The Running Man with No Hands or Feet

the day will come
when you'll hear them say
there's no pill
no cure
there's nothing
left to do
but hope and pray

and at that point
you don't ask –
are you sure?
you just walk quietly away
while death holds open
the door

and when you come
to the corner of Hope and Pray
you stop and obey
the sign across the street
the one with the running man
with no hands and no feet
frozen in mid-air

and you wait

when you become impatient
and try to press the walk button
death slaps your hand away
and says: wait - more are coming

so you impatiently wait

and suddenly
a mass of pedestrians
descends upon the intersection
and in one great crossing it is over
and no one is left on the corner
of Hope and Pray
Death has swept them all away

except for the running man
with no hands and no feet
frozen in mid-air

A Sweet Fairytale

(1)

One day the Boy declared that pennies were “worthless”
To which his father replied:
“Nevertheless, hold on to that last penny.
You may need it someday”

“But it’s only a penny –
And it’s just as worthless as the others” – the boy quipped.

But the Father continued:
“Maybe someday you will need to buy a train ticket
To travel some where…
but when you go to pay you’re a penny short
And they won’t sell you the ticket.”

“I don’t believe that” – the boy laughed.

“It’s true” – the father said.

Years later when the Boy became a Man
He still thought pennies were worthless –
But, ironically, it was usually the last coin he fished out
Of his pocket and put down on the counter
Whenever he paid for something.

(2)

One day just to make a point, the Father said:
“Nothing is free. You pay for everything.
Everything has a price.”

“Everything” - the boy asked?
“Yes” the father repeated “Everything has a price.”

The boy said nothing because knew his father was wrong
He thought of the slice of ham or cheese
The butcher gave him when he went shopping with his mother;
He thought of the cookie the bakery girl handed down to him
From behind the clean crystal clear display cases
Full of cakes and the pastries

And then he remembered the baker
Emerging from the backroom,
carrying trays of freshly baked goods from the oven –
And when the boy Grew up wrote a story about it all

(3)

In his story, the Baker was really a Troll
And was always covered from head to toe
in what everyone thought was fine powdered flour,
But which was really magic dust thrown on him by the Wizard
To partially hide his ugly, misshapen features,
And, also, to ensure he would behave and not try to escape


The Wizard was evil and very crafty.
He knew that the numbered tickets
His customers’ plucked from the
Take-One Ticket Machine were really
Magical spell breakers
Designed to break the curse
He had put on the Troll -
Who really wasn’t a troll,
But a Prince that had fallen prey
To the Evil Wizard in his youth
And who had been held captive
In the back of the shop ever since

And the poor Prince had been a Troll
For so long he had almost forgotten
That he had once been a Prince

Now, you may be wondering why the Troll
Just didn’t bolt out the front door

It all had to do with the tiny bell
The Evil Wizard had hung above the front door

Every time it sounded,
It neutralized all of the contra-spells cast
When ever a customer plucked a ticket
From the Take-A-Ticket Machine

And because anyone who entered the shop
Also had to leave the shop through the same door
The bell always rang twice,
Ensuring there was absolutely no chance
Any of the Take-A-Ticket Machine contra- spells would work

Now, the reason I took over the story from the Boy
Was because he played a very key role in helping
The Troll to escape but never knew this

How did it happen?
Well, one day the Boy and his mother
visited the bakery to purchase some loaves of bread

As they entered the shop, the little bell rang.

The mother took a ticket from the Take-A-Ticket Machine
As she usually did and when it was here turn to place her order,
she and the Boy stepped up to the glass counter.

One of the Bakery Fairies reached over the counter and
Handed the boy a cookie
and just as he took the cookie
The Troll came out of the back room.

The Boy had never been this close to the troll.
He looked into the Troll’s eyes.
They were tired and sad.

The Boy look at the cookie he was holding and said to the Troll:
“Here, take this cookie.”
And when he did, the troll turned back into the Prince again
(but not a young Prince – even magic has its limitations.)
The spell had been broken.

And once the spell was broken,
the evil Wizard lost all his powers and left in a huff
but the fairies captured him at the train station
where he had tried to buy a train ticket out of town
but couldn't because he was a penny short

The Prince, who actually enjoyed baking,
continued to run the Bakery,
making sure that all the little boys and girls who visited
His shop always got a free cookie.

(But he didn't remove the Take-A-Ticket machine
because it helped him to serve the customers in an orderly manner
or the bell over the door for no reason other than he had always
liked the sound it made.)

Why the Wind is Invisible

by jr paruolo

______________________________________________________________

One day, the Wind, feeling a little frisky and mischievous, decided to have a little fun with his friend the River, so he swooped down and paid him a visit.

Wind: "River, look at you, so slow and so lazy! You have no vitality. You're no match for me. I'm much too zippy for you."

River: "Yes, I travel slowly across these flat lands. But if you look high in the mountains at my source you will see how much energy I have – how swiftly I flow with the help of my friend Gravity. But, since I have a long journey to make from the mountains to the sea I must use my energy wisely. And besides you cannot win a race against my cousin Time.

Wind: "How boring – traveling the same route, year after year, century after century. Not me, I'm free to go anywhere I want – see anything I want to see. If I don't travel swiftly, I cease to exist. And as for a race against Time, I'd win hands down."

River: "Boring? No! I have seen many changes in the world – and during that time many faces have looked into me, many hands have dipped into me for a sip of water. I am slow and accommodating because I enjoy it. The younger part of me is always rushing and has few memories – but me; I'm older and savor every memory of every day."

Wind: "Well, I don't have all day to chat- when you set up that race between me and your cousin Time let me know and I will be there."

Now, it's important to know that back in the beginning – the Wind was not invisible like it is today. It was kind of like the River – clear - but not a liquid.

When the contest day finally arrived, Time and the Wind established the ground rules.

Time: "We will each present alternating challenges and the one who fails two first loses."

Wind: "Agreed. Let's start."

Time: "The first challenge: Go backwards."

Wind: "Impossible. I can't blow backwards! I can only go in one direction – forward. But what the heck, you can't either – so I guess we tie on this one."

Time: "Not so fast. I can and will."

And within an instant he took the Wind back in the time to when he was just a little breeze (actually, he came to life when one of the Celestial gods sneezed as the world was being created.) And just as the wind started to enjoy the memory, Time transported them back to the present.

Wind: "I concede. But you tricked me. Now it's my turn. Let's see you move the leaves in that old tree over there."

Time: "I can't – you win that challenge."

Feeling a bit cocky and thinking he had just humiliated Time, the Wind proposed that they have one super challenge, with the winner deciding the loser's fate. The Wind further stipulated that he be allowed to present the challenge. Time agreed.

Time: "Please state the challenge."

Wind: "The first one who goes around the world and returns to this spot first wins." (Thinking no one could ever be quicker than himself – thinking he could never loose.)

Time: "Agreed."

Wind: "We'll start by that big boulder by the River."

So, they both lined up and the River said – GO! Almost immediately, the Wind left and returned. "I win! I win! Exclaimed the Wind excitedly.

Time just laughed.

Wind: "I wouldn't be laughing if I were you. You just lost the race – in fact you never even left the starting line -and I'm about to decide your fate."

Time: "Quite the contrary. It was you who lost the race. Time is everywhere – it doesn't move in one direction like you or at your speed. Nothing is faster than Time because Time must be able to be in the future before everyone or else there would be no future. I had already won the race before you said 'Go".

Wind: "You cheated. I withdraw."

Time: "Too late – I have already told the Celestial gods to impose your punishment."

Wind: "Please don't take away my speed."

Time: "No, nothing that harsh – but from now on you will be invisible. It's bad enough having to listen to you let alone look at you. Additionally, you will be divided into four separate winds: the northern, southern, western and eastern; and, in addition, it will be your job to push the clouds around in the sky at the direction of the Seasons. This should be enough to keep you busy and out of trouble.

And with that said, the Celestial gods enacted the punishment.

From that day forward, the wind has remained invisible and busily at work moving the clouds about through the sky during the seasons - but even with his new tasks he still was able to find a little time for some occasional mischief like blowing hats off heads or holding his breath and stopping sail boats in their tracks.