A Beloved Book

I.

Tommy sits curled up in his old brown bed. On his lap is a green and white quilted blanket. He turns his head to the right and stares outside the window. His green eyes sparkle as he watches the snowflakes dance in the morning air. Smiling, he turns back to the book on his lap.


II.

Tommy opens up the book and flips through the pages. It's a red hardcover edition of Bullfinch's Mythology. The spine is cracked, and the pages are yellowed like rotten custard. Tommy's slim white fingers turn each page, as his eyes devour the contents. Suddenly, he stops. A great gasp flees from his throat.


III.

Before his eyes, he sees a black and white picture of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. King Arthur stands in the center, with his armored knights around him. Before the king, kneels a golden-haired youth. His head is bowed, and his hands are clasped in prayer as King Arthur taps him on the shoulder with Excalibur. "Lancelot." the boy says softly, his eyes shining like stars.

A Winter Wonderland

The snow is on the ground like a big white carpet. It reminds you of cotton candy at a summer carnival. With a smile, you step into the snow. Your black hiking boots make slushing noises as you walk around. Shivering, you tuck your gloved hands into your forest-green jacket. You can see your breath in little puffs of white mist that reminds you of smoke. Pausing for a moment, you close your eyes and inhale the crisp morning air. Its coolness fills your lungs, and you feel a lightness in your body. Staring at the sun as it rises, you feel yourself flying in the clouds.

a field of snow

deep in the countryside

you look about

and feel yourself flying

in worlds of white wonder

The Smell Of The Sea

Sally walks by the shores of the sea. She stops and turns towards the water. Before her eyes is a blue carpet stretching far into the horizon. Smiling, she sits down and presses her toes deep into the golden sand. She sighs as she wriggles her toes. Then she looks back to the water. Her emerald eyes shine in the sunlight as she takes deep breaths of the salty air. The smell rushes through her body; her skin tingles, and she sighs once more.

speeding arrow

an eagle

in the clouds

The Greatest Gift

audiobook

a classroom

in your mind

What is something that everyone should have? Something absolutely essential to their needs? What is the greatest gift they could get?

The greatest gift is investing in yourself. Take the time to learn new skills and grow as a person. This is one thing that you should never deprive yourself of. Material things come and go, but the things you learn will last a lifetime.

But how do you invest in yourself? The answer is to seek out resources that will help you develop an area that you would like to improve on.

 We live in a great technological age - there is information for the taking. Look for it with free videos and books. Why pay when so many people are willing to give free advice? All you have to do is find it. Take advantage of their teaching and learn from them. Make the most of these opportunities. Two sites that I recommend to help get you started:

• Librivox (free audiobooks - you can learn faster than by reading a traditional book)
• Youtube (free videos on various subjects).

Give yourself the greatest gift. You owe it to yourself.

The Frog

Midnight in the plum garden. The full moon shines high overhead, kissing the grass with silver light. A gentle breeze blows sweetly over the plum trees, and the smell of ripe plums lingers in the air.

In the center of the garden is a small pond. The clear water shines in the moonlight like glass in a mirror. Near the edge of the pond, squats an old frog on a lily pad. Its skin is mint-green and wrinkled. Big, bulging eyes stare out into the water and then sink to slits as it begins to croak. From time to time, a slimy tongue shoots out as if kissing the air. The old frog croaks through the night.

old frog

under the moon

spring song