time after time

Make You Feel My Love

the broken mirror prophesy

Doka the Mage

“Of course I’m sure. They’re on their way now.” Zem spoke with such confidence that Paul’s brevity was curted. An awkward silence entered the room as the four guests strained for any sounds that could confirm Zem’s charge. Nothing was heard. Doka let out an abrupt scoff and resumed his pacing. His patience was gone. Ten seconds later, the echoed steps of three approaching Queens was heard.

“Dear Doka.” Came from atop the stairs outside the hall. It was Queen Jacquelyn who spoke. The Palace of the Mages was known for having walls with ears. Anything spoken with merit was heard by the Queen. In her wake followed Queen Joanie and Queen Beth-Roonie. “Where is your faith in your partner this morning?”

“Exactly where it’s always been... YOU’RE LATE!”  Albeit chastised, Doka’s mood changed as he shouted up toward the Queens. “You should be more concerned about your own fate with the...”

“Stop.” Queen Jacqueline interrupted the Mage as the three Queens continued to descend the circular stairway. “We need not talk about a future that has many directions. I know you’re concerned… all of you are. But we need not wallow with the fate of the day.”

“Wait, Jackie.” Queen Roonie had words to say and the soapbox she carried was heavy. “The risks are many and I for one would like to discuss what lay ahead. We’ve all had dreams and…”

Before she could complete her thoughts, a distant rumble entered the room. Everyone paused as it grew louder and LOUDER. When its volume tripled, it transformed into a menacing growl--morphed into a jarring roar. A quiver struck the Palace which turned into a quake. The three Queens stopped mid step and grabbed onto the curved railing while the company below did the same… an instinctual lunge for steadfast support. All stood speechless as the Palace began to violently shake. Within seconds, the marble floor cracked and mayhem ensued. A small bench toppled then appeared to spasm on its own; the wooden credenza across the room shuffled to the center of the reception hall, and the elegant wall-table which held a vase of roses flipped on its side. The madness ended with a boom which shattered the large mirror at the foot of the rounded staircase. The three queens seemed glued to the railing while Doka and Zem unattached themselves from the doorway frame. Young Paul was lifting himself from the floor as Commander Arteral untethered himself from the wall he had so eagerly leaned upon. The room was in shambles.

Beth-Roonie was the first to speak, “Is everyone alright? What was that?”

Doka was quick to respond. “It’s started. There’s no escaping it now.”

“What are you talking about? Look at this!” Queen Beth was pointing to the cracked floor, the broken mirror, and the disarray of the room's furnishings. Her voice became frantic as many questions flew from her mouth. “What WAS that?” She pointed at Doka. “Escaping WHAT? What do you know?” Before Doka could answer, she turned her panic toward Jacquelyn and asked, “Is this a part of your dream?” Queen Jackie appeared to be ignoring her friend as she continued down the stairs. “JACQUELYN!”

The Earth Stone bearer had finished her last few steps and was standing atop some of the shards of broken glass. All that remained on the lightly damaged wall was the decorative applique that had lined the mirror. Queen Jacqueline frowned as she gazed into the empty shell where her reflection should have been. There were words carved upon the wall behind the now empty casing--a warning--a cryptic prophecy perfectly framed by the once majestic mirror.“Oh, my...” came from her mouth. “We may already be too late.” She motioned to the two other Queens to join her as she read the message aloud.

“sad wings cast sight upon the rock

    the heart and soul be broken

on time man pleas to open lock

    nil mutat tempora spoken

erase one day beseech the old

     save five into death’s base

left earthen soul with sight go bold

    in right heart time will race  

nine roots to burl inside it lears

    knights non habere guard well

evict the end with hearted tears

   defend the enlightened realm”

The room fell silent again--it was a heavier silence stained by the racing thoughts of all. Joanie’s calm voice broke the dead air with an urgency so unlike her casual demeanor. “The three of us need to get to Widow’s Peak. Everything depends on arriving before time...” Doka stopped her from continuing.

                                                                                                       

“But that WAS...” Doka’s interruption was immediately countered.

“Shhh. No. No, say not another word Doka.” Joanie’s voice swayed from an urgent command to a begging plea.

Suddenly, multiple voices broke into a somewhat syncopated cacophony of questions, conjectures, and commands within the damaged hall. Panic had elevated the concerns of the group into a fevered crescendo. All the voices were eerily silenced by the sound of the mirror's frame as it struck the floor. Queen Jacquelyn took advantage of the jarring boom to realign the focus of her frantic guests.

“Look... on the wall… there’s more!” She was pointing at the uncovered lines that the frame had so modestly hidden. On the top of the prophecy was a sequence of numbers ergo a mathematical equation...

{(4+1)-2}+{(3-2)+1X}=ɑʄɷ

And at the bottom of the message was an additional line which also puzzled the room.

Time saves yet leads to the End ♀↝♂?🕱

Joanie knew in an instant what the message portrayed. Yet she didn’t know the outcome, and it appeared neither did the author. “I understand most all of this.” She said as she rushed to the wall and placed her finger on the question mark. “Our fate is undecided and this is the key. It’s all about the Stones. 'Time' has spoken and 'End' is near. We need to hurry.”

Zem spoke up, “But it’s already too…”

“No… no, it's not. See these two signs?” Joanie pointed to the symbols placed before the question mark. Zem frowned yet was primed to listen. “We are being warned and we must heed this warning… or this will occur.” Her finger had moved to the skull and bones. “I know you want to help… all of you do. But if you’ve notice my Stone, (her hand circle as she pointed at herself), you’ll understand. Trust the Stone of Souls. Can you do this please?”

“Of course we can.” Blurted Doka. “But what are you talking about when you say… End? And those other symbols… they’re...” Doka had only started but Joanie again raised her hand to stop him and continued. “This prophecy speaks of the dreams I’ve been having. They were the warning... and I believe my sister Queens have also been warned. But there was nothing about this question mark in any of my dreams.”

Queen Roonie quickly added, “Yes, I understand… well, a part of it… but not the question mark.” She looked at Jacquelyn who shook her head “no” but immediately decided not to listen and stated, “I’m sorry, but last night I dreamed that… that...” She raised both her palms toward Joanie and sobbed a, “you’re going to die.”

“I know.” Joanie replied. “It's gonna be okay Beth.”  Joanie then pointed back to Jacquelyn and then at Beth-Roonie and continued, “in fact, this will be hard to hear, we’re all to face death before the sun reaches noon.” Her gaze returned to the wall. "Stones linked... this is the key."

“What?” Was all Roonie could say.

Feeling A Belief

I was asked this question by my dear niece... "Uncle Michael? Do u ever feel like Job? U have lost a lot too. How is your faith not shaken? U seem so strong, so positive, despite all you've been through. How do u do it"? ...

My answer albeit two cents:. My dear one, there is no secret or magic fairy dust to ease pain or give comfort to the soul... (granted most everyone looks for such things and finds temporary albeit faux-comfort thru a whole onslaught of chemical proclivities ... and that list is about the longest on the planet). Where do we find our "cores?" The secret doesn't come from the answer but the question itself. It's written "seek and ye shall find" -- "ask and it shall be given unto you"... frankly, love, faith, and hope are not things you can look for or ask to be given. How is it even possible to "find" what's never been hidden?" Or "ask" for something that you've already been given? Seems redundant and slightly hypocritical for people who TRULY believe in God but are not connected to the SPIRIT of a LIVING GOD. The wonder of it all is found in everything, for all life is connected and sacred. The guide is the Spirit... and once you truly sacrifice the "self", the entire world lights up and love pours forth from EVERYWHERE. It surrounds us, protects us... feeds us and becomes the very core we so desperately desire... it melds to your soul... and you not only "understand" but "feel" the joy that comes from the DIVINE TRUTH... you're NEVER ALONE... and when you truly allow the Spirit of THE LIVING GOD inside you, you see the "gifts" of the OMNIPOTENT. And they are EVERYWHERE--they're in music, nature, art, sunshine, the dance, and in all your brothers and sisters ... (the power of a hug has no equal... when no person is there to hug, hug a pet or tree or sunshine.. a song or a dance... or a rainy day or even yourself). We are all a part of something truly magical--something wondrous and grand. The greatest gift in life is BEING WITH GOD... for God is alive... GOD IS LOVE. May love be your guide for it will set you free. And that my dear, is the essence of my "core:,,, faith, hope, and love... but the greatest of these... is LOVE... (airhugs :-) )

A Broken Morning

The two queens disappeared into their adjacent rooms leaving an unsteady silence in the hall. Another morning had come to the Palace of the Mages. As it unfolded, a housekeeper entered the vacant hall. She stopped in front of the small table by the grandfather clock. It took only seconds for her to dust the table, exchange the wilted bouquet with fresh lilacs, and replace the vase's lace doily. As she moved to dust the oaken clock, the sun broke free of its’ earthly bonds and announced the break of day. “Beautiful,” she whispered and continued down the hall. As she rounded the corner, the tower-like clock started to chime. Morning had broken--an unwelcomed morning at that--for this one truly was broken.

... beginning the beginning

A global beginning is challenging--delicate and fragile--and at times, susceptible to great peril. It is ruled by chance--forged within the fabric of time and shaped by the quintessential elements of an ending. If war, albeit a world war, is the catalyst for such change, the aftermath could be catastrophic--a toxic evolution that merges the old to the new. The initial beginning of this tale was plagued by such an event--the worst of wars that left the planet uninhabitable. From finale to debut, an almost lifeless Earth was born. Then something wonderful happened. A thing beyond imaginable... something that gave the world… the Mystical Age of Enlightenment.

The Great Relumination

A thousand years ago, Man ruled the world. His self-imposed reign was a product of his Will--a Will that had negated the truth of the living Spirit. For man had “evolved” into believing he was the superior albeit dominant species on the planet. Greed, hate, fear… these were the tools that had chagrined his cause--the modalities of a Will that had championed his rule. But his drive to dominate had fathered his demise. Through the creation of many so-called “truths,” the societies of humanity were fractured. With continued lies and manipulation, these divisions were kept from the truth--man’s spirit had abandoned the true source of life--forsaken the living God. A divided society grew fearful--skewered by a barrage of propaganda which multiplied their differences. The fringes became violent--violence begat terrorism--terrorism grew to war--and war consumed the planet. For six days, bomb after bomb fell upon the lands. And the third World War had obliterated the planet. Not much survived. On the morning of the seventh day, the horrors of a complete desolation were all that remained atop the ashes of the last Age of Man.

The Great Relumination

Logic dictates that opposites maintain balance in the universe. In order to restore the ravaged world, a miracle was needed. Such a phenomenon occurred on the seventeenth day of September, in the year of 2029. It was the day of the Great Relumination--a rara avis gifted to the world. It began as a cosmic storm over what was once called Lake Michigan.

At 7:10 a.m., an omnipotent thunderhead formed above the southern tip of the great lake. It intensified as it swirled and churned upon itself. Lightning bolts flashed incessantly yet no thunder was heard. The sound had been muted by the roar of the wind--silenced by an event--cyclonic--that circled and rolled and tumbled. The faster it spun, the more daunting it became. At its pinnacle, a vortex formed within the center which further darkened the sun’s morning light. It continued to grow more foreboding. Violent bolts flashed to and fro in every direction. As though driven by some divine presence, it continued to expand then turned into a void. The void ruminated its power as it gobbled up the war-torn putridity that poisoned the air. The more it consumed, the larger it became.

As the air cleared, an unsettling darkness crept across the sky. It swallowed both wind and lightning and further dimmed the morning’s light. Within mere minutes, tiny lights appeared inside the newly formed black abyss. They began to flicker then pop--one became two--two became four, and on and on it went. Stars… they looked like stars--many, many stars. As they multiplied, the light intensified and illuminated the land below. Everything touched by the glow was cleansed--reborn--made anew. The water, the soil, the plants--all life was reluminated to its original glory.

Then something more wondrous occurred. The stars within the void formed into one giant star and brightened more than any eye could behold. It vibrated and shed many pieces. Then it “boomed” and flashed to the heavens. The freed pieces of the once brilliant star turned to Stones and scattered as if seeking out where they belonged. By 8:10 a.m., the world had been saved--the old with the new. But mankind’s reign was no longer in play.

Mankind… “man” and “kind.” Funny how two words when connected can obscure the meaning of both. MAN being a sentient creature having the ability to think, reason, and act logically. And KIND being a word used to describe an action or reaction toward a situation--to act with compassion, to show consideration, to be thoughtful. More so, an overall emotional characteristic that implies the use of empathy and/or sympathy. Considering the outcome of the Age of Man, mankind had been falsely named. But he was still needed--his vital role still to come.

Such was the dawn of the Mystical Age of Enlightenment. A thousand years ago, a new beginning had been forged in the grandest of ways--an omnipotent miracle. The Great Relumination had not only saved the world but had saved mankind. For man had been absolved of his crimes and returned to his rightful place--that as a shared steward of the planet called Earth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YXVMCHG-Nk

A War That Bore a Miracle

A thousand years have passed since the Great Relumination. It took one week for the war of wars to destroy the world. Yet but an hour to reset the lands of yore--lands that sprouted atop the ashes of the last Age of Man. Logic dictates that opposites maintain balance in the universe. It’s only natural that the amassed negative forces that destroyed the reign of man would be countered by an equally positive force--a power unknown to mankind. In order to restore the sanity of an unbalanced world, a miracle was required. Such a phenomenon occurred on the seventeenth day of September, in the year of 2019. It was the day of the Great Relumination--a rara avis gifted to the world which began as a cosmic storm over what was called Ohio.

Beginnings can be delicate--fragile--and at times, susceptible to great peril. But on that great day, the opposite held true--for the unimaginable manifested. A miracle so grand that it changed the world forever. At 7:10 a.m., an omnipotent thunderhead formed above the ruins of Dayton. It’s magnitude intensified as it churned within itself--lightning flashed incessantly but the thunder was muted by the roar of a cyclonic wind. A vortex formed and blackened the morning sky. As it expanded, the war-torn putridity that thickened the air was sucked into the void. As the air cleared, both wind and lightning froze--the quiet halted the return of morning’s light but lasted but a minute for within the blackness of the void, lights began to pop--they looked like stars--hundreds of them...  as they grew, their light intensified and illuminated the land below. Everything touched by the glow was cleansed--reborn anew. The water, the soil, the plants--all life was rejuvenated to its original glory. Then something more wondrous occurred. The “stars” became one and brightened more than any eye could endure--it then vibrated and shed many pieces--“boomed” and flashed to the heavens. The smaller pieces that broke away scattered... finding the bearers of whom they belonged. By 8:10 a.m., the world had been saved--the old with the new. And mankind’s reign had ended.

The Root of Evil

Words--more so… the written word. The Ages of Man had quite the heyday with the advent of the written word.  They used them everywhere and for everything. To convey the spoken language with pen and pad was a powerful tool for every race, culture, governance, and religion. It’s hard to say if they understood the deviance and deception that unfolded from their over-indulgence--their lack of restraint of what should have been a gift to their Ages. Poetry, storytelling, simple historical documentation, information exchange, and above all else... the conveyance of love should have been the “end-all” for the written word. To have beauty and detail printed upon paper for the betterment of the species was a gift. But humanity wanted more--they delved into that which had no reverence for the power of the written word--religion and law.

The downfall of the Ages of Man was championed by the written word. Their spiritless religions focused more on the “words” rather than the actual spirit. They had a religion where the word was thought to be sacred--above reproach. And their laws grew so complex and multidimensional that they had legions of interpreters to determine their meanings.  The power of the written word had led them to their own destruction. A society that allowed such nonsense to corrupt then destroy the world at large was destined to face obliteration. There were some who knew the difference. But the voices of the few who understood and believed in the Spirit of Life were silenced. The power of the many outweighed the voice of the few. And those corrupted by the many words they served led the Ages of Man down a path which had no other outcome but doom.

The Great Relumination

A thousand years have passed since the Great Relumination. It took one week for the war of wars to destroy the world. Yet but an hour to reset the lands of yore--lands that sprouted atop the ashes of the last Age of Man. Logic dictates that opposites maintain balance in the universe. It’s only natural that the amassed negative forces that destroyed the reign of man would be countered by an equally positive force. In order to restore the sanity to an unbalanced world, a miracle was required. Such a phenomenon occurred on September 17th, 2019. It was the day of the Great Relumination--a rara avis gifted to the world which started with the appearance of the Stone.

Beginnings can be delicate--fragile--and at times, susceptible to great peril. But on that great day, the opposite held true--for the unimaginable manifested. A miracle so grand that it changed the world forever. At 7:10 a.m., an omnipotently luminous Stone appeared in the sky. It’s magnificence intensified--brightened-- then expanded. As it swelled, the war-torn putridity that poisoned the air was sucked into the Stone. As the air cleared, the beams intensified and illuminated the land below. Everything touched by the glow was cleansed--reborn anew. The water, the soil, the plants--all life was rejuvenated to its' original glory. Then something more wondrous happened. The Stone grew brighter than any eye could endure--it vibrated and shed many pieces--“boomed” and flashed to the heavens. The smaller pieces scattered into the paradise left below. By 8:10 a.m., the world had been saved--the old with the new. And mankind’s reign had ended.

Mankind… “man” and “kind.” Funny how two words when connected can obscure the meaning of both. MAN being a sentient creature having the ability to think, reason, and use logic. And KIND being a word used to describe an action or reaction toward a situation--to act with compassion, to show consideration, to be thoughtful... an overall emotional characteristic that implies the use of empathy and/or sympathy. Considering the outcomes of the Ages of Man, “mankind” had not lived up to the expectations associated with either word.

Such was the dawn of the Mystical Age of Enlightenment. Mankind was no longer in charge--his dominion was over. Yet humanity had truly been blessed on that long overdue day. Since he was still needed, the Stone had also absolved him of his crimes and reallocated him to his rightful place in life--that as a shared stewart over the planet Earth.

Stones... The Mystical Age of Enlightment

A Time of Stones

A long time ago, we were given...  Stones. They had ushered in the Fifth Age of Man albeit the Mystical Age of Enlightenment.

A millennium had passed since the loss of the fourth Age of Man. Humanity had been given yet another chance at life--had been given a gift through that which is the Stones. Equality--value--unity--they were no longer meaningless words to this Fifth Age of Man. The Stones changed everything. They gave mankind the ability to cherish life and embrace the spirit of the world. Nature had truly blossomed and was strengthened by the Spirit of the Stones. Humanity was no longer alone. The many life forms that had hidden from man had emerged onto the world. And the once believed lesser in life had secured their rightful place alongside mankind.

The society of man had evolved. Its claim of dominion over all life forms had been absolved and exchanged for one of harmony and inclusion. Love had triumphed and was now the norm. The world had become but one--such was the gift given by the Stones.

The Ages of Man

Society had embraced the Spirit--life’s truest gift from the Stones. But it hadn’t been an easy road. Man had ignored the many lessons he had experienced during the four prior Ages--he had wrestled with his own humanity throughout the four Ages of Tears. Yet history has naught a sense of irony, for a circle had been formed that brought man once again to an Age of Stones.

The first Age of Man was that of the Stone Age--a time more relevant to this Age. It was a time when we were nothing more than a chess piece on the gameboard of life, a pawn of nature--one of many life forms on the planet Earth--all equally challenged in a fight for existence. Survival was the driving force. As the Metal Age unfolded, man learned to use his surroundings to not only improve his life but impose his will upon it--his need to survive had been replaced by his desire to dominate.

It was then that the Dark Age of Man had spread across the lands. Countries formed--wars thrived. Religions fractured and brought chaos to the world of man. Human will had found its home. It solidified through the claim that a deity had authorized man’s rule. But with so many Gods encased in multiple religions, unity had no place to grow. As the Fourth Age unraveled, glimpses of hope had begun. Science had exploded. Art, music, and the dance had cherry picked their professors who had in turn fed the masses the many flavors of the Spirit. Love had developed its own language and for a time, it looked as though man would break through this 4th Age of Reasoning and Information. But man was stubborn and held tight to its declaration of rule.

Looking back through these Ages, it is without a sense of bewilderment that humanity survived at all. For the first Age albeit the Stone Age, had too been given the gift of the Stones--the knowledge of the stars laid at their feet. But because of their pride, humanity had forgotten its place and threw away these Stones. Without their Spirit to guide and love, the world was left in pain.  And this is why the Earth suffered through four Ages of Tears. And then came the Fifth Age of Man--a rebirth of the Stone Age--The Mystical Age of Enlightenment--the Age of the Stones.