I took both their hats as they sat on the couch.

The younger man spoke, “is Mr. Sherlock Holmes not at home?”

“He was called out urgently and asked me to assist you. I am,”

The older man held up his hand, his voice was feeble, “you are Dr. Watson. I have read all about you two. I would much prefer to speak with Mr. Holmes. I mean you no disrespect doctor.”

I could not help myself and took a gamble. “How long have you been in England?”

The old man looked at me for a moment, “explain?”

“It is obvious to me that you could not reside here on a full time basis. Your accent gives you away; America then?”

“I did not come here to give you my history.”

“Then why are you here?” I asked as I took my place in what was usually Holmes’ arm chair.

He old man took a haggard breath, “we are here because over the past twenty-seven years I have had the best and the brightest men in the world in this country searching for my daughter. No one has found her. I am an old man full of my days and I am unsure how much longer my health will last. I would like to find my daughter before I die.”

Mr. Merryweather spoke, “I came here some months back to try to speak with Mr. Holmes’ not being well received. Inspector Hopkins assures me he is a man of great intelligence and skill. That is the only reason that I have returned especially after his rude behavior the last time.”

“I am to assume then that you are Mr. Cooper P. Merryweather?” I held up the business card.

“Yes, and this is my father-in-law Mr. James Parker.” The old man would not or could not muster a smile. His old sad eyes looked as if they might break.

I took out my notebook, “very well then. When did your wife disappear?”

“1876.”

I froze for a moment. Neither man noticed they were too involved in themselves to pay attention to me. As soon as I collected my wits I spoke, “What were the circumstances surrounding your wife’s disappearance?”

“My wife was having a hard time adjusting to the difficult Welsh countryside and was sick much of our short marriage, before she disappeared.”

He stopped talking. I waited a moment to see if he was just catching a breath or remembering a fact. Nothing, he said not another word. “That could not be all sir. There must be more to the story?”

“I purchased them an estate in Wales, Caernarfon. Made sure they were set up in a proper home one worthy of my daughter.”

“Tell me about her.”

“She was so full of life. God I dare not imagine her otherwise.”

“Though we had no children yet, I hired a governess. This seemed to cause her great distress and her strange illness started soon afterwards.” Added Mr. Merryweather.

“I cannot tell you how heartbreaking it is to see your beloved child in the state that she was suffering. I hired England’s best doctors to attend to her; even the physician ordinary to the Queen. No one could figure out the cause of her pain.”

It was obvious to me that Mr. Parker was truly concerned about the welfare of his daughter.

“She completely lost it when her beloved horse died.” Mr. Merryweather spoke. There was something about the way he said horse that caused my blood to run cold.

The Snake and The Rabbit

Highway-Woman

Describe your life in an alternate universe.

Highwayman

Lyrics

I was a highwayman
Along the coach roads I did ride
With sword and pistol by my side
Many a young maid lost her baubles to my trade
Many a soldier shed his lifeblood on my blade
The bastards hung me in the spring of ’25
But I am still alive

I was a sailor
I was born upon the tide
With the sea I did abide
I sailed a schooner ’round the Horn to Mexico
I went aloft to furl the mainsail in a blow
And when the yards broke off they said that I got killed
But I am living still

I was a dam builder
Across the river deep and wide
Where steel and water did collide
A place called Boulder on the wild Colorado
I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below
They buried me in that great tomb that knows no sound
But I am still around
I’ll always be around, and around and around
And around and around and around and around

I’ll fly a starship
Across the Universe divide
And when I reach the other side
I’ll find a place to rest my spirit if I can
Perhaps I may become a highwayman again
Or I may simply be a single drop of rain
But I will remain

And I’ll come back again, and again
And again and again and again and again
And again

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Jimmy L Webb

Highwayman lyrics © White Oak Songs, Seventh Son Music Inc., Nivek Yash Music

The Playground

Popeye’s

What’s the most money you’ve ever spent on a meal? Was it worth it?

About $50.00. Yes, it’s worth it.

In my poem Waste not. Want not. I speak of eating dinner almost every night with my bestie and her husband. When I go to the doctor, I always pick up dinner. We done have a Popeye’s in our town. That makes it that much better when we do get it.

Waste not. Want not: more, more, more.

If anyone from Popeye’s is reading this, bring back your dirty rice. C’mon now!

Once there was Darkness

Chapter 49

It had been a week since the disturbing dream. He was standing in THE doorway. It was no longer a sleeping chamber; it was an amazing bath. Kessa had taken this room that had been full of painful memories and transformed it into an exotic space; airy, clean, and inviting. Why hadn’t he paid attention to it before. The bath itself was near the window. Light poured in from the great open space. Plants filled the corners. A flowering vine outlined the window. How he loved her.

He wondered outside leaning against the railings of the balcony lost in how the dream had made him feel. Pain shouldn’t feel good. Desire for his wife was always part of his thoughts. Genesis 2:24 He wanted her when and where she would give herself freely to him. This was new and frightfuly so.

Kol jumped when Kessa touched his shoulder. “You need rest.” She gently encouraged, laying her head on his back.

He held her hands. “I can’t.”

“You are going to collapse if you don’t.”

“Kes please.” He pleaded.

“You are in a horrible mood and you’re taking it out on everyone else. What kind of wife would I be if I didn’t try to help?”

He turned to face her. There was no fight left. He allowed her to lead him to the big pile of cushions. She sat down guiding him to lay his head on her lap. With gentle fingers, she caressed his face. Traced the outline of his features, massaged his scalp.

Kessa was almost asleep when a faint clank brought her around. Max appeared from behind one of the great curtains. “Forgive me, when I saw the king was asleep, I tried to leave without a sound. I failed. My queen.” He whispered.

“Come sit,” she whispered pointing at the floor beside her. “What did you learn?”

“Teo is good. Sadly, we have reason to believe this person might be from the forest. Brum’s people come and go. He has no real concept of overall loss. But stories have been circulating through different clans about missing children.”

“That’s not good.”

Kol set up, “for my overall mental stability, you can’t go alone.” He took Kessa’s hand in his, playing with her fingers. With a deep breath, he continued. “God showed me in a dream that we and Brum come to the brink of war over this. You leave me for 2 years and find our new enemy. That’s why you are drawn to the balcony searching the wilderness. You can’t go alone. Promise me you will not go alone.” He lowered his head to her side, putting his arms around her waist, “Kes you can’t go alone.”

She caressed his back.

“I’ll go with you.” Max volunteered.

Kol leaned up with tears streaming down his face. “No, in my dream you were by my side on the battlefield.” He put his head in his hand. “We need to speak with Frego. He has military training and Rajaf has been teaching him well. There might be need for his knowledge.”

Kol was done. He had nothing left in him.

Max left.

Kessa hugged Kol up as he fell apart.

Frego was beside Kessa as they stood in front of the king. Kessa didn’t know if Frego could see it but Kol was trembling as he spoke, “you had both better return.”