Should I tell?

The snow is piling up. Every day it snows.

I open my door to the outside world. It’s a peculiar world at a peculiar time.

What is going on out there?

I take a look at the yard. A bird is peeking in at me.

“Hello bird.” I say. The bird doesn’t answer back.

The birds flutters down onto a small mound of snow. Just a little pile from clearing the sidewalk. He pecks at the snow.

“What is he pecking at?”

Peck

Peck

Then as he flies away, I see it. It comes into view. Just as I’m following the birds flight. His wings a blur. Flapping so quickly I can’t even see his wings.

There, in front of the post office. A giant mountain of snow. Blocking the only access to the building.

Are we supposed to tunnel in? This was a favorite pastime of my youth.

Every year we would tunnel through snow piles. The original man cave. There was the smell of the snow and clothes.

What a reminder of days gone by.  That smell. What is it about the sense of smell?  It is a very powerful sense. It brings back so many memories.

When I smell this familiar scent. That wet snow boot smell. I’m there inside my fort.

One time I put a cooler inside and started a fire inside to try to cook. I was trying to cook some Buddig Beef. This salty, greasy, tasteless meat.

Why was I so inquisitive? 

Why did I have that sense of adventure and wonder?

Children are precious. They have such an imagination. Trying to duplicate the behaviors of the adults who roam the earth.

“Ah.” That reminds me of last night.

What if the earth IS flat? I asked last night.

“How could that be?” You may say. “We have seen the pictures. We have flown to other countries.”

Did you?

That’s what I always say. “Did you?”

You laugh but are also puzzled.

Can you prove it? That plane may be flying in circles. The media may be giving out false news of that blue pearl we call Earth.

Maybe it’s a blue marble.

Is that virus real then?

Are we so anxious now about a mystery virus, that any symptom is now a symptom?

The doctor I had seen was not concerned.

I visited the doctor after having 20 different symptoms.

This appointment was after his Christmas vacation. I had to wait 2 weeks to get in after I had Covid-19 symptoms.

I ask the doctor “How do you do it? How do you  surround yourself around all these germs?”

The doctor replies “Somebody has to answer the call.”

That’s laughable.

He goes on vacation at the worst time for the coronavirus. Then makes it seem like he is so brave.

Strange.

I’m told by the staff that, all symptoms are being listed as covid related symptoms.

The medical staff are walking around like it is nothing. They are just going about life like there isn’t this death knell virus outside our door.

Peck

Peck

The bird is back. Sitting on top of the little snow pile.

This bird distracts me today.

I smell that winter air. Then I look.

That snow pile, it looms, in front of the post office.

What are they hiding?

Is it a great government conspiracy?

Or maybe. Just maybe. That snow doesn’t belong there.

Maybe it was a new contractor.

Maybe

Maybe I should tell this village of the little snafu.

Now the question arises.

“Should I tell? ” “Should I tell on the company who created this blockade?”

The very sight of which causes my Writers block. Now I bid you adieu as I start to think of what to write about.

“Hey!”

“Look at our snow!”

It’s starting to add up

“Oh look!”

“A bird!”

Maybe I should go. I shouldn’t have to tell you.

In Search of My Muse

I’m searching. Searching for my muse.

Where has she been? What has she been doing?

She is the one who started it all.

The one who gave me the desire to write. To put my mind to work.

I miss my muse.

She gave me pain. She gave me pleasure.

Passion

“What is your passion?” I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Those were the words. The words that inspired.  I don’t know if I’ve made it clear.

When I lost my muse, I lost the passion.

I found it inside.  It is still there. It is hiding.

Wanting?

It wants a muse to spur the awakening.

I asked to hire them as my muse. Just so I could communicate with them. It’s been so long.

I don’t need to hire a muse. A muse doesn’t need to know. They don’t need to know the works they inspire.

Those works, once completed, they may finally see. That I always had the passion. The passion is all about me.

Who am I?

Who is the man behind the curtain?

Disassociate

Take a look from afar.

What are you doing?

Why are you doing it?

Are you trying to get answers? Are you asking the right questions? Are you asking the right person?

The person you should ask is yourself.

Look at yourself.  Look into that mirror.

Do you see your pain? Do you see your grief?

Accept it. It is who you are. It is what you are made of.

Move forward.  Move closer to the next mirror.  A mirror within a mirror.  It is not an optical illusion.

You have many different images.

Find the one that you want to be.

Who am I?

I am complicated.

I am interesting.

I am talented.

I am caring.

I am loving. 

I am full of hate.

I am full of shame.

Today I am optimistic. Knowing there is nobody to blame.

Screaming

The screaming

The screaming inside my head. It’s echoing.

There is an elephant in the room.  How can we not see it? It’s been there for years. We look at it. We walk around it. But we don’t talk about it.

We scream about it.

We scream within our mind. Our mind screams back the same.

It’s torture.

It’s agony.

Release the screams. Yell it all out, when you are alone. No one may hear but the screams will be recognized by yourself for once.

Your fears may be a temporary blockade. Your fears may be what you are avoiding. You need to face the fear to get past the fear.

The screams are already dying down. I’ve released them. I sent them out for the universe to hear. The universe is so large and expansive, the echo may take forever to return.

This road block is temporary and I am clearing a path through.

We shall see what tomorrow brings. I suggest the same for you.

Who do you remind me of?

“I like you. I don’t know why. There is something about you.” Those were her words.

I look down at her shoes. Her shoes remind me of those ruby slippers of Wizard of Oz fame. Although, these slippers were green and made the woman even more interesting.

Fascinating, really.

She liked me enough to sympathize for me. I was in another mind at the time. I was a little more open about myself. I had more self confidence.

It’s magic

To me, this mood has the power of attraction. The way I say my words. The way I compliment. Its all about them and less about me.

I just might put my spell on you. I may put myself into your head. The words I say are not rehearsed. They are very honest.

You may call it the voodoo mood.

It’s more of a personality. A man of mystery.

Once the mystery starts unraveling my true self is revealed. It’s who I am. I am not as interesting as I had seemed.

The same can be said of you.

Once I know about you. I realize what made me interested in you. Besides the fact that you paid attention to me. You reveal who you are. You reveal your intentions.

That is the moment you remind me of someone. 

I may be associating you with an image I have of someone else I know. Perhaps it makes me think I have known you longer than I actually have.

I just might start acting like myself. There is only so long that I can keep it hidden. I have so many personalities. They are essential. They help protect myself from harm. The criticism. You might not actually like who I am.

The true mastery is knowing when to use those personalities. When to put on an act. At work. Social gatherings.

To try to put on an act around someone you live with. Someone you love is an impossible task.

You ever pull the curtains shut when you are home alone.

Put on your favorite music and dance.  Act crazy. Just be yourself. It’s fun. It’s relaxing.

Why do we hide who we are?

Are we afraid?  Afraid of pushing someone away. Offending them for being who we really are.

You may start to to remind me of someone I know.

I don’t know them anymore.

Into The Future Of The Now…

Today is the start of my future. My future life on the journey of self improvement. Not your typical new years resolutions. It is another color change of the life of another color.

I look forward to starting a work and family life balance. The beginning of ignoring the stressors in my current life. To do what I want to do. The demands of life are not as complicated as society may make you believe.

My mind has always been more relaxed when I think about improving the future. A more efficient world without the burden of the stress others tend to bring.

My concept of this future stems from a question posed from “IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE ” What would the world be like without you? I reflected on the death of people I’ve known. Life goes on. The stresses of life can no longer be able to be placed on them.

What if they were alive and did not allow themselves to receive the stress. Life could go on. Somebody else would be forced to reckon with the worry instead.

This is how I see myself in my future. A balance of me, my life, and what I want for myself. I could and should be concerned about myself, because without me life would not exist at all.

You should write a book…

You should write a book they tell me. I always talk about writing that book. The greatest story ever told. That would be an impossible task.

It’s been 5 years between posts.

Why is that? Because a had stability. Not perfect. I’ve had my problems. I worked on them. The problems that is .

I always want to finish the tasks I’ve put on the back burner. I try to make the finished product perfect. Much like the perfect image in my mind.

My book would have to be perfect. A masterpiece. Much like the works of Shakespeare, or is it Francis Bacon. I’ve never read Shakespeare, but it seems I’ve been living out the life of his characters.

I’m easily influenced by my surroundings. The movies I watch, the songs I hear, the books I read. I am a hypochondriac. My senses are too sensitive it seems. Of course this is my self diagnosis. It is obvious I am a hypochondriac though. Whatever I feel I need to check my symptoms. I also hate to see doctors. I hate outdoor spaces. I am a germophobe.

People think I am making this stuff up. No, I really am afraid of everything. They say I don’t always wash my hands. If I washed my hands every time I felt I needed to my hands would be raw. The rate I wash my hands now is quite excessive as it is. My hands are dry and cracking already. I need to wrap my hands in the winter already. This coronavirus has put me into hyper panic.

Is that even a word?

I don’t know but it should be at least. That’s what I feel.

There are so many paths for my book it is so hard to keep track of the story. Each and every story is important to me. They are the stories that make up me.

I’m a story teller. I’ve wanted to be a song writer. It’s seems all the good songs have already been written. I’ve listened to so many different types.

Whenever I hear a song I love I find my source of inspiration. The song I was thinking of writing. The notes. The words.

Is that why I write?

I don’t know. There are many reasons I want to. Is the writing a way to deal with my problems when alone. A way to deal with my phobias. Definitely.

That’s one reason. The problems. There are so many I could write a book. The pick your adventures book of life. Because I have lived many lives. I have many personalities. Literally. They all answer to my name. When I tell my stories its better when I don’t say who I am. Those stories are unedited. They are the whole truth. My secrets.

My secrets can probably be relatable to a large mass of readers or listeners. It’s hard though to not put off the other followers or fans if you will.

The ghost writer. Many great writers have used them and changed the name I don’t see why I couldn’t either. Which leads us back to bacon. Francis Bacon that is.

Live Life Love Bacon. Catchy title I thought. A website with articles that all related back to Bacon. Yum, Bacon. Deep thinking and bacon bits. I lost the website name I created. I made it as a .com. No biggie, Noone really enters the web address anyway. There are so many different addresses that you would go broke buying all the .net .biz .org names.

So should I make the website. Too late it’s already made. Just a different name for now. A .com is not ready yet. Maybe it never will.

Should I change my name?

I wouldn’t do that just for a gimmick or publicity. I already try to make my stories I up as my real life. I try to act out that story just so I may say based on real events.

What about the real events?

The real events are as amazing as the fiction. It truly is hard for me to know the difference.

There is a very thin line between the life and fantasy. Something Hamlet, Shakespeare or Francis Bacon may have already contemplated and written. Is it the timing. Is Shakespeare known to be so talented because of when he wrote the plays, the works. The works of art.

What if it was me?

These are the same things I think of everyday, every hour, every minute, morning, noon, and night.

Which leads me to back to Bacon. It’s all in my family tree. Bacon is one of my family’s surnames. I’ve researched to no end. So many twists and turns. Each life of an ancestor becomes my obsession. I want to know it all. Every detail of that person.

My family tree is full of lies though. The lies of past researchers. Lies of the families I researched. Those tales they have told. Nobody knows who made who. We have one way now. DNA. The use of DNA is still a bit sketchy in genealogy though. It doesn’t give you a straight answer.

Which leads me back to my book.

Straight answers. I am having artists create a graphic for me. Perhaps this will be in my book. If even that book is only a picture book.

The pictures would eventually lead back to Bacon. Now for the title.

“The Cookbook of Life” , “Painting The Wall of Life “, “The Battle Between Good Vs Evil. The War Within Yourself ” Hmm

Has to be unique. As unique as the author.

My time is up now. I have to get back to painting. Painting the wall of life within my mind. With embellishments by Chuck Rozell.

Live Life Love Bacon

The Sense of Light

The sun it rises.
I stand still.
My eyes are closed
Yet I can see its glow.
The birds awaken with a familiar call.
I can smell the dew coming off the leaves as they reach toward the sky.
I feel the warmth as the rays touch my face.
Every minute the light gets stronger.
As I open my eyes I forget about all of the darkness.
All that remains is in my shadow.

To Hell And Back To The Blackness – Part 2

Continued from Part 1 To Hell and Back to the Blackness

I sit at home contemplating once again my next move to solve the oddities going on before me. The home that was once filled with life and activity now feels as if it is a tomb. One which is without love. It is only a resting place. A stopover of life and death. No visitors come by. Their efforts to save me failed. They cared enough to try to save me just as I had with many others.

My own attempts to be a savior were met with hostility for I seen the behaviors nobody else had. They may have seen the truth but turned a blind eye to the facts. The reasons for my endeavors may have been a selfish cause. My hope that I would be pardoned for all the wrong doing of my past. To be blamed for another’s actions especially when they won’t help themselves is a great weight to carry. The best solution ,to keep your own dignity intact, could be just walking away and announcing “I’m done!” Even if those words are only heard by you.

Needless to say I had to leave the home that housed memories which caused my own demise. Without my vehicle to take me on my way I decide to take the next train out of this town.

I pack my bags wanting to be better prepared than before. Does a ghost need belongings? All indications show that if you are prepared you may survive to get a chance back at life.

I open the door to the outside world. The sun is beating down on the earth. This may be a test of my fortitude. I look inside once again to think of anything I may have forgotten. I slam the door and walk by the car which has been hobbled. I can’t convince myself to remain here. An anniversary is fast approaching. One that I don’t want to be here for.    

Before I leave I stop at the restaurant across from the local station. The temperature is stifling inside. It feels like the entrance to Hell and perhaps it was. A designated pit stop before the eternal torture.

I order the lunch special. As I eat I am watching the news. I see that a plane had crashed. I begin to recall the terror alert that was broadcast a few days earlier. It was also amid an uprising in Egypt. Then I hear sirens. I am not sure if the emergency is real or not. I have been hearing sirens almost constantly since the alert.

I look at my phone and realize in my haste I had not given my device a full charge. I politely ask to use an outlet to charge my phone in the wall outlet near a table I am sitting at. The lone server gives me a quick “No”. I don’t argue. I never win. The saga of the need for energy is continued.

The events are wearing away the little sanity I may have left. I step outside and look towards the horizon. It has a blood red hue. Up in the sky I see the contrails of jets that have passed. The time may have come where good and evil clash in a final battle.

I hurry towards the depot where a train should arrive soon. An announcement is made over the loudspeaker that switch problems in Barrington will delay outbound traffic from Chicago. How long of a delay is unknown at this time.

In my head I conjure images of a terrorist group destroying transportation lines. Is this switch problem a deliberate occurrence. The rail lines are not policed. Then I begin to believe it is all part of an emergency preparedness drill. That idea calms me enough to head towards a large major city with a possible terror attack.

More announcements are broadcast at the station. More delays and more apologies are given. Time passes by and there is not much to do but wait. As I wait I look around. Everyone looks oblivious to the clues. Are they actually clues or figments of my over active imagination? My need to rationalize as if I am a soldier in this war to save humanity.

In the distance the sound of bells are heard. The familiar noise is from railroad crossings to alert traffic of a trains presence. The locomotive blares its horn.

Finally…

The crowd that has developed erupts in excitement. Some are here awaiting the arrival of friends and family. Perhaps for a visit that has been shortened by fate or maybe it was all part of a plan written out long ago. Either way everyone is let out and they go about their business.

The trains begin to come in but none of them are leaving even though the first is over an hour late. I look west where the trains turn around onto the inbound rail. Finally I see the single headlamp of a train approach. Slowly it comes to rest in front of the awaiting passengers. The doors remain closed. A restless bunch of travelers stand at the doors much like sheep.

I wonder “Are we all heading to slaughter?”.

10 minutes later the doors open. Two men dressed all in black step out and the crowd boards this train of possible doom. I am hesitant to go with but I am not going all the way to Chicago. I also enter carrying with me my baggage. I am more prepared than my last journey. It is obvious my journey has yet to end.

I know I need to charge my phone. I ask a conductor “Do you know where an outlet is?”. He quickly answers “There should be one in the front car. Follow me.” We go through several cars to a seat that is empty. He points to the outlet as though the seat was reserved for me. There are very few receptacles on these trains. Before he leaves I reply “Thank you, Thank you very much.”.

That saying “Thank you, Thank you very much.”. It is short and a common form of etiquette but I learned that when you are in this state of being between worlds it is required. Otherwise you will fail the tests. If you fail them the consequences are not known since no one has returned from that judgement.

I plug in my phone. I don’t want to broadcast my whereabouts in case the enemy is tracking cellular communication. “I did say enemy didn’t I ?” That is because I have accepted the notion that I am a ghost and a warrior. For which side I have yet to figure out.

What was the meaning for this story? I can no longer remember. How long was I wandering? Days or weeks perhaps months. Truth is the madness ended quicker than it had started. It has all become jumbled. No longer do I know what is the beginning, the middle or if it is at the end.

I open my eyes awakened by the sound of voices. I see clouds but they are not real. They are painted on a light fixture. A woman is sitting in the corner. I forget her name but I ask her “Where are you from, California perhaps?
Her voice is comforting as she replies “No, I’m from Florida.”
I look back at the fake sky above me. I repeat what comes to me in my current state of mind. “Ah, white sandy beaches.”

A man slides open the glass door. I ask why he was here. He says he was there to evaluate me mentally. As he tells me this I remember the questioning when I was brought into the room as they tried to draw my blood. They apparently wanted to know if I could give answers to what should be known to me. My address, birth date, astrology sign, who the president is.

Have I told this story already? The clouds above me reflect the clouded memories I have of life. His questioning bothers me. Is he trying to test me or am I going to try to test him? If I don’t pass will they transfer me to a different room? One that has padded walls which you see in movies.

He asks me if I see things that are not there? How can I answer? I believe what I see is real but I am not sure if anything is real anymore. I tell him no just as I see a man who looks as if he was dressed as a doctor but he was hunched over at his age I couldn’t see him practicing medicine. I don’t mention the man just in case he was a figment of my imagination.

He asks about smells. Truth is I’ve been smelling a stench around the town that to me was the scent of death. I again just keep this to myself. I know the symptoms of psychosis and I don’t want to have that label. The smells can be explained for I have smelled them as vagrants have passed me.

He walks out of the room and then back in. I ask him who he is? I think the hospital is trying to trick me by bringing someone who just looks like the same man in to ask me more questions. He is getting aggravated as he flashes his badge once again.

He asks me what I want to do. I tell him I want to leave. I don’t have time to stay in these confines. I need to go.
He leaves once more and I drift to sleep.

My sleep is disturbed and I don’t know how much time has passed. My ribs hurt anytime I move. The reason I came here in the first place is evident. I crashed. The pain of which woke me from my delirium earlier in the day. How was I a ghost if I felt that much pain? My mind convinced me I was dead and then it convinced me I was crazy. Now maybe I am both. How is that for a combination?

I lay here in my hospital bed. The lights are out and I can only see a small amount of activity through the opening of the curtain that is hanging across the door. A security guard stands by. Who is he protecting? Me from them or them from me? He may just be protecting me from myself.

I hear a call come through his radio. He listens, waits and slowly responds. This goes on for over a minute but he keeps his post. I figure I will be here for a while. They have been able to cage me and it may take a matter of wits for me to be free again. I drift back asleep. Sleep while you can I always say.

Is this a dream or have I awoken from my dream?

The stores are filled with shoppers. School days are upon us. There is a rush for supplies. So it seems the objective is to outfit the children with the materials at hand. There are others in the store today. They are equipping themselves for the end of days. Outside you can hear the roar of the traffic. The engines can be heard for miles. Then they pull into the parking lot. There is an urgency about them. They must know of the impending battle.

Those who have been chosen have a walk that is like no other. They are quicker than the rest of those within. I watch as if I am in slow motion. I try to not be seen for I cannot know which side they are on. At the front of the cash registers hang signs “Don’t forget the ice” even the store knows how hot the hell on earth will be. I see it as a sign someone can still have some humor within.

I quickly get what I need and pack my bags carefully. I only want to bring what I really can use. The others are able to fill their vehicles but I can only carry my supplies on my back.

I am ready now but where do I go from here? I have not received any special instructions as of late. I recite what I was told. Don’t look up, look down. Never talk first. When you see another like you just nod your head. The rest of the human race walk about as if they are zombies. Staring at their electronic devices nearly being run over.

As I stand outside I hear a little voice.
“Really, you actually think the world is coming to an end? I think you are being quite delusional. A bit paranoid too.”
That was what I thought also. How else can these things be explained? The police have been giving me most of my information. Then something dawns on me. One of the officers had said that I was not understanding what I was being told.

That is it for me I should just forget about this false mission and return home. The heat must be killing my brain. I start a walk back to the rail line to fly me back to where I started.

As I walk a man I’ve never seen before yells “Hey , boss man. How’s it going?”
I shake his hand and somewhat puzzled ask “Boss Man?”
He just says “You’re the one who signs the checks.”

I keep walking. I feel heat as I walk past one of the buildings. Is this the remnants of a fire long ago? Those that are gathering inside are they the victims of this past catastrophe reliving that fateful day? I’ve noticed that my senses have become heightened. This only adds to my mania.

I see in the distance a giant flag waving  slowly in the breeze. I stare at the flag never moving my eyes. I see for the first time how a flag actually moves.
It is more subtle of a movement than I would have ever imagined. Then again I’ve never focused on a single object for this long before. Whatever comes of this journey I know that I have been given a true gift. I’ve been given the ability to stop and focus. To accept the beauty around me even in seemingly mundane things.

The sun is finally setting. The bells and whistles of the train signal its approach. I assume I will get back on and head for home. Even if it means being there for an Un-anniversary.

Hmm.. What happened that day? I can never remember exactly. I think back and the memories are missing. Have they been blocked, erased or what? I think if I am around this day I will see what my fate truly was. I may see my own name chiseled in stone and ending with a year for my death. If this is what I see I can assume I would have to accept it.

Do I dare?

At one time in my life I had the belief that I was intelligent. Now it seems as if my brain was taken and replaced with one of an inferior being. I can see that happening. An alien race studying humans here on earth. They seen my abilities and were in awe . How was one man capable of all my achievements? Those days are gone and I remember very little of the past.

Perhaps it was all a lie. Do I believe everything I am told? I think so. It could be that I misconstrued everything anyone had ever said to me. Imagine that a life full of fiction. It seems my mind has never matured. Apparently I live without the ability to determine fact or fiction. It is stuck in a loop. A loop of only potential without success. Much like a child.

Is this really a terrible trait? To think like a child. Children are full of wonder. They have the power of imagination. At what point in time does the magic end and reality begin?

I seem to be on this fine line of what is real and what is imagined. The truth may be that I would rather imagine that nothing has ever been real. Is it possible to have a fresh start in the middle of life when there is a past. The only way that would be possible would be to be born again.

On that note…  I think I was in the middle of telling a story. Is it fact, fiction, or delusions of a damaged reality?

It is obvious I haven’t been born again. I am here on this anniversary outside of the iron fence which holds the dead. I stand alone avoiding the past. I am being haunted by days gone by. It occurs to me that I shouldn’t be walking but running. Running away from the cemetery which is bound to hold my remains and the remains of another day.

I am faced with a choice. As simple as it may seem. I can’t go through with it. Not now, and I may never. If I enter those gates I may not come back. I may have to remain there in the blackness if I do.

The left side of my brain is being held hostage. Terrorists within my skull have taken it captive. There isn’t any logical thinking going on at this point. Fear has taken over. It is keeping me away from the prospect of solving my fate.

My memories seem to come and go. When they do come back I am compelled to force them out of consciousness. Never wanting to remember the torment I’ve been through. Whether it was an action of mine or that of another. Those memories just bring a deluge of thought. Thoughts of what was, wasn’t, could have or should have been.

What I want this day is to escape. I want to just go away and dream. To dream a dream and end the nightmare. Even if it is all a nightmare of my own doing.

I pass the gates. As I do I see a woman walking along a path shadowed from the sun by the great oak trees that rise up towards the light. They have no fear reaching out to the unknown. Is it the warmth they seek? Much like the warmth of a mother’s arms. Is this woman a mother looking for a child she once held, or a lover that once held her swearing to never let go? I will never know for I must go too.

I look up at the trees with their branches blowing in the wind. They have weathered many storms but still stand strong. My conflicts are small in comparison to what they’ve been through. Then again a tree can’t think. As far as I know it can just be. Another strong wind blows taking with it a few leaves as they flutter to the ground. Seems to be just another day in the life of a tree.

What will the rest of the day bring me? Is there still some hope left in that box? That box little Pandora opened releasing all the evils into the world. She was able to shut that lid. Keeping inside just that one spirit. The spirit of hope. That could be the one and only thing that keeps us in this world…. Hope

I must go and forget this place. I should probably just leave forgetting every place I’ve been. They all hold some memory. Memories of happiness, sadness, and fragments of a future that would never be told.

I have with me a few trinkets. A few objects that I fear are cursed. I carry them with me to give away or trade to an unsuspecting soul. These items have magic within but the magic turns to black. As black and absent as death itself.

Speaking of Death, Who is that man I keep seeing dressed in black? The one I see around every corner. He doesn’t look like a reaper as portrayed in lore, he is there though. I see him walking in the darkness. Nobody seems to take notice. How am I the only one? Is he here to gather an army? An army for the battle I’ve been foretelling.

I hear that familiar little voice again.
“Really, a battle? The battle is all in your mind. It is just a war within yourself. People really do care about you.”

Who is that? Is she the voice of reason or is it once again someone above my bed as I lie in a coma. It is as confusing to me as it must be to you.

If he is a reaper I will not fear him. I will let him take me away. For this fate seems to be worse than death.

If you had the ability to save yourself at the end of civilization as we know it would you? Would you stand up and fight even if it would likely take you away from those closest to you? Or would you accept whatever fate chosen by the powers that be rather than be taken from those you love? Valid questions and they have been answered many times in the past. The truth is when the time comes the answers seem to change. Many times when under attack a human will just surrender and/or switch sides just to save themselves no matter what their convictions are.

The rain is beginning to fall in the distance. It is time to seek shelter. For how many days will the rains come is unknown to me. What is hidden behind those clouds? The warning went out to the public. The commercials have been broadcast. “Do you have your emergency preparedness kit?” You may have laughed but there is a reason. Now we shall see just who will survive.

A diner with a sign emitting its neon glow will provide a temporary shelter. I enter and sit at the counter. I link to the wi-fi connection to download my data to begin my analysis. I pay for my coffee and sit for a time. I am quiet watching as everyone gets served. I sit as if I didn’t exist. I wait patiently for a refill of my cup that never gets filled.

The manager doesn’t seem to enjoy my presence even though I’ve been here on many occasions in the past. I get a bowl of soup and he tells me I must leave as soon as I am done. What side is this man on anyway? Better yet what side am I on?

The skies clear and I finish the soup giving me the protein I need to prepare myself for my next adventure. I walk outside with a fear of what could have been let loose upon the people of earth. Was that the first of a series of chemical attacks? This all seems like déjà vu. 

The pavement is soaked. The setting sun peeks out. I switch directions on my current journey. I feel as if I am being followed. I push up my pace.
The government must be tracking me.  I’ve seen them follow me from the sky for weeks. When I looked up other agents told me to keep my eyes down. They obviously knew of my power.

Is this part of my test?

They have tested me in the past. This must be what my life’s training has been for. Every message I’ve sent out seems to have been censored. All in a plan to distance everyone from me. All so they wouldn’t care if I was gone.

It is starting to make sense now. As a child I was brought to a school. I was tested constantly. I finished the entire curriculum with amazing speed. It was as if I wrote the entire program myself. Did I write it whether in the past or even the future? Do I have the power of time travel? Is it part of my DNA? Am I part of a secret society started by my ancestors who founded the United States? You never know.

Time after time the government tried to recruit me. Then I finally caved in. I became a part of an elite group. We were “Psy Warriors”.

Now it must be time for me to use the powers I was born with. Would anyone believe me if I told them? I think not. I am borderline crazy and I have a hard time thinking it is the truth.

It’s been 7 years since I unleashed one of the powers within me. What happened that day? My daughter, who meant the world to me, died in my arms. It started out with her just playing, as all children do. Then I took my eyes off of her. She climbed to top of our stairs. She decided she wanted to take a ride down the stairs in a suitcase. I hear the crash at the end of the wild ride. I rush to where she was laying. I went to pick her up and felt her back and it was broken. Her eyes rolled back in her head. She stopped breathing.

There was an ensuing yell. A yell from within that the world must have all heard. I would gladly have changed places with her in an instant. Without her I would be nothing. Existence would have no point.

Then she came back to life. Her back was instantly healed. She jumped up and started walking as if nothing had happened.

As crazy as it may sound I forced my energy upon her bringing her back from the blackness. It wasn’t until now that i understand. When I died myself I became more than just energy. I was pure energy. I was able to project my energy. Whether it was an image of myself miles away or pulses into space damaging satellites in orbit. Even the power to heal my own broken back after being run over by a car.

So now you know why the government would want me on their side. The ability to become pure energy and be immortal is quite a power to reckon with. The flip side is I am not the only one.

“Where are you headed to now?” Says the voice from the unknown.

I have nothing to say. I am no closer to knowing the answer today than I was yesterday.

I only hear my footsteps as I walk. My feet seem to be pounding on the pavement with each step. They echo with the reverberation of a familiar emptiness. What good are the experiences of life without anyone to share them with? Where are we headed to anyway?

Just when I think I am alone. I hear another sound. The noise up above is that plane once again. I’ve seen it tracking my whereabouts on several occasions. What data are they collecting on me? I don’t know nor do I care anymore. I’m told time and again that I’m obsolete. What else is there to know? Can’t be anything new.

This story I keep trying to tell has been written so many times in the past. It has been heard over and over again. It begins to bore me.  Ever since I’ve come back to reality the story has gotten more dull each day.

Which brings me to another question. Exactly what is reality? How can reality be proven? Is there a reality test?

In my recent experiences I’ve been told I’ve been creating things out of thin air. Those who tell me these things pick and choose what they say is real even though they didn’t experience it with me.

There are a number of possibilities that could explain things.
1. I’ve just misunderstood everything that has happened to me.
2. Everyone misunderstands what I say or do.
3. I have been possessed.
4. I have a mental disorder and everything is a delusion.
5. I’ve been moving in and out of different worlds. Interacting with counterparts of different Earths.
Or maybe, just maybe, everything I say actually is true.

Let me delve a little into the alternate universe theory for a moment. It seems to explain a lot of things more clearly for me.

At several points in my journey I was asked by passerby’s ” Why were you throwing yourself to the ground?” I knew then as I do now that I had not thrown myself to the ground. It seems this is what is seen as I transferred between worlds.

In some worlds I was contacted by people who knew me. The conversations between them and me were fragmented and full of misunderstanding. The reasons are obvious if they were used to speaking to a different me. One who was similar to myself but not exact. I wonder if these alternate images of myself have come into my world. They may be the cause of the havoc for myself.

Then there were some sub-characters who were not well known to me. There were some who knew me and I didn’t know them. It is possible some enter and exit worlds the same as me or they exist in all the universes as the same but different person.

One example was when I stopped at my former place of employment. It had been 4 years since I had worked there and much had changed since that time. I began a conversation with an old associate who I worked on a daily basis for years. This man did not remember anything about me and denied the fact I ever worked there even though I had for 14 years. Did he forget who I was or did I not work at the same place on that earth.

I do know that I am in my original world now. It is all too familiar. This is where I began my life. This is where I belong. Is this where my life will end? There is the possibility that there is no end.

There we go again. Philosophizing about the possibilities of life, existence, the known, and the unknown. The dilemma with this way of thinking is everything is in the unknown. How can anything be proven when the thoughts which exist as a way to try to explain everything conclude that anything is possible? 

Now for a little clarity in my ranting. There has been an increase in certain so called illnesses which affect the brain and our “normal” way of thought. Such as Autism, OCD, ADD, depression, mania, dissociative disorder, schizoaffective disorder the list goes on. To me science will have to evolve as the human brain evolves. Modern science treats anything that is different as a disease. Drugs are created to stop the thought processes of those who are called mentally ill. I can only imagine that in time when the majority of the population shifts with these “illnesses” those who are now considered “normal” will be the ones labeled as having an illness. The human mind will have evolved just as the human body has evolved.

The unexplained may finally become explained when those capable of thinking along these lines become numerous. The philosophies would be acceptable when there is an increase of similar experiences. It is my belief we are all born with the potential of craziness. It is just a matter of how or when it manifests. There may be no signs or symptoms in specific environments. The trigger remaining hidden.

With that said. I return to the walk back to the search for more information whether it is on this earth or another. If not I may find the answers within a dream. The unexplainable may become explained in a dream. The dream world being the ultimate free thinking tool. A tool with which there is no consequence of experimentations. Now just how does one record a dream before the conscious mind changes the message or is forgotten? Just think of the amount of lost breakthroughs that have been lost in the chaotic dream realm.

If I had a choice in my dreams I wouldn’t be walking but flying. Flying high above never being noticed by those below me. They never look up unless there is a sound or they think they are being tracked. That is just crazy talk though.

I looked up as I so often do. A streak of light illuminates the sky. I made a wish. Even though wishes don’t always come true. If this one comes to fruition only time will tell.

“What was your wish?” I’m asked by an inquisitive soul. That soul who lives in the recesses of my mind. The lone voice willing to speak to me.

I contemplate whether I should reveal that wish. If I do will it not come true?

I answer anyway, “I wished I was a bird. So I could fly far far away.”

It wasn’t an original wish and I stole it from a movie, but it was my wish none the less. I’ve been wishing this wish for my whole life. I’ve come close but it was only in my dreams.

How else is one to fly? It seems to be a hopeless wish. The wish to defy gravity. To soar through the wind and into the castles made of clouds. To fly high into the heavens.

I’ll have to wait to see what the future shall bring. For now I am stuck on solid ground. I feel the weight of my being pulling me towards the center of the earth as I walk along the path I have chosen.

Did I choose this path, or was it chosen for me? It is an age old question which no one person holds the answer to.

I’ve begun to look at life as a maze. There is a beginning and an end. There are many choices and obstacles within. No matter the direction you take there is only one final destination. It would be all to simple to fly up and see the clearest route to take.

Like those before me I walk along this rugged path with the notion that fate is on my side and the stars above to guide me.

I see a glow emanating from a crater in the ground. That falling star must have crashed closer than I could have imagined. Always curious I head toward the light. When I look down I see what appears to be the form of an angel. It seems that even an angel can’t always fly right.

The angel’s wings are battered. I ask what happened. She tells me she has been watching me. She has been flying above me this whole time. The form I’ve seen was the form I created in my mind. Whether it was a bird, a plane, or even a butterfly. This instance it was a shooting star and I had brought her down with my single wish.

She told me she can take me away. She can grant me this one wish. To fly far far away. In doing so there would be no hope of ever coming back or I can continue on my way to play out the story to the end.

She reminded me my soul was pure. The evils in the world sent me on the path I was on. Everything I see is not always what it seems or even what it is meant to be. It sounds familiar. I’ve heard this before apparently for good reason.

I decline the offer. I take back my wish. I accept my fate. Some wishes are granted to let you see what is possible. They may not always last for it isn’t part of the destiny. It is up to your willingness to accept the facts and reality for more wishes and dreams to come true.

With that in mind I leave with some comfort there is someone following me and that I am never alone. I come to another crossroads just as I had many times before. One path is brightly lit and the other is cast in darkness. Whether I chose it or it was chosen for me I take the step. The step back into the blackness.

Is It Over?

Is it over?
Is it just the beginning?

Another life.
Another lesson learned.

Should I rush?
Should I take it in stride?

Looking forward to what’s ahead.
Looking back at what’s been done.

The steps to move on.
The quagmire of standing idle.

A bountiful future.
A forlorn past.

My mind has been misguided.
My heart has been deceived.

I have feelings of hope.
I have desires for change.