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Thought for the day - December 17, 2000

17 Dec 00 - 12:58 AM (#358515)
Subject: Thought for the day - December 17, 2000
From: katlaughing

Night Vision

In the interminable darkness of the night, Nesma closed her eyes, took a deep breath and slipped into her other, winged body. Piercing the silence with one long whistle, she spread her now feathered arms and began a slow ascent, leaving behind the cold, hard ground, meeting pockets of warm air, then icy tendrils of left over cloud formations.

She saw the desert floor far below, shadows and deeper shadows marking its terrain like the creases on her other body's old woman face. Here she felt no creeping of age; here she was free; her eyes were clear, able to see into the far corners of the tattered earth she called Mother.

Tonight she had a special reason for soaring; no pleasure-taking. Tonight she would confirm or deny reports from other winged scouts; reports of dire consequences, if true.

She dipped one wing to the left, lifted her right and banked over the valley they'd mentioned. The shadow dark there was broken by faint glimmers. As she swept closer she could see movement; outlined against the fires, she saw two-leggeds, but not of her race. Their faces were not clear and smooth; their headdresses were oddly shaped; their lodges moved and were placed on high boxes.

A dagger of fear and sorrow pierced her heart. It was true then; the end of life for her beloved peoples and their Mother was come.

Sadly, she returned. She was old and ready to go on. She sorrowed for her people, led the keening as they prepared to go. Then, as they turned up the trail leading away from all they had known and loved, she once more took the form, flew up to the highest cliff, the one that led to the sky, and settled in a hollow. One more gaze over her beloved land; a prescient gaze which showed her strange, tall lodges with big power shining like the sun with many of the other two leggeds and hard looking boxes which moved. She folded her wings over her eyes, sighed deeply and let go...her spirit quietly slipped away.


17 Dec 00 - 02:54 AM (#358522)
Subject: RE: Thought for the day - December 17, 2000
From: Amergin

Dammit, kat, you just had to think of something that didn't open the way for one of my smartass comments, didn't you?

Beautiful


17 Dec 00 - 03:18 AM (#358525)
Subject: RE: Thought for the day - December 17, 2000
From: katlaughing

Well I did mention age, Amergin:-)

Thanks, it is loosely based on a past life memory.


17 Dec 00 - 04:41 AM (#358532)
Subject: RE: Thought for the day - December 17, 2000
From: Ebbie

Well done, kat. Thought provoking and VERY visual.

Ebbie


17 Dec 00 - 12:54 PM (#358593)
Subject: RE: Thought for the day - December 17, 2000
From: Matt_R

It reminds me of something I can't remember.


17 Dec 00 - 05:29 PM (#358698)
Subject: RE: Thought for the day - December 17, 2000
From: katlaughing

Thanks, Ebbie, very much. Matt, was that tongue in cheeck or for real?

kat


17 Dec 00 - 05:35 PM (#358701)
Subject: RE: Thought for the day - December 17, 2000
From: Amergin

I was Marie Antoinette in a previous life.....


17 Dec 00 - 05:38 PM (#358705)
Subject: RE: Thought for the day - December 17, 2000
From: Matt_R

kat---it's a quote from Tolkien.


17 Dec 00 - 05:55 PM (#358717)
Subject: RE: Thought for the day - December 17, 2000
From: katlaughing

Oh, thanks, Matt! I like that, just wasn't sure how to take it:-)

Yeah, right, Amergin and you're still looking for yer head!**BG**


17 Dec 00 - 05:57 PM (#358720)
Subject: RE: Thought for the day - December 17, 2000
From: Matt_R

"...I like your voices...nice little voices. It reminds me of something I can't remember."

Treebeard, The Two Towers

--J.R.R. Tolkien


17 Dec 00 - 07:29 PM (#358781)
Subject: RE: Thought for the day - December 17, 2000
From: Amergin

Yeah, well, at least I still have the head I usually think with.....


18 Dec 00 - 10:05 AM (#359014)
Subject: RE: Thought for the day - December 17, 2000
From: Mrrzy

Matt, did an Ent say it? And kat, luvly, luv, just luvly. As is much tragedy when spawning poetry in words...