BLUE

In praise of Green Dragons

I wonder what I’ll do

If a green dragon will show up in my bedroom

Will I gesture for him to come closer,

With a shaky finger will I touch his rough skin

And feel him purr with pleasure

And when he’ll hover over me,

The tang of smoke will make me sneeze.

With the morning light and chirping birds

He will evaporate as a puff of smoke

The sun’s rays will sashay over my pillow

Spraying golden dust in its folds

And only the faint scent of smolder,

And the stab in my finger

Will remind me,

A green dragon was here and I touched it.

Forever young

The markings on the road

Yellow lines mark the center of a two-way road used for two-way traffic. You may pass on a two-way road if the yellow center line is broken. When a solid and a broken yellow line are together, you must not pass if you are driving next to the solid line. Two solid yellow lines mean no passing. Never drive to the left of these lines.

https://driversed.com/driving-information/signs-signals-and-markings/markings-colors-patterns-meaning.aspx

***

I drive down the road, not a very good driver, never was. My mind tends to wander, my eyes to look inside rather than outside. A minute before I slide off the road I focus on the road’s markings, latch on to the yellow center lines let them lead me through.

***

I repeat the guidelines like a well-rehearsed mantra;

Broken yellow line,

It is ok to cross now

Solid and unbroken

Stop! Don't move to the other side

Don’t try to drive around the person in front

Go, go! Now it’s the right time.

***

The instructions so clear, no need to overthink; yes, no! not now, later after the curve. I drive and hum, drive and recite.

Broken yellow line,

It is ok to cross now…

***

I often yearn for the way of life to be that clear; I will watch and follow the lines, I will make it with ease from here to there, with a smooth undisturbed movement.

Go, go! Now it’s the right time.

Quick, make your move

There is no time to spare.

***

No hesitations, no back and force, no maybe but not now.

On the road, the yellow markings are talking,

I obey, I act.

YELLOW

White is the color of new beginnings

Words have set whole nations in motion…Give me the right word and the right accent and I will move the world. Joseph Conrad

In the beginning. 

In the beginning, when God created the world, it was formless. The dark and the light were all intermingled, swirling in the open space.  The moon and stars were in two opposite sides, and the sun tucked in a far shady corner. And so, he patiently constructed an order and set everything in the right place. He did it all in 6 days and produced the biggest, most told story of them all.

When I sit across my loyal computer for a split second, I feel the same kind of power. I am a creator; I create worlds with the movement of my fingers. I take words and tame them. I pull them out of the void or send them back. I place them one next to the other and then on a moment’s whim I rearrange them again and again. I create meaning; I create chaos, I create life.

I am a story teller, and with this power, I can make you listen to me and ask for more. You want to know if the stories I tell you are true, I can see it in your eyes. “Did it happen to you?”  The question is starting to form on your lips. “Did you meet these people?” your forehead is knotting. “This is too wonderful to be true,” a second of doubtful look. But I am the story teller, and you are afraid if you express your doubts there will be no more stories. You are addicted now, and you want more, more of the sweet substance that intoxicates the mind and makes you go into an imaginary realm where everything is possible, and the truth is an option, not a must.

So, let me tell you a story.

Like so many good stories it will start with the words: “Long time ago, in a far away land…” and already you are captured by the words, taking them all in, and the magic begins; a picture created. “Long time ago…far away land," you can see it. The light is different, darker, the shape of the land is unfamiliar, and the thick, thick woods are awe inspiring. In the distance, casting its shade and looking ominous you can spot the castle. I did not have to tell you; you created it all in your mind. I just gave you the cues, and you took them and flew away on the wings of your imagination.

Ah, the power of the words.

 Like a kaleidoscope, they move, turn and rotate to create pictures that are vivid and enchanting. Like pebbles on the beach, I can collect them one by one and hold them in the palm of my hand. Each one is different; some are round and smooth some ragged and scruffy. Some words are powerful and expressive and others soft and luring. They are all out there free for the use, and I collect them one by one, examine them carefully and then match them together to create the stories you like to hear.

And the stories, you are getting impatient now; there is a demanding tone in your voice you want an answer.

Were they really lost in the forest all by themselves frightened and cold? Did their ship sink in the storm and they swept to a deserted island? Did the charming prince win the battle and the princess' heart? Did they really live happily together ever after? 

Does it really matter?

I send my hand and collect the words. Like a match maker, I pair them, like a painter I patiently lay the background, add the right colors to set the mood and place. Like a weaver, weaving a plot with the utmost respect, stringing all the threads without losing any, to create a beautiful fabric.

I am the story teller, only the story teller. I can create but I can take you just so far, only part of the way, and when we get there you will have to use your powers to move on.