...the lesser man I will become...

Assalamualaikum and peace be upon you...

Day of the Sun,

19th dawn of the Time of Lent,

Year of the Caminus Canis,

2nd day of the 2nd month of being a Slave to the Slaves of Lucre...

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Driftwood

(dedicated to my and your parents, and to you who are parents)

There on the grayish muddy banks of the river Aetatis, does the seemingly worn out ugly damp dirty body of wood that used to be a lush green tree shored.

The beautiful white cranes, the elegant swans, the bulky buffaloes and all the other animals that come to quench their thirst or to play between the gentle waves of Aetatis gave no attention to that body of wood.

Why should they?

The body of wood is only useful to them when it was still a tree with big strong trunk, long brawny branches, lush green canopy, sweet juicy fruits and heavenly sap.

They could sip away their sins of summer with the heavenly sap.

They could rid their bellies of the bullies of the barren days with the juicy fruits.

They could hide their hinds from the hellish sun under the shade of the lush green canopy.

They could nest and rest between the long brawny branches.

They could scratch the ticklish ticks that annoyingly tickling their backs against the big strong trunk.

Now, as an ugly damp dirty worn out body of wood, what use do they have for it? For them, it is just an ugly ornament on the river bank. To tarnish the already ugly surroundings of the river bank is the current use of the wood.

But, if one were to listen to the tales of the worn out ugly damp dirty wood as told by the gentle waves of Aetatis, one would certainly smile in tears. The tales of the poor poor wood is full with bright beautiful colors painted on a black canvas.

The waves of Aetatis would always say to the ones that would listen, "Come eager ears and ride on our backs, we will carry you along the path that the wood has traveled from the head of Aetatis to this river bank cove to the Sea of Clausula,"

"We, the waves of Aetatis were not always this gentle," they would begin their tale.

"As the children of the streams that feed the path of Aetatis, we were unforgiving and full with vigor," they would continue, "we have to, as our friends, the rocks on the river bed, would not bulge from the place where they sit. If we were as gentle as we are now we would never be here, ever."

"The poor poor wood was a witness to our childhood. On the river banks near the head of Aetatis, does the wood stood so gallantly as a strong big tree, bracing the trials of the winds and the sun and the bruises on the river banks caused by our runs, so that goodness would come to those who seek sanctuary under his lush green canopy,"

"We saw how happy those who refuged under the tree are. We saw how the tree turn its salty tears into heavenly saps so that those who seek sanctuary under its canopy would not be harm by sorrowful sweats of the sun,"

"All took as the tree gave, but all left as the tree falls," sadly whisper the gentle waves,"it humbly bow down to fullfil Mother Earth will."

"You know, Mother Earth is a lady with paradoxical compassion," would the gentle waves continue.

The waves go on to say that, to the tree Mother Earth has said, "Tree, now its time for you to rest." And to Mother Earth the Tree has asked in reply, "Why?"

"So that those that took what you gave would give back to you," say Mother Earth.

"But I give what I gave willingly," argue the Tree.

"True you did, child of mine, but, now its time for them to take on your role, and to learn your values as has been pre-ordained," explained Mother Earth.

"Why?" the Tree again asked, confused, "So that they will be as beautiful as you are my child," answered Mother Earth, "and so that all in this world would be blessed by the blessings that flows trough you.”

"Then rest I shall" the Tree accepted.

"Than rested you will be," says Mother Earth “not as a tree but as a wood that will drift along with the waves of Aetatis and who would carve you with intriguing carvings."

"But why?" tree asked, again confused.

"So that you will find one that is true, who would see the carvings not as ugly scars but as a picture as beautiful as the heavenly stars," says Mother Earth enlightening the Tree.

"Thus the tree falls into our embrace," explain the gentle waves, "and vanish the ones who used to took refuge under the Tree with out no trace,"

"As willed by Mother Earth, we carved intriguing carvings on the fallen Tree," continue the waves sadly, "we rip it of its leaves, broke its brawny branches and we carried him on our backs to this grayish muddy banks of this cove."

There on the grayish muddy banks of the river Aetatis, does the seemingly worn out ugly damp dirty body of wood that used to be a lush green tree shored.

The beautiful white cranes, the elegant swans, the bulky buffaloes and all the other animals that come to quench their thirst or to play between the gentle waves of Aetatis gave no attention to that body of wood.

Suddenly, the calmness of the majestic beasts were stirred.

The calmness is stirred by the foot steps of a man and his child.

To the seemingly worn out ugly damp dirty body of wood they walked.

"Papa, of what use do you have for this ugly thing?" asked the child, "its dirty and damp and ugly, yucks!" And with a jeering look the child turns and says, "Leave it papa! It's yucky!"

The man look at his child and with loving smile the man answered, "Child, try to look more carefully at the wood, then tell me what you see under all of those muckiness."

Obediently but reluctantly the child turns to have another look at the wood, the child's forehead was wrinkled with confusion, "what is there to see?" wondered the child's heart.

Moments later, the frown vanished and were replaced by lights in the child's eyes.

"I see you and I see me," says the child with a voice marking awe and enlightenment.

"I see you and I see me, Papa, the wood is us," says the child "I saw the beauty of life and I saw the value of us."

The man kisses the child’s head and lovingly says, "Come child, let us take this wood home, clean it and put it in your room."

"Forever when you see this driftwood, you will know how much I love you," says the man to the child.

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The Untitled Prose

In another time, another tale will come.

maybe,

of the things that the Demon saw as a Slave to a Slave.

For now, the Demon would rest.

But before he lay,
a favor he would like to ask of you,

take this tale back with you,

keep and read this post you do,

to the self that is you,

to your children you love so true,

and to your parents whose love have carved you,

As a gift of love that is so true,

hidden in the Demon’s heart by the color of blue.

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Glosary

Aetatis = age

Clausula = conclusion

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The Untitled Prose:

Is a my request to all that read this particular entry to take it, post it, read it or gift it to yourself, your spouses, you significant others and your children. I hope that it would manifest the love that you have to those who you gave this post to.

The smile that they would show you is my reward.

A reward that would go to my beloved parents in the form of God’s blessings.

THANK YOU

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