A vagrant, on a path to no particular destination,
was caught in a storm.
Struggling through,
strong winds and heavy rain,
he came to an old log cabin,
which had been abandoned many years earlier,
now barely visible in the undergrowth.

The man, cold and wet
from the severe weather,
decided to try and gain entry to the uninhabited shack.
The door, now brittle from decay, opened easily.

The cabin was dark and damp, water poured in
through the dilapidated roof
causing a strong, pungent smell of rotten timber.
The cabin shook and swayed
with the wind,
giving the impression it wasn't safe for habitation.

In the first room he entered,
there was a rickety chair
and a broken table.
A thick film of dust
covered everything.
Old pictures hung on the walls, now unrecognisable
from water and age.
The old cabin
was in a poor condition,
time and neglect
had taken their toll.

In the second and last room,
he found a bed,
which pleased him immensely.
It was old
and not very comfortable,
but it was better than the cold hard floor he was used to.

The man lay down on the bed,
something he hadn't done in a very long time.
How fortunate he thought to have found such a place!

A large Kingdom suffered a great catastrophe
when a fierce blaze engulfed the royal palace,
killing the King and Queen.
Leaving behind their two princes,
the eldest, a brash and self-absorbed boy,
was crowned King.
The young Prince, shy and reserved,
devastated by the loss of his loved ones,
became inward and reclusive.

Many years passed, the king,
enjoyed a life of leisure and debauchery,
accruing many debts from his lavish lifestyle,
consequently; larger taxes were imposed upon the citizens.
The people fed up with high taxes
and their leader's behaviour,
revolted and stormed the palace, overpowering the royal guards.
The angry mob found the King in his room,
shocked at the sight of their monarch,
now grossly obese and sick from excess.
The people decided exile and poverty,
not death would be a greater punishment
for their selfish King.
The people came to the prince's room,
compared with his sibling; his life
was simple and selfless.
Shocked by the contrasting way
the brothers lived,
the people decided the Prince
would be a worthy ruler
and proclaimed him their new leader.

The Kings first decree,
was to make his subjects equals.
The King abolished taxation,
Nobility and land owners
were ordered to divide their vast lands
and wealth equally among the peasantry.
The people rejoiced
from their new-found fortune at first,
but soon became disillusioned with life.
With no commitments to honour,
the people became aimless
and counter productive.
The Kingdom, with no class structure,
fell further into decline and ceased to exist.

A nation, besieged by an enemy force,
was encircled and close to defeat.
The leader of the beleaguered army
wanted to capitulate, hoping for leniency
from the tactically superior general,
who'd beaten him at every turn.

A young, ambitious officer,
looking to stand out from his rivals,
came up with a plan to eliminate
the unbeatable general.
A soldier would surrender to the invaders,
spreading a rumour,
so impressed by the talented general,
the citizenry would **** their monarch
proclaiming him their new leader.

The canard was told to everyone
the captive had contact with.
The soldiers argued,
was the prisoner lying or telling the truth.
It didn't matter anymore,
the seed of sedition was planted.
Other military leaders,
envious of the general's success,
quickly relayed the possible betrayal
to their ruler.

The belligerent king, fearful his sovereignty
might be under threat,
recalled the effective general
under the guise of an update.
On the generals return,
the king had him executed for treason.

In the ensuing uncertainty,
the defenders regrouped,
launching a counter-attack.
The new general, chosen by the king,
less competent than the last,
lost all the territory,
won by the former military leader.
The defending army, now on the offensive,
outmanoeuvred the invading force,
driving the enemy from their dominion.

Canary 1
Finch 2

  "Finch,
why do you sit on my window?
You come here every day!
Do you come because you're hungry?
You see my tray filled with food!
Are you thirsty?
You see my bottle is always full!
Why do you torture yourself?
It must be hard for you to survive
on the measly scraps,
and the puddles from which you drink!
I feel so sorry for you!"

  "Life can be tough at times, Canary,
but that's the way life is!
I do eat whatever I come across,
from seeds, berries, insects,
to name but a few.
I do drink from puddles,
wherever I find them!
I'm really not that bothered,
as long as I satisfy my needs!"

  "Then why do you come here, Finch?"

  "I come to remind myself,
there are others
less fortunate
than I am!"

My dear Conifer,
how long have you stood in this place?
How long have you laboured to become so mighty and sturdy?
Have you worked hard to achieve this strong foundation?

  My dear Conifer,
can I attach myself to your system and enjoy the fruits of your labour?
May I reside on your strong trunk and grow my berries from your sap?
My needs are small and you're so abundant
You won't even notice my presence on your towering body.
Can you afford me the advantages you have toiled for?

  My dear Conifer,
can I bore into your core and grow heavy in your honour.
I'll enjoy your kindness and establish my position from your greatness.
Don't be afraid,
I bear you no ill will,
I only want to become a part of your brilliance and reach the heights which you've suffered to attain.

  Conifer,
Have your roots become weak in the ground?
You sway back and forth from the most gentle winds.
Your foliage looks dry, withered.
Branches no longer reaching for the sky.
I've grown strong on your trunk,
I'm beautiful and ripe, my berries,
the most succulent of all mistletoe.
You're a frail shadow of your former self,
no longer worthy of sustaining me.

Has the Pen lost its Influence?
As rulers once mighty,
now fallen, routed

Forgotten to time  
when power was knowledge
and writer was King

Words passed on,
sent down from bygone days
Preserved,
not lost to mortalities reap
Endowed in volume for subsequent erudition

Significant statements,
worthy of note,
recorded to guide future leaders

To change the course of history,
to turn our page of understanding

To shape,
our views, our direction, our feelings

To scribe defining moments of
human triumph or aberration
in histories pages of account

Like a speech,
spoken by a great man;
His dream,
to unite his people in a common struggle,
now sealed in composition forever

Now,
unfortunately, forgotten, abandoned

The world of today has lost its want
for the force and pleasure of perusal

The quill,
once mightier than the sword;
Now eclipsed by the torpid visual medium,
languidly stealing any rite of progression
or self development

The people now lost in a void of inactivity,
watch aimlessly into unread oblivion

A great fire swept through a forest
burning everything in its wake.
In the fire's path stood a Jack Pine.
The tree, wanting to be left unharmed
pleaded for mercy from the blaze.
Reluctantly, the fire agreed
and passed it unmolested.

Countless seasons passed,
the forest grew back larger,
more resilient than before.
Many trees released their seeds
in the destruction;
The Pine, however,
unable to open its cones
could not help to reseed the forest.

The Pine, now older,
but weak and brittle from time,
realised the fire would bring devastation at first,
but in its aftermath,
new life would flourish.

Oxpecker:
    "Impala,
may I offer my services to you?
I can clean you of your ticks and insects;
They must cause you great discomfort!
I'll eat them and keep you free of unwanted parasites.
I'll also clean your ears of wax and dandruff, helping you hear your predators approach."

Impala:
    "Oxpecker,
I would be grateful for your services,
it sounds too good to be true!
What's in it for you?"

Oxpecker:
    "Impala,
I only want to help you with your troubled condition.
I see your suffering,
I want you to be happy.
Your smile of relief will be my payment.
In order to carry out these burdens of care,
will you grant me permission to perch upon your back,
watching over you,
for your future well-being of course."

Elephant:
    "Impala,
don't believe the tick birds lies.
He'll feed on your pests and then on you!
His motives are sinister and self serving."

Oxpecker:
    "Elephant,
you spread malicious lies about me,
all because I refused a seat on your back!
You don't suffer as much as the impala,
he needs me more than you do!
YOU'RE a jealous, spiteful creature!"

Oxpecker:
    "Impala,
the elephant's trying to trick you so I'll take a seat on his back and care for him instead.
I know YOU'RE smart,
don't fall for his deceptions."

Impala:
    "Elephant,
you won't trick me with your duplicity!
You want the oxpecker all for yourself!
I'll accept the oxpeckers invitation at once
so you no longer try and steal him away.
YOU ARE a jealous, spiteful creature!"

Elephant:
    "Impala,
remember this day!
I warned you,
you chose to ignore me!
You've made a decision based in fear.
You take the word of a creature that eats other creatures,
you'll suffer for your rashness!"

A traveller came to a crossroads.
Unsure of which direction to take,
he considered what each path had to offer.

The first path, filled with leisure
and self-gratification,
was an uncomplicated, repetitive journey,
with many rest stops along the way.
With no visible hazards,
there would be no struggle!

The second path, filled with trials
and tribulations, treacherous in places,
with many obstacles along the way,
could also be rewarding.
A journey of self-discovery!

The traveller still undecided,
pondered, which path
would give him the most satisfaction in life.

After some thought,
he decided to take the path
which best suited him
and went on his way.
Never to be seen at the crossroads again!

Rose:
  "Dandelion,
how dare you grow in my bed!
Only I have the privilege of feeding on this nutrient rich soil,
created for me, me alone!
You have no right to make your home here!
My keeper will pull you out of the ground
and dispose of you like the **** you are."

Dandelion:
  "Rose,
I've just as much right to grow as you do!
Why do you insult me?
Am I not a flower just like you?"

  "Dandelion,
you're a common garden ****,
I'm beautiful, admired by all who set eyes upon me.
My keeper feeds and carefully prunes my body.
She admires my soft velvety petals which are the deepest red.
My stem, so slender, my prickles tempting, dangerous.
I'm beauty and pain in perfect harmony.
You can admire, but do not touch!"

  "Rose,
I'm beautiful in my own way,
don't you see?
My yellow petals, the colour of golden sunshine.
I symbolise the sun, moon and stars;
I'm also resilient.
I've no carer to look after me, yet I still manage to flourish,
even in the toughest of places."

  "Dandelion,
your time will be short in this place!
There's no room for your commonness here.
I'm a special breed, you're ******!"

  "Rose,
I know my fates sealed,
I accept the situation for what it is;
Beauty's in the eye of the beholder.
What you don't realise,
we'll suffer the same fate!
You'll end your days
standing in a vase filled with water.
My death will be quick;
Yours prolonged!
In the end,
your beauty will be your downfall!"

Salmon 1
Bear 2

"Please let me pass so I can finish my journey
to the place of my birth;
So I can continue the life cycle of my kind.
You've eaten many Salmons,
surely you've satisfied your hunger for today!"

"My hunger is satisfied Salmon,
but I'll feast on you as well!"

"I beg for mercy,
please let me pass!
This is my one and only chance to mate.
I've travelled a great distance for this occasion;
I'll exhaust my life for this endeavour!"

"You ask for mercy salmon.
I possess no such feeling for you!
You're food for me salmon,
nothing more."

"If you permit my passage,
you'll benefit from your grace in time.
I will lay many eggs,
which in turn will become many salmons,
more food.
Your feast will be greater in future years."

"Don't try to tempt me with promises of the future Salmon!
You've spent many years at sea,
waiting for your one and only time to return to this place.
You live for the run,
I on the other hand live by the seasons.
I suffer many hardships in barren times.
I dream of days of abundance,
days like this!
I've learned to appreciate the good times.
You offer me a prize I may not live to see.
I take opportunities when they present themselves,
In the present,
not the future!"

"Snowflake,
you've woken me from my slumber."
Said the evergreen.

  "Forgive me evergreen,
I've no control of where I fall."
Said the snowflake.

  "Have you fallen here before snowflake?"

  "No,
this is my first and only time in this world."

  "I'm pretty sure you've landed on my foliage before."

  "You'll have seen other snowflakes,
but not me."

  "First and only time in this world.
What do you mean?"

  "I'll experience this world once,
when I melt away,
that'll be the end of me!"

  "Won't you be created again
by whatever caused you into being?"

  "No,
I'm unique,
I'll never be formed again.
I'll have to make the most of my time,
here and now."

  "I don't see the point of your existence!
You'll only be here for a brief moment in time.
What's the reason for your being?"

  "To exist,
that's the only reason!"

  "What purpose will you fulfil?"

  "My purpose is to simply be,
that's my function in this world!
That's enough for me!"
Said the snowflake,
as it melted away,
in the warmth of the rising winter sun.

Elder:
    "My young nut,
the time has come for you to fall to the ground and begin your climb to Oakhood."

Nut:
    "Elder,
may I fall close to your roots so that I can grow in your presence."

    "My young nut,
you must fall away from my roots,
otherwise you'll never reach your potential!"

    "Elder,
I don't want to be alone in this wood!
There are too many dangers for me to comprehend!
You have wisdom and experience.
I can learn from under your cover."

    "My young nut,
If you grow under me,
you will have protection,
but you'll never learn to stand on your own roots!
You cannot learn to grow in my shade,
only through experience.
You must suffer great winds which will teach you to hold your ground.
You must fight for sunlight which will teach you to aspire.
You must grow a thick bark which will teach you to withstand attacks."

    "Elder,
I'm so small and vulnerable.
I don't think I can make it on my own!
I have a great fear for the unknown!"

    "My young nut,
Your fear is misplaced!
Your fear of not experiencing life should be greater than your fear of what could be!"