The Timeless Sorceress

The Timeless Sorceress

in the inner chambers of a long ago city

Members of the Guilds had gathered for a meeting

and as they took their seats and offered up there greetings

a gritty gust of wind swept through the open shutters

unsettling the paper work and other important matters

now as the dust cleared and the room grew bright

the Auspicious Members saw a wondrous sight

before them stood an angel, with aura shining clear

an exquisite looking angel showing no fear,

the Members of the Guild stood like slack-jawed sloth's

as they stared at this rare creature  dressed in color-changing cloth...

your eyes do not deceive you, the woman said

indeed, I stand before you in a color-changing dress

but I am not an Angel, nor am I dead

I come from the future and my heart is full of dread...

'where have you come from Lady, and what evil wind

brought you to this meeting, admit your sin!'

Evil wind ? oh that...that was no evil wind

I just wanted to be dramatic, there is no evil wind in me

just a matter of urgency I must discuss with thee...

...Why Are You Here, Make Your Intentions Clear...

very well, I have come from your futures

to urge you to reconsider the changes you make today

or else in your future existence you will certainly pay

for what you decide this day

will pave the way to chaos and depravity

that, in 150, years will destroy this thriving city...

we cannot be held responsible for 150 years hence today

why we wont even be alive then to pay...

your lineage still exists, so what of that

your families will suffer and great-children after then

if you don't act now, then when...when?

Madam one haughty high Lord said

I have no offspring...my line is dead

I am too old...no longer spry

what you speak of is nought but lies!

yes well, the Sorceress mused,

what of the sweet maid who sell You sweets

those candies that you favour

boiled sweets are not the only treat

you been known to savour...

what of it...I'm old...and far from bold

I say my line ends in me!

not so Guild Member for you see

twin boys will be born to thee

now see you treat their mother with dignity

for her heart will break into a thousand shards

when one dies from battling the creature that dwell

in the Valley of  Stonehard...

HA! there are no creature that be dwelling

in the Stonehard Vale, another lie you be tell

I can hear it well!

no lie I tell...for as yet no creature dwells but one day it will be so

and you have had your warning

for as long you experiment on creature and on man

the insanity of that place will be in your hands...

Madam...you speak of the Animal Sciences

how else are we to learn?

LEARN! Just what have you learnt already

that has not withered and died

what precious knowledge have you gained

while you mutilate and maim

BE WARNED...this madness it will spread

and come for those who caused this dread!

Urr...are there other issues you wish to bring to our attention

we are willing to listen to anything you should mention...

the Gladiator Games, the sorceress sighed...

But surely you must think them barbaric and cruel

we intend to end them, we're not complete fools...

be that as it may, if you end them today

the men will become fat and bored with no games to play

they'll fight in taverns and every alleyway

until crime is rife and here to stay...

What...What do you suggest we do

Trade the Gladiator Games for games of strength and will

with arrow and javelin and weight lifting skills...

you will find many who shine quite bright

and would suit the position of Homegaurd and knight ...

that sounds like a very sound idea,

is there anything more you wish to say Lady dear...

as a matter of fact there is, I would like to bring to your attention

 a minority that will prove their power still unless

you become their mentors...I  mention this because

for a time anyway, disenfranchised youths

overthrow your order in such way

to cause complete chaos and disarray...

what should we do with these disenfranchised youths...

please use your brains, don't be so uncouth

teach them you fools, about music and art

about poetry and legends and history too

teach them to be scholars like all of you

and pass down your knowledge whatever the  cost

and so others can learn from the mistakes you have lost...

one final point before I retire,

that empty allotment of the church fire

I understand that the women have asked

and every time you have had the matter passed

but these women, they want to grow food for their families

and herbs to heal their maladies

what harm would do and in fact you will see

a bountiful hive of activity...

I'm done...I am tired and in need of a rest

and you, Guild Members must do your best

to safe guard these people

in mind body and soul

and you will know true peace when you are old...

Dear Lady...what do you now...do you return from whence you game?

No, said the Sorceress with a sad shake of her head

this was a one way journey...I cannot return

thou' deep in my heart for this I yearn...

I must stay in this place and dream alone

of loved ones I've left in that far off home

and hope...how I hope that some change in history

will take them back to a time

before  chaos ruled to ruin and stole our dignity;

sharonlee©

Riana’s Rainbow

Short Stories by Sharonlee

Riana’s Rainbow

Riana gazed absently out the kitchen window, pleased with how well the garden was growing; the vege patch flourished with the extra water she recycled from the bath and laundry. This left water for the garden itself. Hers was the greenest yard in the street and she was proud of it. Enough food was grown to supply fruit and vegetables all year round and this way she never ran out of food for Cadence and herself. Riana pushed a grey-blond dred back from her eyes, smiling at a random memory of Cadence dancing in the yard on her 16^th birthday. And now her baby girl was 18, and moved away to Agriculture Collage. Her little laughing dancer was all alone and far from home.

And so am I alone, Riana thought deeply… turning away from the window. Still deep in thought she made coffee and gulped from the cup, scalding her mouth a little; she inelegantly spat the steaming liquid into the sink, splashing the window as well.

Damn! She thought, near to silly-no-reason-tears… and began to wipe up the mess. Her anklets jingled as she moved; muted bell-like music in the quite sun-lit kitchen and again Riana smiled as she returned to her window-gazing.

The bell anklets had always symbolised an act of defiance. She was only 14 when she wore her first one; her mother had been furious that she would wear hippy-gypsy trash trinkets on her ankle. And ordered her take them off; but Riana had refused. Just as she refused the job at the beauty-house-of-fake-looks, where her mother had worked for 11 years; Riana’s first after-school job had been at the animal hospital, but by the time she was 17 Riana had moved to live and work on a commune in the mountains. That was where she met Rusty, Cadences’ dad. 

So lost in memories was she, that Riana didn’t notice the gathering clouds. She merely shivered slightly at a stray cool breeze that wafted in the open window, absently reaching to half-close the glass, her thoughts too stubborn to be side-tracked.

Rusty Collins…. her greatest, most foolish love; Riana fell for the dark brooding artist and after 8 months together at the commune she agreed to go with him to the city. They were to rent a loft and follow their dreams of joining the art elite. Rusty demanded that she take her anklet off then, serious artistes do not where noisy anklets, he had informed her, handing her a red beret. In the artiste world they had to look the part. But city life didn’t suit Rusty, nor Riana for that matter but for completely different reasons. Rusky’s addictive personality and propensity to be moody lead him (them both for a while) into an explosive lifestyle of drugs, alcohol and stray sex, broken up by fevered episodes of painting obscure art that no one bought. For Riana it was the absence of nature and fresh air; she lost any inspiration to paint her ‘whimsical little wood nymphs’ as Rusty dryly dubbed her surreal art.

By the time she was 20 Riana realized that she was pregnant. Rusty was seldom home, so she took a job at the factory two streets away, so the rent was covered and she had food. Rusty returned periodically, two or three times a month; sometimes he brought food, other times money. Riana never asked where he got it from, she didn’t want to know. 

But Rusty was nowhere to be found when Riana went into labour and she gave birth to Cadence alone in a city hospital.  When Cadence was put into her arms for the first time Riana burst into tears. The nurse thought she was missing her husband who was ‘working in the tropics on marine biology research’. That was the last time she let Rusty make her cry. When she was released from hospital Riana found her old bell anklet and put it around her ankle; it has been there ever since. For next 5 years Riana did her best to survive and raise her little girl in the city. After Cadences birth Rusty’s visits became less and less until one year he didn’t visit at all. 

A loud rolling rumble of thunder startled Riana, making her jump out of her reverie… she focused her far-seeing eyes on the dark sky, thinking groovy… a storm. But as she watched the storm clouds scud into each other her thoughts again turned to those early years.

Cadence was 7 by the time Riana finally gave up on the city… but having nowhere to go she sold everything she owned and moved back to the commune. That was a bad move; despite having kept in touch with Sky and Chip, who owned the commune, she was not prepared for what she found. The gardens had long been abandoned and the fruit tree’s looked like something from a children’s witch story; the commune now made its money selling pot, grown down by the river where they use to swim. 

With Cadences help and the help of Sky’s 3 children Riana re-established enough of the vege garden to feed them… and found a lot of the child raising and minding fell to her. Riana grew silent and reclusive around all except the children, but after 2 years she could take no more. When she noticed a small cottage up for rent Riana applied and moved her and Cadence in. It had been difficult leaving the other children, but she had no choice.    

Suddenly the rain fell with a rattling crash on the cottage’s roof. Thunder still rolled reverberating across the sky and Riana turned away from the window to make fresh coffee. She took her coffee to the window seat, dreds bouncing in time to chiming anklets. Sitting cross-legged on the worn cushion she watched the storm, her thoughts momentarily stilled… fragrant coffee steam rose in the air around her face. Silence grew undisturbed by everything save the rumbling thunder and pelting rain; Riana shivered with delight at nature’s natural power and reached under the cushion for a small silver tin, dinted and tarnished with age. She rolled a small joint with quick fingers, pausing to smile at how well those plants had grown too, only three tucked in between the compost and banana patch. It’s all she needed. 

Life had been in a sort of stasis since moving into the cottage, Cadence grew up, I’ve grown old, Riana thought with self-depreciating humour. Riana had started painting again and hung her surreal wood-nymphs in a local gallery; she sold something most months. The man who ran the gallery in town was full of praise for her whimsical style and urged her to put higher prices on her pieces, but Riana had trouble believing her art was actually good. Besides, as Cadence pointed out, he may just be trying to flatter her, for the gallery owner had shown signs in the last few months that he thought more of her than just an artist. 

He looks at you like you’re a woman, mum, Cadence had whispered recently when they were in the gallery…. Riana had actually blushed. Now she smiled to her herself as the rain splattered the window…. he is an interesting man…. a sculptor with the most amazing hands… lost in thoughts Riana finally lit the joint, leaning back on cushions to smoke it as she gazed out at the rain pummelling down on her garden.

      After some time Riana noticed the rain easing… then stop; parting clouds revealed a setting sun with just enough rays still clinging to day that the garden looked like it had been visited by faerie folk… above the tree tops a faint rainbow appeared… stretching across the fading sky. Riana smiled; she was going to be ok. Life was untraveled road and she had a passport to the stars.

sharonlee©

4-Sep-11

12:01 PM