The Mountain Wears a Ring of Gold – Interludes
January 21, 2023Master of Forges Kisaan moved across the Central Forge with a slow, liquid grace that stood out amongst the barely-controlled chaos that drove everyone else. The quiet jangle of row after row of medals recognizing her talents and dedication across decades went unheard against the cacophony of hammer blows and shouts. Yet, for all the noise and the fact that she wore a dark leather apron which covered them, she wore a quiet smile as though she could hear them clanking again stone another quite clearly and found the sound pleasing to her ears. Young men and women clad in…
Learning to Walk Again
Today has brought something into sharp relief that had not been apparent until the last month. Every single struggle I’ve had over the last year and change has been exacerbated by work. Yes, I have had my fair share of…
What was Fallow Ripens Once More
It’s hard for me to describe where my head is at right now with this new job. I feel like a man who has been battling a deadly disease, one whose prognosis and final destination were long ago sealed in…
Hope – Part 3
I’d forgotten how nice it feels to have a story to keep me grounded. Happy Holidays everyone. Hope – Part 3 The feed stopped as suddenly as it had started. The image hung in the air, brain matter dripping off…
Hope – Part 2
I promised myself that I wouldn’t let posts here linger any longer. I didn’t anticipate my father dying. I’m writing again but it’s going to be a long time before it feels as fluid and natural as it once did. …
Hope – Part 1
“That’s what they get for sending a man to do a woman’s job.” The quiet condemnation came from the woman entering the command center of the Nexus Project. The techs, scientists, and the Adjunct Commander of the facility turned towards…
It’s Time to be a Tender of Words Once More
“A garden requires patient labor and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them.” – Liberty Hyde Bailey I haven’t been a good gardner of late. It’s…
The Ricky Bobby Summertime of the Soul
In Talladega Nights, Will Farrell played Ricky Bobby, a man whose habits trended to the absurd. One of them, a comedic gem of the highest quality, was the fact that Ricky Bobby never knew what to do with his hands…
Happy 4th of July! The mass shooting in Highland Park was one of 250 so far in 2022.
We make a huge deal out of celebrating our nation upon this day. The fireworks, the barbecues, the time with friends and family. The drinking. Oh my lord, the drinking. While we were bickering and cooking and lighting money on…
A Season of Changes
I’ve had the Quill now for six years as of this summer. That normally wouldn’t be a huge deal. Hell, there are t-shirts I’ve owned for twice that amount of time. I have receipts that I’m using for bookmarks that…
Of Paladins and Darkness
I just told one of my oldest friends that he was nothing more than a selfish coward. It doesn’t help one bit that it was true. When I was young, I thought being good was like being a paladin in…