Sky Poem

When feeling sad or feeling down

I gaze to the sky to turn it around.

With kids in the yard we flop to the ground

watching skyward as the cloud circus passes our town.

Storms roll in, sun shines down

depositing a beautiful rainbow without a sound.

Endless sky should make me feel small

instead it leaves me feeling part of it all.

Adelia

Story inspired by writing prompt at Stampington.com

Appologies ahead as I do not know how to link up to the exact web page as I am working on my iPad (my computer is in the shop).

Photography by Andrea C. Jenkins featured in Life Images 2008

"Well good morning Sunshine!"

"Hi Mommy"

"Where are you off to so bright and early?"

"I'm going to the bay. There's a ship waiting for me. It's going to take me to a far away land where the magic lives."

"Oh my! A magical land. Sounds perfect. I see you wore your favorite sweater."

"Sometimes it gets cold in Adelia."

"Adelia, huh? Did you remember your toothbrush?"

"You don't need toothbrushes in Adelia, Mommy! The toothfairy lives there and she has all her helpers clean the kids' teeth."

"Well isn't that convenient! So, if you're wearing your favorite sweater, and you don't need to pack your toothbrush, what's in the bag?"

"Books."

"Books?"

"Yup. Books. And my paint. And paper. And a paintbrush. That's all you need in Adelia. Books and paints."

"Hmmm... that doesn't sound like much. What will you eat? Where will you sleep? What will you wear if your sweater gets too hot?"

"That's easy. It's all in the books. Books are magical in Adelia. They come to life. You just read them and they come true."

"So if you get hungry, you can just read 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs'?"

"Yup"

"And if you get hot, you can read a book on winter to bring back the cold?"

"Or a book on princess clothes so I can wear a fancy gown!"

"Oh listen to you giggle! I think you're on to something good!"

"Yeah, Adelia is good. It's all good. I only brought good books too."

"So why the paints?"

"Just in case."

"In case of what?"

"In case I don't have the book I need... or if I miss you while I'm there."

"What happens if you don't have the right book, or if you miss me?

"If I get scared, I can paint a blanket to keep me safe. And if I miss you, I will paint you and then you will be there with me."

"So everything you read and everything you paint becomes real in Adelia?"

"Yup."

"Wow. That does sound like a magical place. I sure would like to visit a place like that some day."

"You wanna go with me?"

"I would love to go with you Honey, but Mommy has work to do around here."

"Silly Mommy! Time stands still in Adelia. You can come with me and when we get back, all your work will still be right here waiting for you!"

"In that case, I would love to go with you."

Taking her mother's hand, "Mommy? Why are you wiping your eyes?"

"Because my love for you is overflowing, my wise little princess. You opened my eyes so wide, the love leaked right out."

"I love you Mommy."

"I love you too Sweet Girl."

Childlike Wonder

     I purchased some clay marbles at a flea market last month. I couldn't help myself. It was wonderment at first sight. Years of play (they are from the Civil War era) has left them with such a beautiful patina. The earthen colors drew me in. 

     Holding them in my hands transported my imagination through time at the possibilities of ownership. Black and white images of children crowding around the ground, bent at the waist, some squatting to get a better view, watching, waiting for the shooter to act. Crack! The marbles slam into one another and the children stand and jump, arms in the air, hooting and hollaring. Their neighborhood marble champ has done it again!

     Perhaps they have seen harder times as well. A soldier filling his pockets with the cold, orbital love notes. A gift from his sweetheart as he heads off to war. She knew they were a favorite game of his and she wanted him to have something with him that would make him smile, a good luck trinket he could rub if he were scared or lonely. Perhaps pull out for a game or two if given a chance.

     A grandpa passing his beloved marbles down to his great-grandson proclaiming "I only had a few toys when I was your age. Money was scarce. We made do with our imaginations. But these." He looked longingly into the past, his smile growing youthful with the memory, "These were my treasure. Out of the few toys I had, my marbles were my favorite. I won quite a bit of money playing marbles! I was the town champ!"

     Clay pulled from the earth, formed, glazed, fired. Through the years filled with memory. Worn away from hands of play. Kept in pockets, bags, drawers. Traveling around from owner to owner. Where did they come from? What stories do they have to tell? If you tracked them back to the ground from which they came, what would the earth say? Would it sigh a story of their birth?

     There is something magical about old toys. Made with earthen elements. Wood, clay, metal. Holding amazing energy. All you have to do is hold them, close your eyes, and listen. They are little story tellers.