Jamieson Wolf's Blog, page 75

Strings – A Poem

There was a

red thread that

ran from my

finger and into

the air. I

often tried to

see where it

was going or

who it was

connected to, but

it was as

if the end

was made from

air, invisible to

the human eye.

It wouldn’t come

off of my

finger either, but

remained stubbornly stuck

there, as if

reminding me of

something I had

forgotten. I wondered

for a while

at the purpose

of the red

thread, what it

could mean. I

started to notice

that the other

end of the

string would become

visible when I

was with someone

close to me.

I knew they

couldn’t see it,

but I could,

just when they

were around me.

I started to

see other threads

in other colours

connecting everyone to

someone. The strings

were pink, purple,

blue, orange, yellow.

strings of every

colour, like a

prism hit by

light. If I

looked at the

string on my

finger in a

different light, I

realised it wasn’t

just one string,

but hundreds, all

trailing from my

finger. I soon

realized how many

strings I was

tied to, how

many people I

was connected with.

I had red

strings going in

every direction, some

of them not

attached to anyone

I had met

yet. I wondered

who these strings

belonged to, who

they were. Then

I saw one

string that was

a different colour.

I hesitated only

a moment before

pulling on it.

It held strong.

It was a

deep and gorgeous

green colour. I

plucked at it

and heard the

string hum as

it vibrated. I

marveled at the

music it made.

Then I heard

another hum, felt

vibrations in my

chest where my

heart was. I

realised then that

these were heart

strings. I began

to follow that

particular heart string

to see who

it was connected

to.

 

No Longer Broken – A Poem

I went back.

Back to the

cliff, back to

where my life

had changed. I

wondered, vaguely, where

the wind had taken

the Broken Man,

that part of me

that he had

seen me as.

The most difficult

for me was

that, for a

time, I had

believe him. I

had seen myself

the same way,

until I had

set the Broken Man

free upon the

air, carried away

by the wind

to fly over

the Earth, destination

unknown. I did

wonder what had

become of him

though and was

determined to find

out. He had

been so loud

in my head

for such a

long time. I

wanted to see

what had become

of him. So

I climbed to

the top of

the cliff and

looked down into

the valley below.

I could see

water shining towards

the left of

me, feel the

air on my

face. The earth

was a rust

coloured soil that

crunched with rock

under my feet.

The sun shone

down like fire

on everything. I

looked down and

saw white stones

peppering the grass,

making a path

that led down

into the valley.

I started to

work my way

down and I

looked at each

of the stones

closely. I saw that

they were actually

the cards that

I had let

fly into the

wind that day.

The Lost Soul

was there, his

scream preserved forever

in stone. The

Forgotten One had

his back turned

to the viewer,

a crowd of

people stood around

him, small specks

of shadows. As

I made my way

further down the

mountain, some of

them spoke to

me. The Lady

of Sorrows cried

out to me:

“Stay with us! You’ll be happy here in your sorrow. Remember what was! Pain and sorrow are easier than joy!”

I moved on.

The Lord of

Treachery was

there, whispering

lies to me,

his voice like

a thick oil.

“I will give you everything. All I ask is everything in return. Of course, I might not give you everything you want, not really.”

I was on

flat ground now

and the line

of stones formed

a path that

led further along.

Each card was

a stepping stone

that I had

left behind when

I let go

of the pain,

of the hurt,

of the longing.

When I had

let those Tarot

cards from the

unknown deck fly

out of my hands,

I had instead

embraced love

embraced kindness

embraced my own

intuition. The unknown

cards all cried

out for attention.

I had already

walked this path

and chose not

to walk along

it again. I

did not step

on the stone

made from cards,

but instead regarded

everything I had

been and thought

of everything I

had become. Some

of the other

cards called out

to me. The

Knight of Knives

and Blood let

out a loud

call of joy.

“You’ll never be free of us. Here, take my knife, harm yourself, let others harm you. It’s what you know.”

“Never.”

I said softly.

“Never again.”

I walked quickly

to the very

last stone in

the path, knowing

which card I

would see. There

he was, sitting

on his stone.

The Broken Man.

I regarded him

with narrowed eyes.

“You look remarkably like me.”

I said. He

turned and looked

at me, smiling.

“I am you. I have always been you.”

I shook my

head with vigor.

“No, you’re not. You weren’t me then and you’re not me now. Even at my worst, I was stronger than you.”

He stood and

came towards me.

“Really? Then why am I the only card not turned to stone? Why did you return to the valley?”

I hadn’t known

why, not really,

but the words

came out quickly,

as if they

had been ready,

as if they

had been waiting.

“I came for balance. I came for perspective.”

“A poor place for balance, don’t you think?”

I shook my

head again. He

regarded me with

narrowed eyes, dark

with intense hunger.

“Not really. It shows me what I’ve done, what I’ve left behind and everything that I’ve accomplished.”

He laughed than,

and it was a

sound that chilled

me. His glass

legs shone as

if they were

made of diamonds

as he came

closer to me.

“You’re so weak. You know you are. All it will take is one false step and you’ll be back here among us.”

“No, I won’t.”

“And why is that, prey tell?”

I regarded him

and knew that

my inner light

was shining forth.

He backed away

from me then.

“Because: you have no power over me. And I’m no longer broken.”

At those words,

the legs of

The Broken Man

shattered into thousands

of pieces. His

upper body fell

to the stone

and I watched

as he began

to sink into

it, his sneer

now a grimace

of fear. I

knew how he

had felt, but

I was no

longer afraid. I

hadn’t been for

some time. I

watched closely as

The Broken Man

froze completely, his

stare no longer

frightening, just sad.

The sun became

brighter around

me and I

watched as all

stones from the

unknown Tarot deck

were wiped clean.

I looked ahead

of me and

saw other stones

were there now.

I stepped on one

and watched as

a Tarot card

appeared. I looked

down to see

what the cards

had to say.

Street Rat Magic – A Poem

She is sitting

on the street

corner. I’m a

little surprised to

see her back.

“Irene?”

I say softly.

“What are you doing here? I thought you’d left the streets.”

She looks up

at me, her eyes

wide and her

face tired and

pale. She gives

me a half

smile and shrugs.

“Times are tough, you know? Times are tough.”

I want to

bend down and

give her a

hug, some sort

of comfort that

would make the

pain she carries

on her face,

in her soul,

slip away, but

I can’t. Instead

I can only

give her some

form of kindness.

I take a

dollar out of

my pocket and

drop it in

her hat. She

smiles at me.

“Thanks. You were always good to me.”

“It’s nothing.”

I tell her.

“No, when you were a street rat, you always looked out for me. Always took care of others. I could never do that.”

I smile, warmed

by her words.

As I walk

away, I reflect

at how fortunate

I am. I was

able to get

off the streets,

out of the

shelters, away from

the food banks.

Through the kindness

of others, I

found my way

back home. I

was lucky. However,

I know that

others aren’t so

lucky, even ones

I used to

know like family.

She may not

have been family

of the blood,

but was instead

family of the

heart. She’s a

street rat to

some but to

me, she will

always be a

sister. I didn’t

look at what

I gave her

as just money.

In some way,

I hoped what

I was giving

her was a

bit of magic

so that she

could find her

own happily ever

after.

Love, Outside of Books – A Poem

One night, while

I was reading,

my book began

to glow. The

pages gave off

a soft white

light. I set

the book down

and looked at

it in wonder.

A tune that

I couldn’t place

played from inside

the pages. I

watched as the

words along the

page began to

reform themselves into

other words. I

watched them as

they spelled out

a message to

me. I leaned

closer to them,

but they were

a swirl of

letters I couldn’t

read. The music

grew louder and

the light grew

brighter. I wasn’t

afraid, but only

curious. An outline

of a hand

appeared on the

page and I

placed my hand

on it without

hesitation. The music,

so haunting and

beautiful, grew louder,

the light brighter

still until I

had to close

my eyes. When

I opened them

again, I was

inside my book,

the trees of

the Enchanted Forest

surrounding me, tall

enough to touch

the sky. In

front of me

stood the object

of my affection,

the hero of

the story. He

was even more

dashing in person.

His blond hair

flowed in the

wind and the

music that had

been coming from

the book was

louder here. He

smiled at me.

“You don’t belong here.”

He said. His

voice was gentle

though they uttered

a reprimand. I

nodded in agreement.

“I know I don’t.”

“Then why do you look for your heart’s desire inside of a book?”

“Because it doesn’t exist. He doesn’t exist.”

He shook his

head. still smiling.

“You just haven’t found the right man yet. Give it time, your story still has much to be told.”

“True love doesn’t exist in my world. It’s only in books and fairy tales that you find true love. It’s why I spend so much time writing and reading.”

He leaned forward

and ran a

thumb along my

chin. His eyes

looked deep and

serious and full

of deep warmth.

“You have to love yourself. Only then will someone capable of true love be able to find you.”

My skin was

warm from where

he had touched

my face. I

tried to take

in the entirety

of him, but

the light was

growing bright again.

“How will he find me?

“You shine bright like a beacon. He will find you.”

“Promise?”

“As you wish.”

He said. The

light grew so

bright, I had

to close my

eyes again. When

I opened them

once more, I

was back in

my own room.

“As you wish.”

I repeated. I

didn’t have much

luck with wishes

come true, but

I knew this

one would. I

just had no

idea when. So

I waited and

hoped and prayed.

I got on

with my life.

I fell into

what I thought

was love when

it was something

altogether different. I

fell out of

love with myself,

believing that my

wish made all

those many years

ago would never

come true. Then

one day, I

saw a light

in the distance.

It shone brighter

than the sun,

and I was

reminded of the

light that filled

the Enchanted Forest

so long ago.

Though I tried

to get closer

to it, I

could not. I

knew that it

would come to

me in time,

or that I

would find it,

stumble upon it.

While I waited,

I focused on

myself, believing that

I would never

find the other

half of my

light, that part

of me would

remain dimmed forever.

When I had

given up hope

and had resolved

myself to being

alone for the

rest of my

life, you entered

it. I remember

the first time

I saw you,

the instant spark

that happened between

us. It created

a light that

shone so brightly

that I almost

looked away, but

I didn’t. I

could only look

at you, the

shape of your

your face, the

depth of your

eyes. All I

saw was kindness

and beauty and

then my light

responded to yours.

Both our beacons

intermingled until the

light became brighter,

until my body

was filled with

our glorious light.

I heard that

music of long

ago, that tune

I had heard

inside the book.

Now I realized

that it came

from me and

it was my

heart responding to

the possibility of

you. As we’ve

grown to know

each other, our

love and our

light has continued

to grow. You’ve

proved that love

doesn’t exist only

inside of books

and that with

love, anything is

possible. You’ve proved

that wishes do

come true. I

can only give

you my heart

and watch as

our light grows

ever brighter.

“As you wish…”

 

Mall of the Dolls: Free from October 27th – 31st 2014

I’ve always loved Halloween.

The mythology, legend and lore behind it. The fact that anything that is considered out of this world becomes acceptable, just for one day.

I also have a sweet tooth and love trick or treating, though I haven’t been out in many years. I just buy my own treats now, though it doesn’t have the same thrill.

I wanted to give you all a Halloween treat this year and I think there’s no better treat than a good book. So, starting tomorrow and running until October 31st, you’ll be able to download my little novella, Mall of the Dolls, for free!

Here’s a little bit about the novella:

 

Out shopping at the local mall one weekend afternoon, Owen and Val begin to see doll like girls wandering around the mall in the crowds. They are all wear the same curly wig, they all wear makeup and rhinestone ear rings.

Val and Owen begin to grow alarmed as they realize how many of the dolls are in the shopping centre with them. When they become trapped inside of a crowd of doll children, neither of them have any idea what will happen next.

When the doll children start dying, and a host of other people become trapped inside and outside the mall by forces they cannot begin to understand, the answer is clear:

The end of the world has finally come.

And the dolls want to play…

 

The novella started with a bit of inspiration. My friend Val and I were out at a mall and saw a crowd of girls all dressed the same with long curly wigs, big ear rings, lots of makeup and shiny dresses.

I asked one of the mothers what was going on. “It’s an Irish Dancing competition.” She said, as if that explained everything.

I turned to Val and said: “Is it just me, or are you creeped out by all these girls taking over the mall?”

“Creeped out. They all look like Tammy Faye Baker. Or like little dolls.”

That was all the inspiration I needed. I went home and wrote what I thought would be a short story. Then it kept going, as I wondered who else would be caught in the mall.

I’m really happy with how it turned out and it ended up being the first thing I published under my Wolf Flow Press imprint. Added to that, it’s the perfect tale for Halloween.

Fantasy Author Sandy Lender had this to say about Mall of the Dolls:

In Jamieson Wolf’s “Mall of the Dolls,” I found myself thinking of Steven King’s “Langoliers” more than once. The creepy, eerie, something’s-about-to-get-you-and-you’ll-never-see-it-coming sense of foreboding kept me scrolling through the pages as Wolf told the story through different sets of characters. I don’t want to give too much away, because it’s a novella and a quick, suspenseful read, but the use of children to heighten the drama is well done. Very well done. (Another reminder of Steven King.)

There’s some coarse language throughout, as you should expect when zombie children are posing a threat to groups of unsuspecting people, but it’s a well-told tale with excellent scenes and great setting. Wolf knows how to build a scene without over-describing it, pulling the reader right into the action (and making you think you’re about to get attacked by one of the shadow men as well…).

Read with ALL the lights on.

So from October 27th to the 31st, you can download Mall of the Dolls for FREE! It’s available for download to your Kindle, iPad, iPod Touch, PC or Android Device.

You can get your copy here:

http://www.amazon.com/Mall-Dolls-Jamieson-Wolf-ebook/dp/B005YNPMK6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414249903&sr=8-1&keywords=Mall+of+the+Dolls+Jamieson+Wolf

If you read it, why not consider reviewing it? I truly hope you enjoy it and that it brings a little bit of fright to your Halloween!

A Foot Thing – A Poem

He saw me

coming up the

front steps of

my apartment building.

“Hey.”

He said. I

nodded at him.

“Hello.”

He got up

off the front

stoop and held

the door open

for me. I

am always one

to do that

for others, but

it still surprises

me when others

do it for

me in return.

“Thank you very much.”

I said. He

smiled and motioned

at my feet.

“It’s no problem. You seem to have a foot thing going on there.”

“A foot thing?”

I tilted my

head to the

right, not sure

I had heard

him correctly. He

had the good

grace to look

slightly uncomfortable, embarrassed.

“You walk funny. You had trouble coming up the stairs.”

“Oh.”

I said quietly.

I spend a

great deal of

time trying not

to think about

my constant companions,

disease and disability.

They are not

who I am,

what makes me,

me. They are

only a part

of who I

am and what

I can do.

“Not that it’s any of my business, but why do you walk that way?”

I thought about

not answering him,

but he seemed

genuinely curious so

I answered him.

“I have Cerebral Palsy and Multiple Sclerosis.”

Then I waited

for what people

usually said, the

pitying looks, words

uttered in soft

voices. Instead, he

surprised me completely.

“Oh! Well you’re doing very well then. I would never have known.”

“Thank you.”                                      

I blushed slightly.

“I just take it one day at a time.”

“Well, whatever you’re doing, it’s working. Keep it up.”

I was warmed

by his compliment.

“Thanks,”

I said, smiling.

“I will.”

I felt lighter

as I went

inside and wondered

about the difference

between how you

perceive yourself and

how others see

you.

On a Crowes Wing – A Short Story

It was the crows he noticed first.

He’d been on the road for a few hours and was getting tired. He only had another hour to drive before he reached the hotel but he had to stop and stretch his legs. When he saw the sign for the rest stop, he pulled over to the exit and headed towards it.

On the roadway, leading up to the rest stop, he saw the dead carcasses of crows leading the way to the rest stop like a trail of bread crumbs. He was slightly put off by them, their feathers still glistening in the half light of the coming dusk.

As he approached the rest stop, he noticed something else: surrounding the building was a circle of crows, just as stationary as the ones that reminded him of bread crumbs. He drove on and seeing a break in the circle of crows drove into the rest stop parking lot.

At that moment, the sky was filled with blackness as the crows he’d assumed were dead took flight into the air. All of them were cawing and he covered his ears to block out the sound. They seemed to be almost shrieking; with joy or with fear he didn’t know.

When the black cloud of birds had flown away into the sky, he opened the car door and got out. Looking back at the road he had driven here on, he saw that the road, too, was empty of the carrion birds. Steven shivered.

He wasn’t an overly superstitious person, but crows that were dead returning to life just as he crossed the barrier of the circle seemed too much of a coincidence. “Fucked up.” He said. He considered driving away right then and there, but the need to take a piss was too strong to ignore.

Getting out of his car, Steven closed the door and took one last look at where the crows had been. He wondered what it all meant. He knew that crows were the only birds that could go to the world of the afterlife, at least in mythology. He shook his head and walked to front door of the rest stop.

It looked pretty run down. There was a broken pane of glass in the door and the windows on either side of it were covered with wood. There were vines covering part of the door and it didn’t look like anyone had been here in ages. There were sounds coming from inside, however, so he wasn’t worried. Opening the door, he stepped inside.

Walking down a short hallway towards the sound of people, Steven entered a wide area that was filled with people and, for some strange reason, a player piano. It stood in the centre of the rest stop playing what sounded like Elton John music.

There was a small coffee shop that looked as if it was doing brisk business. A crowd of people were shuffling around in line, waiting for their drinks and the chairs and tables were filled with people, none of them looking particularly enthused to be there.

The call of nature forgotten, Steven went up to the counter and waited to be served. A few of the people in front of him turned to regard Steven with curious glances. One woman actually smiled at him. She stepped out of line and motioned him forward.

“Oh, you go first dear.” She said.

“But it’s not my turn in line. I can wait.”

“No dear, I insist! We’ve all been in line for what seems like forever and we can’t make up our minds. You go first, please do.”

“Thank you.”

Steven went in front of the woman and two other patrons. They all looked pale and tired, as if their skin were made from aged paper, with no colour in their cheeks. He turned to the clerk and she gave him what could only be a shocked stare.

“You’re not dead.” She whispered.

“I don’t think so. One large black to go please.”

She stared at him the entire time she was pouring the coffee as if she had never seen a man before. There were several around, including an older man who looked to be about a hundred and covered in dust.

The server brought his coffee to him. “Please take me with you.” She said.

Steven was taken aback. “Look, I don’t even know you.”

“Please, I’ve been here for so very long. I just want to be free of this place.”

“Can’t help you, sorry.”

He took his coffee and went to sit down but turned to look back at her when he heard her crying. He took another step back and found himself bumping into the piano bench. The piano stopped playing for only an instant and a voice said “Careful there, sir.”

Steven turned around to look for the man who had spoken but didn’t see anyone. “Sorry?” Steven said.

“It’s all right, happens.” The voice said.

This place was getting weirder and more bizarre by the moment. The server girls wails were getting louder and Steven wanted nothing more than to be gone from the place. He was about to leave, to run out of the rest stop, when he felt a hand at his elbow. The woman who’d given him her place in line was standing there.

“You look like you’re a little confused. You have no idea where you are, do you?”

Steven shook his head. “Just a rest stop, that’s all this place is, right?”

The woman smiled and Steven saw her face wrinkle as if it was unused to such a movement. “My dear boy, you don’t even know what you’ve walked into, do you? What’s your last name?”

“Why?”

“Names have power dear boy and yours must be powerful if you were able to enter here and still remain alive. Gerry, do you mind playing something other than Elton John? He gets on my nerves.”

“Sorry Betty.” Said the man’s voice. There was a pause and the music changed to something classical that was haunting and lilting. “This better?”

“Much, thanks Gerry.”

Steven moved away from the piano and sat down at one of the tables with a soft thump. Dust clouds rose up around him and he watched as the woman named Betty came towards him. “What is this place?”

“Tell me what your last name is first.”

“Crowe. My last name is Crowe.”

Betty gave him a shrewd look. “I thought it might be. Only the crows come here. They are the only ones who can leave but they can’t take any of us with them.”

“Where’s here? This isn’t like any rest stop I’ve ever been to.”

“That’s because it’s not. This is…” She was lost in thought for a moment. “A purgatory of sorts.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s simple really. Anyone that dies on the road ends up here, their bodies decaying where their spirits left them. When their body decays completely, the spirit ceases to be. We can still last a long time here though as it takes forever for ones bones to disappear completely. It takes forever for the body to return to the earth.”

Shaking his head again, Steven tried to find words for what he was feeling. Finally he spoke: “Isn’t purgatory where you go when whoever runs the afterlife decides where to put you?”

“Yes. But we’re the forgotten ones here, dear boy. We can’t leave without an escort and the crows, having no hand to hold on to us, can’t take us. “

“You need my help then. “

“It would seem so. You can come and go as you please. We would be in your debt, it would seem.”

“What do I have to do?”

“You would have to take us past the ring of crows that surround this place. Only then can our spirits move on to their final resting place. There is one proviso though. You can only take one of us at a time and only one spirit every thirty days.”

“Why? Can’t I just keep coming back and retrieving more of you?”

Betty shook her head. “No, that would upset the order of things. It’s just the way of things.”

“It seems unfair, letting you all remain here when I can only free one at a time.”

“Who said that anything in life, or death for that matter, was fair? There are rules to everything dear boy. There was one, I believe her name was Abigail Crowe. She tried to take two spirits at once, one in each hand. They all disappeared.”

“What happened to them?”

Betty shook her head. “No one knows. We just know that there was an explosion of light and none of them ever came back.” She gave him another shrewd look. “I must say, you’re taking this rather well, Steven Crowe.”

“My grandmother was a seer. Told me about spirits all the time, how we had to respect them, honour them.”

“You’re still doing very well. Most men would be whimpering like girls before now.”

“I’m made of strong stuff. I’ve seen some weird shit in my time.”

Betty let out a laugh that was like a frogs croak. “Oh, dear boy, I don’t doubt that. Why would you be here otherwise?”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, only the lost find us. Only those that are lost see this place.”

“I’m not lost, I know exactly where I’m going.”

“But was there a time when you were lost? When you didn’t know your direction?”

Steven nodded, not saying anything.

Betty nodded in return. “I thought so. It’s what makes you so sensitive, able to see like your grandmother. Are you ready to help one of us move on?”

“Yeah.” He stood. “Let’s go.”

“Oh, not me, dear boy.” She stood and smoothed down her dress. “Take Abigail. She misses her son. He died in the car with her you know, but he never came here. This place can’t claim children. She misses him terribly.”

“What about you?”

“Oh, I’ll be around yet for a while. You can come back for me next month, Mr. Crowe. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot of you. It’s not often we find a Crow, or one finds us.”

“I was just driving through.” Steven said.

“Oh, no one finds this place by accident, dear boy. You were meant to come here.” She turned and called out. “Abigail! Say your goodbyes, dear!” She turned back to Steven with a smile on her face. “Thank you for doing this. She’ll be so happy.”

“No thanks needed.”

“Oh, but there is. You always thank that which comes, no matter what it is, whether good or bad. You must always be thankful.”

Abigail had come out from behind the coffee counter looking happier than Steven had seen her previously. She looked positively radiant. “You’re taking me with you? Really?”

“Yes.” Steven said. “I guess so.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much. I miss my son, you see.”

“Now, Abigail, no tears.” Betty said. “This is a happy moment. So be happy.”

“Oh I am, I am! I get to see my son. It’s been so long!”

“How long has it been?” Steven asked. “How long have you been here?”

Abigail thought for a moment. “You know, I’ve forgotten.”

“Time moves differently here.” Betty said. “It always has an always will. But enough chatter! You have to get home and you have a spirit to free to her afterlife. We can chat more next month, Mr. Crowe.”

Steven looked at Abigail. “What do I have to do?”

“Just hold her hand as you exit this place. That ‘s all. Then return next month for the next soul waiting for release.”

Abigail almost danced on the spot, so anxious was she to leave. Steven followed her a bit, but turned around to look at Betty. “I’ll be seeing you soon.” He said.

“I know you will dear boy. I know you will.”

Abigail grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the exit. Steven had no choice but to follow. When they got there, Abigail stood looking at the door. “Go on, open it.” She said.

“Can’t you?”

“No, I’m too afraid.”

Steven nodded and, still holding her hand, opened the door. They stepped outside and walked towards the circle of crows. He felt a connection with them somehow and wondered when they had returned to form the circle around the rest stop.

“It worked!” Abigail said, almost screaming with joy. “I can’t believe it worked!”

“Did you not think it would?”

“No. After dreaming of this moment for so long, I never thought it would be possible. I’d always dreamed of this moment though. Always.”

Steven watched as she began to fade, as if her skin and hair were disappearing, cell by cell. Soon, there was only the outline of her, a wispy form where Abigail had been.

The mist turned to Steven then and her grasp, though made of mist, grew stronger. “Thank you.” She said.

A light that grew from within her began to shine, growing brighter by the moment until Steven had no choice but to block his eyes with his free hand. He could see the brightness of her spirit even with his eyes closed. When the brightness gave off heat that he could feel, the hand clasping his let go and he heard her sigh with contentment as she finally found her freedom.

When the light cleared, he opened his eyes. The rest stop and all the crows were gone, only his car remained. He knew that next month, when he returned, it would be back.

Getting into his car, he drove away, wondering where he could find another rest stop. He had to piss like a race horse…

Planet Botanix Fall Celebration!

Hey Everyone!

I’m part of an awesome event that’s coming up. Planet Botanix is having its Fall Open House!

If you’ve never been to Planet Botanix, this is the time to go! It’s the complete wellness store you’ve been looking for. It not only has services and items that help cleanse the body (including natural oils and natural health alternatives) but the spirit too.

When I walk into Planet Botanix, I always experience an incredible sense of peace in mind, body and spirit. They offer everything you could need from Reiki, EFT to Crystals and more!

Here’s a bit about the open house:

Join us for tea tasting with Take Charge Tea, Mini Sessions with our practitioners ($20/20minutes), Botanix Bucks and lots more!

Practitioners include:

Heather Garrod: Aromatherapy: Heather has been creating natural bodycare for almost two decades. Essential oils have always been at the heart of her blends, and are her passion. As a Certified Aromatherapist, Heather can design an aromatherapy protocol for various conditions. She also practices lymphatic drainage massage with essential oils,  Indian Head Massage and Reiki.

Erin Lauzon: Reiki Practitioner. Reiki is a wonderful thing! It can assist us to improve all aspects of our lives, to be healthier, happier, and hopeful! When we feel better we do better and I am passionate about helping you awaken joy in your life through Reiki. Reiki is energy healing that is channelled to a recipient. During a treatment your entire energy body will be working to clear itself of blockages, these energy blocks are where all dis-ease originates.

Laura Benes, EMT: Swedish Massage Therapy. Uses long relaxing stokes combined with deeper techniques to promote circulation, and reduce pain and tension in the body. Reverse the effects that long days at work, poor posture, and stress have on your well-being. Recommended monthly for maintenance.

Natasha Skibola: Life Coach, Master Practitioner NLP, TLT, Parts Integration, Hypnosis: What is an NLP Personal Breakthrough? A Personal Breakthrough Session is a unique personal development session which has been tailored specifically for you. The objective of this session is to empower you with tools to allow you to let go of negative emotional baggage, hindering and limiting decisions and beliefs that have held you back. Using NLP techniques and Timeline Therapy® we can remove limitations and integrate any conflicts that have been created in your mind.

Patty Chevalier: Certified Natural Health Practitioner: Patty is a naturally gifted healer and Certified Natural Health Practitioner. She works intuitively with your body, listening to what it needs to heal. She will delve into your issues identifying and freeing you of unsupportive mental and emotional patterns and transforming these patterns into ones that support you. By doing so, you will experience profound changes in all areas of your life including physical pain and illness, stress, wealth, relationships, employment, and happiness. Patty sincerely believes that everyone has an innate ability to heal and, through her guidance, she will empower you to take control of your health and change your life into the one you have always wanted!

Julie Larochelle, Reiki Practitioner: Reiki is an ancient hand-healing technique used to restore a more balanced energy flow throughout your body.　 It is an aide to help you relax, reduces stress, as well as provides relief from pains you might be encountering.　 Everyone’s experience is unique.　 Additional benefits of Reiki are:

Positive well-being (feeling at peace), Feeling refreshed, Stress and tension reduction, Increase recovery or healing process, Focused and clear thinking, Balances the chakras.

Caroline Proulx, Spirit Readings: I offer sessions or readings that typically last 1 to 2 hours that involve the following: A meditation to connect with Spirit Guides, Past (life), present and future experiences, Channelled messages from Spirits of the living and deceased, Aura readings, Suggestions offered by Guides and angels, And finally, a meditative prayer to thank Guides and Spirits!!

Joining these lovely and gifted individuals will be yours truly!

Jamieson Wolf: Tarot Consultant: Everyone has a question they want answers to. Using the Thoth Tarot, Jamieson connects with the Spirit to provide you with the answers you need to move forward or receive clarification.

The Tarot can be used for personal growth as well as answering your questions. With compassion and care, Jamieson will guide you through what the cards want you to know and the story they are trying to tell you.

So how wonderful is that?

If you’re in Ottawa, please do come and visit!

Here’s everything you need to know:

When: Saturday October 18th, 2014

Where: 301 Bank Street Street at Somerset

Time: 10AM to 6PM

If you’re on Facebook, check out the event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/463230303814847/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

Mini Sessions with the practitioners are 20 minutes for $20! So come on in and see how Planet Botanix can help you live a better life! To sweeten the deal, Planet Botanix will also be given away to the National Women’s Show! More info here: https://www.facebook.com/ottawawomenshow

See you there!

Silver Dreams – A Poem

When I walked

into the room,

it was to

find it filled

with floating silver

orbs. A man

was standing in

the centre of

the room, regarding

me patiently. He

tilted his head

towards me and

I was struck

by how out

of place he

looked: messy blond

hair, a thin

mouth, dark sunglasses

hiding his eyes.

“What is this place?”

I asked. He

put a finger

to his chin.

“What do you want it to be?”

I shook my

head at his

bizarre answer. I

shrugged my shoulders.

“I don’t know. Isn’t it just a room?”

He smiled at

me and whipped

off the sunglasses.

“Ah, but every room started out as four walls. Then they become filled with memories and emotion. They become a home to hearts.”

I was struck

silent for a

moment, not knowing

what to say.

He took my

silence as an

invitation to speak.

“What do you see when you look at these?”

He pointed to

the orbs floating

around the room.

The walls were

bare white and

the silver shapes

stood out starkly

against them. I

watched them floating

around the room,

bumping into one

another, only to

take a different

trajectory. I found

them oddly mesmerizing.

“They remind me of dreams.”

I said softly.

“Dreams given shape, impossible to hold.”

He raised his

eyebrows, clearly impressed.

“And do you have dreams? Things you with to accomplish with your life?”

I nodded. He

smiled at me.

“Then we must let the dreams out. Dreams have no power if they aren’t given flight, you know, just as a home is just walls until people live within them.”

He went to

the wall and

pressed a button.

The ceiling skylights

opened and slowly.

“What are you doing?”

He smiled gently.

“They are clouds, so it’s fitting that you see dreams when you look at them. Clouds are like dreams in that a person always sees something different than the last person.”

“But why are you letting them out?”

“Because dreams, like clouds, must be set free. The sky is the limit after all. You must let your dreams free if you are to realize them.”

The windows opened

completely and the

silver clouds, my

dreams, slipped out

into the sky.

I ran to

the centre of

the room and

watched my dreams

shining against the

blue.

So Much Left Unsaid – A Poem

There is another

half of me.

We are the

same, but dramatically

different. When we

were younger, we

spoke in our

own language. Only

we could understand

each other. Over

time, that language

was replaced by

words that everyone

could understand. As

we left behind

our own words,

our own tongue,

we grew further

apart. We stopped

hearing each other.

We stopped listening.

That doesn’t mean

that I don’t

carry him with

me every day

of my life.

Eighteen years have

passed since I

last spoke to

him, a whole

lifetime ago, but

he is with

me every day.

His determination and

courage are a

constant, for he

always seemed braver

than I was. Though

only fifteen minutes

separated us, I

always saw him as

my older brother

and looked up

to him. The

fact that we

no longer speak

pains me. Since

he won’t hear

my voice, it

is my hope

that he will

read my words

and draw courage

and strength from

them when he

needs it most.

There is so

much I want

to say to

you, so much

I want to

tell you. We

are two sides

of the same

coin and

it is my

hope that I

can offer you

courage and strength

in return for

all you showed

me. You are

brave and have

remained a pillar

of strength for

me, even from

afar. Know that

you can do

anything you set

your mind to,

that, if you

need me, I

will be here

for you. Most

importantly, know that

I love you.

There is so

much left unsaid

but those three

words will have

to do. If

I could, I

would draw out

this new threat,

pull it from

your body. Since

I cannot, all

I can give

you is my

love and hope

that it’s enough.