The Beauty of Poems // I bought my friend's poetry book!!!

You probably noticed in my vlog on Friday, that I read out a poem written by Julia Ryan. And not only that, but it was read out from an actual physical paperback book.

That, my friends, is because Julia Ryan has her AMAZING poetry available to buy.

Hence today you get a post with lots of beautiful photos (credit to my sister - obviously) and not very many words (I blame camp nano).

When I heard the news, I was so super insanely excited. I bought it that day. And YES, it was, like, a bit over twenty dollars (what with converting US dollars to AUD + postage) but that's the price I have to pay for about 80% of new books. And this was absolutely and definitely worth every cent.

"I laugh a lot

for no good reason

sometimes

I just catch myself doing it

and then I grin

and keep on laughing"

"her laugh

it's changed

it seems a bit more open

almost a bit more

f r e e "

 

"I thought that books were

harmless enough

but I was wrong

they aren't just a bunch of words

printed out on paper

they play with your mind

giving you a sensation

of a world

you are yet to be a part of"

Poetry is such a beautiful gift. Reading through this was so amazing and I could honestly feel the realness that was behind each poem. Every poem has a story that shows just a little bit of the author's heart. The part of them that isn't often on display for anyone to see. 

That's one of the things that I love most about poetry and about songs and about writing. It's all like a little glimpse into a deeper person.

"you have to be brave

to let people in

to trust them

with your story

and heart

and love

you can't just run away

bc you are scared"

. . .

"be brave

trust in God

and then

my dear friend

you will find beauty"

I know that with some of my artistic creations (using words, of course, because drawing/paint = nooope) I pour my time and my energy into it and there is so much of me in the stories and the characters and the words and phrases. 

To be entrusted with reading someone else's story and heart should be just as scary as telling people yours. Because we're handling something that is so close to them that it should be frightening. And for me, it is. But in a way that makes me excited and so alive.

Because we've got to be brave, even if it doesn't feel like we can be. 


Check out the lovely Julia Ryan at her blogging corner of the internet to find out more about this wonderful person - and hop over to her poetry blog for some of her amazing works!!
Blog - The Barefoot Gal
Poetry blog(!!!) - Twilight to Dawn
and don't forget to check out her 'my poetry book' page and BUY IT NOW.

Do you like reading or writing poetry?
(if the answer is yes - shoo, off you go and buy Julia's book. If the answer is no. . . off with you and do it anyways)

July Camp NaNo // I interview some cabin members

One of the things I find fun about family, is that sometimes they jokingly agree to something when thinking that I'm not serious at all. And then when they discover that I was entirely legit, they can't lower themselves to back out. (looking right at you, Jess. :P)

So today I've got a vlog for you all featuring two members of my family (and my cabin). In which they have to answer the quiz questions or I will whack them over the heads with my notebook.

I would also just like to applaud their skills of talking on camera because it was me - the one who has done four vlogs so far - who started talking backward and inside out first. The others were actually decent. *applauds them*

Also notice: I'm not wearing a t-shirt. Finally. XD (I told you I owned other shirts. :P)

Tell me a bit about what you're working on for camp??
(pretty please?)
What's three quirky things about your characters?

A Beginner Violin-er

Okay everyone, be prepared to cover your ears...I feel a crazy poem (if it can be called that) coming on...

A Beginner Violin-er

An instrument ‘most all have seen

So very soft and nicely clean

Its sound has been

Heard, not by few.

Carrying strings and a bow

Full of tunes, high and low.

The melody seemed to flow

As the wind blew.

Songs that waft ‘round the room,

Not a band nor a boom,

A light in the gloom

To give a clue.

But it doesn’t stop at that,

You’ll take off your hat

And flee far away, at

The moment I tell you.

Not as sweet as you thought

It can be used for nought.

You must know, it ought

Be a weapon too.

With a screech of strings

A note that rings

You can’t guess the things

It might do to you.

The bow like a sword!

A weapon unflawed;

Much regret would be poured

At its slash ‘ere you knew.

Watch out for a scare,

Danger hangs on the air,

Take my warning, Beware!

I am a beginner violin-er

And I am! A few Wednesdays ago I became the owner of a violin, and the owner of a lot less money...heh, that's what happens when your parents say you have to buy it yourself. (Note: I am aware that the correct word is 'violinist' but 'violin-er' sounded cooler.)

We didn't end up getting the violin I mentioned in 'Of Two Sorts of Bows and Several Other Matters'  'cause it turned out to be way too expensive (as in, I don't even have that much money). So we went along to a violin shop and got a new one instead! But I consider that even better as I got to bring it home right away. :)
  

Last Sunday (as in the one a week before yesterday), there was a meeting after church and Sarah and I had both schemed to bring our violins. We figured that since we were both learning, and both agreed that we sounded bad, it'd be all good! So we had a great time playing around together, and some onlisteners (is that a word?) even claimed that we didn't sound awful!
My first lesson was Wednesday, and it was fun. I've got the same teacher as Sarah and she'd loned me her music, so I'd already played it. That gave me a little advantage and it was fairly easy.

Clare took a ton of photos of me on Tuesday, and has been playing with them for half the week. (She is doing so as I speak...er, write.) She took the photos in this post and I believe that she will be doing a post on her blog with more photos sometime. No idea when.

So...I am now learning violin, and having fun doing it too. Before you leave, check out the latest Fragment of If Adventure Comes Your Way. And you could even comment! Please?

Fare Thee Well!

'Brace Yourself'

So...something happened that, a while ago, I wouldn't have ever expected. I've kept you all in suspense, although most of my followers already know, because they've seen me. I almost considered not doing a post just for a certain cousin of mine (yeah, Jessica, I'm talking about you...),  because I thought it would be funny to just turn up at Christmas time and freak her out. I did rather want to see her face when she saw me. But...just 'cause I'm nice, I didn't. 
Right, so to get right to the whole point of this post:

 I Have Glasses.

Okay, it all started with the projector at church. I'd been having trouble reading it and I eventually mentioned it to someone. This resulted in a frown and a few weeks later, an eye test. To use the exact words of the Eye-Doctor-person: "You are the best case for needing glasses that I've had today." (Sorry about that very generalised summary, I could go into more depth, but it's not much of an interesting tale.)

Yeah, so after that I had to choose frames for the glasses. Those who know me will also know that I really don't like making decisions. Really. And this wasn't just any decision, it was one that was going to stay around for quite a while. In the end I decided on a black frame, nice and simple, nothing fancy, just like me really (In case you didn't know, I have a strong distaste for most things fancy).

Last Tuesday they were ready so Daddy and I, along with my three littler siblings, went down to pick them up. When I put them on I just said, "Wow." I couldn't think of anything better to say. It truly is wow-ish. Driving back home I read out about every sign we passed just 'cause I could, and commenting on all the jacaranda trees, that are flowering now, had so many flowers! The trees have so many leaves, the grass is so...umm...grassy, my feet look really small, not to mention that I can't work out if the ground looks close or far away.

Sadly, Tuesday and Wednesday were all cloudy, but finally on Thursday the sky was clear. And at night I went outside to look at the stars. So cool. I thought I could see heaps of stars before. But now? Now I can see loads more. And they're not just random blobs of light, they're actually more like holes in the sky, opening up into some other realm full of adventures and fantasy.

Naturally my sister Clare, who is also a photographer, would not allow me to do a post without pictures. So we managed to find a sunny few minutes just before the sun set the other day and she took a few photos. 

Yep. Just a few (I know, it's amazing). As I said, it was only minutes until the sun set so I am still to be subjected to a more lengthy photo-shoot. But to look on the bright side: I don't even have to pay! Which is a good thing, because I've already spent all my money on Christmas presents. Two Christmas presents (Guess what! They were books!).
I didn't really have much money to start off with. Actually I still haven't earned the money to pay my Mum back. I'm doing that at the end of this month though, so it's all sorted. I still haven't had any inspiration as to what to give any of the rest of my family yet, but I'm working on it. 

Right, sorry, I'll get back to the point.

One sad thing is that I can't show other people how much difference the glasses make. Everything looks so amazing! But if I'd always been able to see this much I wouldn't think it was amazing, it'd just be normal. I think all my siblings have tried on my glasses, most thought things looked really over sharpened, but my almost-two-year-old little sister, Ann, didn't say. She just stared at me and then smeared her hands across the lenses so I had to clean them if I wanted to see anything other than smear. I wonder why she did that? (Sorry...sarcasm runs in the family.)

Basically I have to wear my glasses all the time unless I'm doing something that's close; like stuff on the computer, reading and school work. Apparently if I wear them while doing that kind of thing my eyes could get worse. And I'm already half-blind enough, so I'm fine with taking them off. :)

 So there we go. Now you know that I have glasses. To finish off this post I think a poem (written by Skilf, naturally) about my glasses would be fitting. She wrote this as if from my point of view, after I told her about my glasses. She seemed to find it rather amusing when I mentioned the church projector being the bane of my life, as you will notice...

‘The Bane of My Life’

Oh the bane of my life, the projector.

To glasses and short-sightedness lie,

Forever to squint, or glasses to wear,

For I have the myopic eye.

Pray, come near me not, my dear friends,

For catching, my case may well be,

And you do not want to have glasses,

All the bother and annoyance, trust me.

All the smudges and all of the dust specks,

All the smears and the random chap’s stare,

I haven’t decided, but they might just be worth it,

For all that they rather impair.

For now I can see, what astonishment!

An amazing occurrence, I’m sure.

Oh the stars in the sky are quite brilliant,

Of the trees and the land I see more.

So maybe, just maybe, I don’t mind much,

Does the benefit outweigh all the blight?

I am yet unsure, but I’ll say one thing;

Glasses ain’t that bad...well, not quite.

Fare Thee Well!

Dusty Red - The Denouement

So. It is done. This instalment of Dusty Red is the final, last, completion, conclusion, denouement (Pronounced den-oo-mah. I believe it's French.) and just generally the end of the story...

Or is it?

Someone once said that all good things must come to an end...or must they?
As you read this last instalment you may finally realise that this is simply the beginning. The Introduction, so to speak, the Preface, Foreword.  

I can't say that the ending came easily, as my sisters will assure you. I spent all yesterday afternoon sitting on my bed with a laptop, making sounds like Chewbacca (the Wookiee) or something in mortal agony.
But I did eventually get there, I hope that you enjoy this last part of the written story of Dusty Red.

Trancos was holding Larzik at arm’s length, while the Imp-goblin beat at his long arms with his stick.

“Horrible, horrible human!” Larzik screeched. “How could you do that?”

“Larzik!” Skilf exclaimed. “What is wrong?”

Larzik hesitated and Trancos dropped him abruptly, retreating several paces.

“Horrible…cruel…double-crosser!” Larzik stuttered.

“Double-crosser?” Nainsi asked. “What do you mean?”

“He tried to step on a Twigin,” Larzik proclaimed solemnly.

Trancos held up his hands in a gesture of innocence when all eyes turned to him. “It was an accident, okay?” he said. “It happens to everyone.”

Skilf slapped her forehead and Flicks turned to her anxiously. “Something wrong?”

“Nainsi! That’s who you look like,” she looked at Trancos. “You’re related to Nainsi.”

Fred dropped onto Flicks’ shoulder. “I concur,” she said. “I’ve had a slight suspicion for a while now.”

“Oh really?” Flicks muttered sarcastically so only her Skilf and Fred could hear.

Nainsi stood stock still, her eyes fixed on Trancos. “You were dead,” she whispered eventually.

“Nainsi,” Trancos began. “I didn’t want it to be like this. But it had to be, I couldn't do anything about it. I couldn't leave my post.”

Nainsi looked down at her shoes. “I see,” she said.

“But I never forgot my sister,” Trancos completed softly.

“Your si—” Flicks clapped her hand over Skilf’s mouth before she could interrupt the reunion.

Nainsi raised her eyes to her brother. “Trancos,” was all she said before running to him, throwing her arms around his neck.

“Brother and sister,” Skilf murmured quietly when Flicks removed her hand. “I never would have guessed.”

“Nor I,” piped Larzik. “If I’d known I’d never had hit him so hard.”

“But you still would have hit him?” Flicks asked, amused.

Larzik tilted his head to one side thoughtfully. “Probably,” he said, a grin splitting his bronze skin.

Fred flicked her tail and snaked her head out in front of Flicks’ face. “I believe our Tree friends have something interesting to tell us,” she said.

Flicks turned. A Twigin was jumping up and down excitedly, pointing at the forest. Flicks frowned and looked towards the woods. She was just in time to see a regal figure sweep from the shadows.

“Queen Alwyn’Miriella,” Larzik squeeked reverently, lowering himself onto one knee in a deep bow.

The tall Dragontíre queen smiled down at him. “You have done well Larzik,”she commended him. “I must say I hardly expected that you’d continue this quest with as much enthusiasm as you started with.”

Flicks blinked slowly and cleared her throat. What, exactly, was the queen doing here?

The graceful queen turned to the four young companions. “And you,” she said. “I congratulate you on your success.” 

“Our success?” Flicks questioned.

“Yes,” Queen Alwyn replied. “What else would you call this? The enemy is vanquished: banished forever to the world of villains. The family reunited. The goal completed.”

“Oh,” Flicks and Skilf said together, somewhat sadly.

“But now!” the queen said, clapping her hands sharply. “We must get back to the palace. There are things that need to be arranged.”

“Like what?” Nainsi asked.

“Like a celebration feast,” Queen Alwyn suggested.

“Let’s go!” Fred yelped excitedly, jumping into the air.

“Are you ready? I have a rather quicker way in mind than walking, so, if you don’t mind, it might be an idea to close your eyes for a moment,” the queen instructed.

Flicks glanced around at the others and shrugged before complying. A moment later the Dragontíre queen spoke again. “You can open them again.”

“Yikes!” Flicks jumped backwards upon doing so. “How did we get here?”

 “I told you I had a faster way of travel planned,” Queen Alwyn pointed out.

They stood in the middle of an empty room in Esueño castle. The white walls and blue patterned ceiling left them in no doubt. “Now for the feast I promised,” the queen said, rubbing her hands together. She disappeared through the far doorway.

Flicks looked around at her companions, all as bewildered as she. “Erm…what do we do now?” she asked.

“Maybe we should follo—” Skilf began but a gush of rust coloured smoke pouring from under a door interrupted her. “Why do I never get to finish my sentences?” she moaned to herself as she followed Flicks to investigate.

Flicks pulled open the door, stepping aside in time to let the flood of rusty smoke billow out past her. Skilf, unfortunately, got caught right in the middle on it and it took her quite some time to cease coughing.

Flicks advanced into the dimly light room, sniffing at the queer smell of rust, smoke and other unidentifiable scents. She found Old Ron sitting happily in the middle of a pile of rust, smiling broadly at a perfectly unrusty piece of metal.

He glanced up as Flicks drew closer. “Oh, ye be back!” he beamed. “Will ye jest look at this, Flicks. It’s an Unrust Illusion. Jest like ye said!”

Flicks stared at Old Ron and then a smile crept slowly across her lips. She shook her head, “You’ll never change, will you.”

-------------------------------------------

“Now, as we near the end of this feast,” Alwyn’Mirriella, Queen of all Esueno said. “I’d like to draw several members of our company to your attention.”

She turned to the table at which sat the honoured guests of the feast: Flicks, Skilf, Nainsi, Trancos, Larzik and, of course, Fred (who was enjoying herself immensely). “Nainsi and Trancos have asked that I give them no reward and so I simply thank them wholeheartedly for their hand in saving or realm.”

The crowd of Dragontíre cheered and then waited for their queen to speak once more.

“The Imp-goblin, Larzik Veiltgrangil, has done deeds worthy of great ballads and lays. Therefore I have made it possible that he be knighted!”

The crowd roared enthusiastically. Larzik almost fell from his seat in shock.

The queen turned to him, passing him a short sword with a graceful curtsey.

Larzik took it and the Queen continued. “I hereby declare you Sir Larzik! If any Imp-goblin is deserving of this title, it is you.”

Larzik stumble back to his seat and collapsed into it. “I can’t believe it,” he muttered over and over again.

“And Flicks and Skilf, Dragontwins, were a pivotal part of the overthrowing of evil,” Queen Alwyn said. “I offer them the greatest reward of all. Whatever they ask of me, I shall grant them.”

Flicks looked uncertainly at Skilf as the queen looked questioningly at them. “I can’t think of anything,” she whispered. “I guess I could go back home.”

“To Asturialia or whatever you said it was?” Skilf asked.

“Yeah, Australia.”

“Well,” Skilf said. “If you’re going, I’m going too.” She looked up and raised an eyebrow at the queen. “We’d like to go to Australia,” she said decisively. “Maybe we’ll find something interesting to make into an adventure there,” she murmured in an aside to Flicks.

“Very well, since that is your wish,” the queen said, nodding as if she’d expected as much. “Whenever you want to leave, I will be happy to assist you.”

“How ‘bout later tonight?” Skilf asked cheerfully.

-------------------------------------------

“Are you sure you don’t want to come, Old Ron?” Flicks asked.

“I be sure o’ it,” he nodded. “Look at all the rust I be havin’ ‘ere. Mebe ye’ll come an’ visit again,” the rust-worker suggested.

Nainsi hugged Skilf and Flicks quickly. “Thanks for everything,” she said, smiling. “And do come visit. Just every now and then, so we can keep in touch.”

“We’ll do our best,” Flicks assured her.

The newly knighted Larzik stepped forward. “It’s because of you that I can become a knight,” he said gratefully.

“Say nothing of it,” Flicks brushed his thanks aside.

“My descendants will be forever indebted—”

Skilf raised her eyebrows. “Literally, say nothing of it,” she added.

“Where’s Fred?” Flicks asked, glancing around for the little dragon. 

Everyone else shrugged, mimicking her action of looking around.

“Well, if you’re ready to leave,” the queen began.

Flicks and Skilf nodded.

The Dragontíre queen raised her hands but a green blur forestalled her.

“Wait for me,” Fred panted, collapsing on Flicks’ shoulder. “I’m coming too.”

“You are?” Flicks and Skilf asked in unison.

“Of course,” Fred looked hurt, as only a dragon can. “Did you think I’d want to stay here?”

“I never doubted you,” Skilf hastily reassured her.

Flicks snorted derisively. “So you say,” she looked back to the queen. “Now we’re ready your majesty.”

The queen raised her hands and a vivid golden light shot through the room.

Flicks blinked and glanced around. She stood in the remains of Ron’s Rust and co., the summer sun burning down on her head.

Skilf looked around her. “So this is Australia?” she stuck out her bottom lip. “Not bad really, not bad.”

Fred flapped her wings and jumped down onto the red dust. “Very hot,” she remarked, glaring up at the sun. 

“It normally is in a desert,” Flicks pointed out. She ran her fingers through her hair ruefully, “I’m going to need a new hat, I left mine in Rocos somewhere.”

“Well, I suppose that’s basically the end of the fantasy adventures,” Skilf commented somewhat sadly.

Just then a familiar sound caught their ears. A piercing screech erupted from behind them. Flicks and Skilf spun around as, from the ruins of Old Ron’s cottage, a cloud of Leafits and Twigins rose into the air, rushing towards them with a joyful shriek.

“Or not,” Flicks said.

~

Thus ends the telling of Dusty Red. As you can see the story has basically only just begun but I shall have to inform you that I haven't received any more updates from Skilf as to their current activities. Updates from Skilf? you ask.

Oh, did I forget to tell you? Well, I'll tell you now, Skilf occasionally sends me a few words of either prose or poetry (which she is none to good at I must admit) and it was she who told me of all these adventures of which you have been reading. I may show you a few snippets of her work every now and then when she sends in more... I have one particularly amusing poetry piece that I'm sure you'll enjoy, perhaps I'll post it next Friday...(Notice the perhaps.)

Since I have officially finished Dusty Red I would greatly welcome any comments bearing on the subject of another story. I know that not all of you are good at things like this (not saying that I'm terribly good either) but I'd be happy for any random ideas...story plot...characters (although I do have vague ideas for them)...or other random things that you'd like to see in a second Serial Choose-Your-Own-Adventure story.

Thanks everyone for sticking around for twenty-six weeks or so. I really appreciate it. :D I'm going to be busy for a while, thinking up more information on the next story, so...

Fare Thee Well!

Rubbishy, Ridiculous Rhymes

   This is a collection of random rhymes I've made up, I admit most of them are pretty dreadful, but I find them funny; I've left out the really bad ones. You should be able to recognise what nursery rhyme I took them off. They are a bit weird sometimes...

Little miss Muppet

sat on a tuffet

eating some delicious hay,

she said a big 'yum'

and bit off her thumb

and cried for the rest of the day

Humpty Dumpty slept on the fence,

he dreamt that he was doing a dance.

He wiggled and juggled so much that he fell

off the fence and into a well.

Little miss Muppet

sat on her tuffet eating her curds and whey

she bit off her thumb

and then called out, 'Mum!'

and went home and cried all the way

King Jack and Queen Jill,

they went up the hill

for to fetch their pale coloured daughter.

King Jack he fell down 

and he broke up his crown

Queen Jill fell in a puddle of water

Young miss Little

sat on a prickle

and jumped up and yelled out, 'Hey!'

she pulled it out fast

and sat on the grass

and stayed there the rest of the day

I thought you might prefer the new version on that one. At least the other ones mostly all rhyme.

Young miss Tickle

sat on a prickle

and jumped up and yelled out, 'Hey!'

she pulled it out fast

and then said, 'At last!'

and stayed there the rest of the day

How do you like them? I made them all up off the top of my head, so you can't really expect them to be perfect. Besides it shows my great poetic talent.

~ Jane, Misty Maiden

Spring

Spring

Ah, spring is so nice,

So fresh and full of spice

The wind in the trees

The blossoms and the bees

Spring; the fresh air,

so cool and so fair

the sounds you can hear,

from afar and from near

The lovely blue sky,

Oh, it makes me sigh

in wonder, in rapture 

I can barely start to capture

He who made the creation

With such strong foundation

I'll praise him forever

whether rich, or beggar

~ Jane, Misty Maiden

Silly Poems

   My sister Alice has been reading a book of poems for Sonlight, that she is doing in school. As she read it through she found a lot of really, really silly poems... for example... 

It would melt,

in my hand-

the autumn frost

~By Basho Matsuo

The old pond-

a frog jumps in,

plop!

~By Basho Matsuo

A tethered horse,

snow

in both stirrups.

~Yosa Buson

I go,

you stay;

 two autumns.

~Yosa Buson

The snail-

one long horn,one short,

what's on his mind?

~Yosa Buson

I May, I Might, I Must

If you will tell me why the fen

appears impassable, I then

will tell you why I think that I

can get across it if I try.

~Marianne Moore

Don't worry, spiders,

I keep house

casually

~Kobayashi Issa

Don't kill that fly!
Look-it's wringing its hands,
wringing its feet.
~Kobayashi Issa

See what I mean? They're crazy! Now, there are more, but the poems are too long so I'll just put the titles.

The Pirate Don Durk of Dowdee

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod

How to Eat a Poem

I'm nobody! Who are you?

"Hope" is the thing with feathers

Pachycephalosaurus

Ode on a Grecian Urn

Maggie and milly and molly and may

Ok, these ones are too silly to only hear the titles!

Silly Song

Mama,
I wish I were silver.

Son,
You'd be very cold.

Mama,
I wish I were water.

Son,
You'd be very cold

Mama,
Embroider me on your pillow.

That,yes!
Right away!
~Federico Garcia Lorca


Mr Lizard is Crying

Mr lizard is crying.
Mrs lizard is crying.

Mr and Mrs lizard
with little white bibs.

They have carelessly 
lost their wedding ring.

Oh, their little ring of lead,
oh, their little leaden ring!

A big sky with nobody in it
rides the birds on its balloon.

The sun, that rounded captain,
wears a vest of satin.

See how old they are!
How old the lizards are!

Oh, how they cry and cry,
oh, oh, how they are crying!
~Federico Garcia Lorca

   With some of those poems I wonder how in the world the authors ever got them published!That is only a few...but now, on the subject of silly poems... my sister Clare has written some silly ones that she wishes that she didn't write, this is how they go...Ok I'm not actually going to say what they are...she might, actually would, murder me if I did. But I will show you one of my not so silly poems that I wrote for school:

His Memory Lives On

Ned Kelly was a bush ranger

He was the talk of town

But Ned was not so murderous

As some o’ the men put down

He lived his life a fleein’

 From those who tracked his trail

 Until that day they caught him

Dressed in handmade mail

They took him to the jail

And he stood before the judge

To some he was a hero

To others a dirty smudge

Although he died that very day

His memory will live on

Throughout Australian history

He will never ever be gone.

   Now, verging off topic, I have this favourite random quote that is really useful, I can say it in response for nearly every thing! It is, 'What a let down.' But the thing about it is that it comes from a Colin Buchanan DVD that the boys sometimes watch, and it is Nudge who says it... so you have to say it in a Nudge sort of voice, which makes it even better...And to add to the bargain, Clare doesn't go crazy, like she does when Alice and I see how long we can have a conversation only using quotes.

   Have you read any silly poems you'd like to share? Please feel free to comment any time...

~ Jane, Misty Maiden