she will crash the party
and leave in haste
she will bring riches
and bleed you dry
she will take one form 
and depart in another 
she is lady luck 
and she will keep you alive today
but extinguish your life tomorrow

Rest is Reprieve
   from the burdensome curse of futile toils
Rest is Restoration
   of the perfection of life freshly bloomed
Rest is Return
   from Edenic exile to its fullness of beauty
Rest is Remembrance
   of Seven, an artefact of Mind
   a Mystery and a Measure of Time
Rest is Today
   for as long as its Today
   until the Eighth Day dawns.

You are the mystery
that lays in every page of my novel
no matter how hard I try to solve
Your simplicity baffles me every single time

A body was pinned to the ground; it was the body of a young woman. In the short time she gained consciousness, all of her senses were heightened; her vision was pitch black, but she could perceive everything around her like never before, for fear was instilled in her heart fluttering like a bird trying to escape for dear life, her lungs filled up rapidly and blood coursed her veins as her body was trying to prove it is alive; in the darkness she pictured the white flash of the thundering sky, the howling wind brushing against shaking tree bushes, every rain drop that fell on her cheeks, the cold water stream seeping through her red dress, the smell of nourished grass and fresh mud under her fingernails.

Though her heart never beat as fast, it almost stopped suddenly for one thing that made her petrified more than all that obscurity; a heavy warm presence. It was so warm brushing against her body, almost super fluid and mercurial in substance, gentle and bright radiating with brilliance and grace like a crystal. It spoke to her in mellow yet strange sound she did not understand, like a singing whale.

It was almost as if time has stopped and everything happened at the same time. Though terror paralyzed her ability, her instincts widened her eye sockets, her fingers cringed when she felt something burning making its way up through her entire body to her throat. It felt like voice cords being ripped apart by someone’s invisible hand in her mouth and burning her up and making her sweat feverishly. All while her perceptions were rewinding in her mind like someone hit the back of her head bursting up questions no one can afford to think about in her state; questions that made her feel extreme anger and horrifying confusion.

“Why do I feel relieved?”

“What is it that I cannot remember?”

It was a sudden agonizing pain no human can bear, which became slower and slower as time went by. It was a slow process of something shutting down. She slowly began to feel the numbness in her finger tips to her limbs to her chest. She couldn’t sense anything anymore; not the sharp wind or the piercing pebbles beneath. Everything that surrounded her felt like white rays reflecting hints of color and her mind became empty and clear, like a white board untouched and lacking. The only thought she knew was “I am an existence.”

She opened a pair of green eyes, not that they were there or were hers. It was as if she conjured up their existence and did the same with her body. She stood on pale bare feet and long slender legs. She felt light and graceful. She opened her palm and found a red-blood rose, which thorns were piercing through her flesh, and for the first time she felt what she wanted to feel; supreme happiness as she shed a tear and thought. “I must walk.” She did not know why or how, but it was the only thing that felt normal and familiar like a far-off memory in the back of her mind blurry and barely there.

She followed it with hope unknowingly conjuring up a place; A full moon, a dark forest welcoming a storm and small water stream, which on lay a young woman in her twenties, wearing an elegant yet simple red dress. She stared at her with no expression, her brown hair flowing up and down against a large stone, her striking blue eyes wide open and her skin taking a white bluish shade. She was drenched in blood, which flowed down the stream from her chest turning the water red. Next to her lay seven fresh red roses. They were carefully arranged in orderly fashion. Every petal was still intact and every root was delicately cut.

“Eve.” she said.

She did not know who this woman was, or how she came upon her name. All she wanted was to sit beside her lifeless fragile body and hold her hand. She wanted to grieve for her, but she remembered.



“I must keep walking.” She thought.

Long time ago, there is a legend about a lady who has been cursed to have a daughter half human and half snake, the story is known by many but all are skeptic because they didn’t saw it personally. One day there is a group of villagers who hike into the mountain of Zeraya, this mountain is famous because it is said to be the mountain of mysteries. The villagers are looking for some herbs that will be use as an ingredient to their medicine. One of them is Kio; a brave man and a very kind person; the villagers decided to spend their night on the mountain for it is dark to go across its forest. They set all their tents and burn some woods to keep them warm. The villagers didn’t notice that there is someone who is sneaking on them at the very minute they step into the said mountain. Everyone is ready to go to sleep except for Kio who chose to stay outside the tent for a while. He walks near the river and didn’t notice a pitfall on his way, he fell and became unconscious, along came a mysterious girl named Jiana and save him out off the pitfall, Jiana is the daughter of the lady that had been cursed, meaning, she is the girl half human and half snake, she was also the one who is watching them as they step into the mountain, she is lovely and she is pretty even her body was a snake. She stare and smile at Kio as if she likes him, well, she do likes him because she kissed her on his lips and Kio felt her lips. As he wokes up, he saw the other villagers staring at him, the girl vanished and Kio think that it is only a dream even though it is not.
            The next day, it is time for them to leave the mountain and go back to the village but Kio is still thinking about the ******* his dream. He can’t forget her lovely face so he decided to go back near the river. He saw Jiana and scream as he saw her body… Jiana glides away from him and hide on the back of a tree. Kio noticed that Jiana was scared. He stand and say, “My apology for what I’ve done, I was just shocked for what I saw, don’t be scared, I’m Kio, I think I saw you before; who are you? May I know your name? Is that real?” Jiana is still scared but she answered Kio, “I am Jiana, I live here in the forest, I am different from you but I am not a monster, it’s not my fault I am like this… In fact, I was the one who saved you from the pitfall. Kio realized that the legend was true and decided to keep it secret, He then asked Jiana if they can be friends, Jiana think for a while because she don’t know if she can trust him but Kio explained everything. Jiana accept Kio and Kio accept her for who she is. Their friendship digs deeper as Kio visits Jiana everyday and bring her foods. Their relationship became serious and they fell in love with each other.
            One evening, Kio went back  to the mountain, one villager secretly followed him, he found out why Kio is always out of their village, he even learn about Jiana and their secret relationship.  The villager immediately went back to the village and told everything he knew about Kio and Jiana. The same night, all the villagers march into the mountain holding their torch and weapons as they shouted the words, “**** the Lady Snake, **** the Monster!” Jiana sense that the villagers are coming to **** her so she hugs Kio and told him that she is scared; Kio said “Don’t be scared, I will protect you, I won’t let them hurt you or touch you either.”
            The villagers arrived and told Kio to leave Jiana, Kio answered, “No! I will protect her from you, she is not a monster, she is innocent and you don’t have the right to **** her, maybe her appearance is different from us but her heart is pure of love and kindness, she’s just a girl who seeks for acceptance, for friends, and for family, she have been alone for so long and I will never let it happen again.” Jiana realized how important she is to Kio. “That girl is using you, you’re out of your mind Kio” said the villager, “Pointless, you cannot judge this girl because she’s different from us, you don’t know her, you don’t even know her name, you don’t even give her a chance to show how good she is. You are the one who is out of his mind, if you think you’re good enough, believe me you’re not, try to look in the mirror, and you’ll see who the real monster is. Why don’t you try to give her a chance, give her the freedom to be one of us, she doesn’t deserve to be treated like a monster. Please, open your eyes and your mind, look on to her heart and not on her appearance. We all deserve to be loved.” The villagers then realize what Kio is trying to say, Jiana thank Kio for what he said, Jiana cried as she felt Kios’ true love. Everyone apologize to Kio and Jiana and accept her to live with them, the villagers learned that they were wrong about Jiana. Kio continued to protect her and love her with all of his heart. He asked Jiana to marry him, and at the wedding day, Kio kissed Jiana in front of the altar as his oaths to love her forever and always. Suddenly something mysterious happen; the curse was destroyed, and Jiana became completely human. Kio was very happy for Jiana, she hugs her tight and say, “You don’t have to be scared anymore, the curse is already broken and we already have each other.
The two had their own family and they all live happily ever after.
THE END!

People always find me such a mystery ..
It's how and who  , I am
I am always a bit hidden
I don't reveal it all
For that I leave it up to you
To ponder or guess
it's always interesting the things
that people come up with.
Some funny some so not me
It's not that I'm hiding
or crazy
It's just how , I am it's a bit of my witchy my spiritual self
I find it quite **** actually
So be what it is
I'm just a mystery but if you
really pay attention
You will see I'm not all that
mysterious but you must admit
you kinda like it
That I leave a bit for you to ponder
(C) Jennifer L Dlg 9/2019

The sun shines into my lounge:
Golden reflection
Making me feel good.
I glimpse blue skies
Through front and back
Windows.

There is something beyond all this.
Something going on.
I sense an atmosphere,
Smell the aroma of
A universal force:
An energy
Subtle
Surreal.

An all pervading mist
That permeates my life:
A haunting sense
Of spirit.
Something beyond.

We are but tiny chicks,
Covered and warmed
By mother’s wings
Soothed by ethereal music
And songs from heavenly choirs.
Whispers winnowed through those windows
While a hazy sun shines through.

For now I bask
Under the glow
Of that warming orb.
High thin swirling clouds
Tempering the heat.
All is peaceful
And serene today
As life’s long mystery
Drifts on.

Paul Butters

© PB 16\9\2019.