THE LESSON:

Once upon a time a young man passed through the forest & sees an old woman sitting on an old log, bent over a scroll on which she was writing. The man walks up to her, greets her & engages in conversation; I was that old crone & I welcomed him to join me:

“Dear Dame of Shadows, what dost thou inscribe upon your pristine page? What virgin letters bestow thou upon posterity for future eyes to devour? What dost thy quill bequeath to the eyes & thirsty minds of mankind? Tell me dear crone of what do you tell?

I TURN TO MY INQUISITOR, A YOUNG MAN OF FINE PHYSIQUE, BROAD OF SHOULDER, CLEAR OF EYE & A BROW FREE AS YET OF LIFE. “OH MY DEAR YOUNG FRIEND, YOU ARE AS A NEWLY HATCHED CHICK FROM PROTECTIVE SHELL OF EGG. YOU KNOW NOTHING OF LIFE AS YET”. I KNOW HE THINKS THAT I AM OLD & USELESS, BUT THEN IT IS NOT HIS FAULT THAT LIFE HAS NOT YET TAUGHT HIM AS HE IS YOUNG & HAS MANY A ROAD TO FOLLOW.

“Old Dame, I know of love & I have travelled a fair mile; & am I not pleasing to the eye? I have danced in taverns & I have drunk many a bigger man than I under the table. I play the lute & can beat any swaggered at a fair duel.”

“PRECISELY, THAT IS WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT. YOU KNOW NOTHING & AS YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT I SCRIBE, I SHALL TELL YOU & MAYBE YOU WILL LEARN, BUT I DOUBT IT, AS YOUR BIGGEST ENEMY IS YOUTH ITSELF  & THE YOUNG HAVE EARS OF CALICO.”

“I am all ears crone, even with ears of calico shall I hear what you have to impart, ha ha ha”; he smirked.

“HEED MY WORDS YOUNG MAN. I AM WRITING OF THE MYSTERIES OF LIFE; THAT OF WHICH THE ART OF SEEING & HEARING HAS BEEN LOST. I WRITE OF PURE MAGIC, THAT WHICH IS ALL AROUND US & YET WE HAVE NOT THE EYES, EARS, NOR SOUL TO NOTICE. WE ARE RUSHING AHEAD TOO FAST, LOSING THE MAGIC ON THE WAY. I WRITE IN MY SOUL, EVERYTHING I SEE, FEEL & TOUCH, And MY SENSES EAGER ALWAYS. I CAN HEAR THE WIND & HER MESSAGES, HARK & YOU TOO WILL HEAR THEM. LISTEN TO THE VERY EARTH, SEEDS PUSHING, CRACKING, FORGING TOWARDS SUNLIGHT, LISTEN, THEY ARE TELLING YOU A STORY, THEIR STORY & YOURS TOO IF YOU HEED THEM. THERE ARE VOICES IN MY HEAD, BUT NO, I AM NOT MAD, NOT I; ONLY THOSE WHO DO NOT LISTEN, DO NOT HEAR.  THE VOICES OF LEAVES RUSTLING, BLOWING, ROLLING, SOUNDS OF AUTUMN & OTHERS OF SPRING. LISTEN TO THE BEES FLIRTING WITH THE BLOOMS, SUCH A COURTSHIP. LISTEN TO WATER, THE ORCHESTRA OF WAVES INVIGORATING THE SOUL, JOYOUS OR OUTRAGEOUS DEPENDING ON THE MOOD. AND WHAT OF THE CALMING GENTLE LAPPING OF THE LAKE?  OR HAVE YOU HEARD THE RUSHING BROOK RUNNING OVER THE CENTURIES OF SMOOTHE-WASHED PEBBLES, LAUGHING IN BUSY SILLINESS AT LIFE? AND THE RAIN, HOW MANY VOICES HAS THE RAIN? PITTER-PATTER, SOFT AS MOTHS WHISPERINGS AGAINST WINDOW PANES, OR IN ANGRY CAHOOTS WITH THOR, THUNDER, LIGHTENING, GREY CLOUDS. CLOSE YOUR EYES YOUNG MAN BENEATH THE CLEANSING FLOW OF YOUR DAILY ABOLUTIONS & LISTEN TO THE FLOW OF WATER, LISTEN TO THEIR DIFFERENT VOICES. READ THE SIGNS ALL AROUND YOU. CLOUDS HAVE MANY MESSAGES, CONSTANTLY CHANGING, FORM, COLOUR, AND ABUNDANCE. THE SUN WHEN IT RISES MIRACULOUSLY OVER THE HORIZON TELLS YOU OF ANOTHER DAY & GIVES YOU THE ENERGY YOU NEED TO DO YOUR BIDDING. ITS WARMTH & LIGHT HELPS GROWTH SURGE FORTH & WHEN IT SETS IN REDS, PURPLES, YELLOWS & GOLD, NO BETTER ART HAS GRACED THIS EARTH, NO ARTIST ABLE TO CAPTURE ITS BEAUTY. RESPECT IT YOUNG MAN, IT IS AS FLEETING AS A BUTTERFLY´S SECRET. MOTHER MOON, A GREAT TEACHER, GUIDE OF GUIDES, CONTROLING TIDES, FLUID WORLDS BENEATH HER GAZE, WOMENS CYCLES, BIRTHS, DEATHS & CONTINUOUS COMPANION TO THE LONELY TRAVELLER & THE WOEFULL WOLF, ALL BENEATH HER ILLUMINATING CANOPY. THE STARS, WITNESSES LOOKING DOWN, WINKING KNOWINGLY AS CHILDREN TRY TO CAPTURE THEM IN SONGS, DREAMS & WISHES. THE SKY OFFERS US NEW WORLDS. RAINBOWS WITH THEIR CROCKS OF GOLD, STARS, SUN, MOON, CLOUDS, BLUE, GREY, PINK, WHISPY, WINDY. OH, I COULD GO ON & ON ABOUT THE SKY, WAXING LYRICAL, BECAUSE IT IS FOREVER CHANGING. AND MY DEAR YOUNG FRIEND, HAVE YOU EVER HAD A RAGING ROW WITH THE ENRAGED WIND? HE ALWAYS WINS. AND WHAT ABOUT THE WHISPERINGS OF THE BREEZE AS SHE WAFTS HER WAY GATHERING FRAGRANCES, SCENTS, PERFUMES AS SHE GOES, COLLECTING THEM FROM THE OCEANS BRINY WAVES, FIELDS OF LAVENDER & THYME, OF ORANGE BLOSSOM WARMED BY THE SUN. THAT MAGICAL BREEZE THAT KISSES YOUR EARS WITH SECRETS OLD & CARESSES YOUR CHEEK IN FUN.  AND THE MISTS, AAH THE MISTS THAT SIGH WITH YEARNING, ENVELOPING YOU IN DAMP PROMISSES & LOVE´S SWEET TEARS.”

“Stop, stop old crone, this is far too much for me to take in, too much knowledge, how can one person absorb so much?  You make me feel surrounded, it is all around me, continuous, and I cannot keep up”.

“HUSH, HUSH MY CHILD, THERE IS MORE, OH SO MUCH MORE, JUST BE STILL & LISTEN. YOU ASKED WHAT I WAS WRITING & NOW I TELL YOU SO BE STILL OR YOU SHALL NEVER LEARN”.

“I am all ears; tell me all your secrets.”

“NO, I WILL NOT TELL YOU ALL MY SECRETS FOR THEY ARE NOT MINE TO TELL. YOU ASKED WHAT I WRITE & I MERELY OPEN THE DOOR FOR YOU TO PEEP INSIDE. ALL I TELL YOU IS ALL AROUND YOU, BUT MOST FOLK ARE DEAF & BLIND TO THE MIRACLES OF LIFE THAT ENVELOP THEM. YOU MUST FIND THOSE SECRETS YOURSELF, NOW HUSH & I WILL CONTINUE”.

“I am your student, pray continue dear lady”.

“THERE IS ANCIENT WISDOM TO BE LEARNED FROM THE STONES & THEY OFFER THEIR HEALING TO YOU ONLY IF YOU LEARN TO FEEL THEM, IT IS UP TO YOU. THERE IS REAL VIBRATIONAL LIFE IN TREES. THEIR OLD KNOWLEDGE CAN BE BEQUEATHED TO YOU IF ONLY YOU REALISE IT. THE FLOWERS & PLANTS NOT ONLY GIVE YOU BEAUTY, FOOD & HEALING, THEY BESTOW UPON YOUR SOUL A CERTAIN NURTURING THAT NO HUMAN CAN.

AND WHAT OF THE BIRDS, BEASTS & INSECTS? MANY OF THESE, MALIGNED BY MEN THROUGH THEIR OWN FEARS. I HAVE HEARD MANY FOLK SAY,”IF ONLY THE BEAST COULD TALK”. HA, I HAVE NEWS FOR YOU YOUNG MAN,  EVERY BIRD, BEAST & INSECT TALKS, BUT IT IS THE HUMAN BEING WHO DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO LISTEN. SO I SAY TO YOU, LISTEN WITH EVERY SENSE OF YOUR BEING, PUT YOURSELF IN THEIR PLACES, TRY TO UNDERSTAND THEM, THEY ARE TALKING TO YOU, PLEADING WITH YOU TO TAKE NOTICE. TALK TO THEM, THEY ARE WAITING, THEY ARE LISTENING, THEY KNOW.

THERE IS NO BAD BEAST, ONLY THE FEAR WITHIN YOU. EVERY LIVING CREATURE PROTECTS ITS YOUNG, ITS SPACE, SO RESPECT THEM. THE TINIEST LITTLE INSECT HAS ITS PLACE IN THE WORLD & THAT PLACE IS NOT BENEATH YOUR FOOT, IT HAS A RIGHT TO BE HERE JUST AS YOU DO.

NOW WE COME TO LOVE, AAH THE ETERNAL QUESTION OF LOVE, THAT OF WHICH SCRIBES HAVE WRITEN SINCE TIME BEGAN, AD-INFINITUM. LOVE BETWEEN A MAN & A WOMAN IS BEAUTIFUL & PRECIOUS. IT CAN BE ABUSED, IT MAY JUST BE AN INSTINCT, OFTEN BADLY CONDUCTED, SEX, ROMANCE, OVER WHICH WE LOSE OUR HEADS & HEARTS. YOU MAY SMILE YOUNG MAN ,BUT LOVE IS MANY THINGS MORE THAN A VIRILE MAN´S YEARNINGS. I TALK ABOUT RESPECT & THE REAL LOVE THAT GROWS & MELLOWS WITH TIME LIKE A GLOWING EMBER THROUGH THE YEARS, A LOVE THAT OVERCOMES DIFFICULTIES, PROBLEMS & BARRIERS, LOVE THAT SURPASSES SEX, ROMANCE & WOOING.  LOVE THAT IS BORN BEFORE YOUR BIRTH & WILL CONTINUE BEYOND YOUR GRAVE, THAT IS REAL LOVE THAT GOES BEYOND MAN & WOMAN, IT IS A LOVE THAT EMBRACES ITSELF, THE UNIVERSE, EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE MENTIONED & EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE NOT MENTIONED, BECAUSE I TOO MY FRIEND AM ON THE PATH OF LEARNING.   I SEE YOU ARE PENSIVE YOUNG MAN, YOU ARE SHORT ON WORDS. PRAY TELL ME WHAT IT IS THAT HAS LEFT YOU SPEECHLESS?  YOU ASKED ME MOCKINGLY OF WHAT I WROTE UPON MY PAGE & I HAVE ONLY TOLD YOU A FRACTION, THE TIP OF THE MAGICAL ICEBERG. I CANNOT & WILL NOT TELL YOU MORE; GO & INVESTIGATE THE WORLD FOR YOURSELF.”

“Yes old lady, you are right, I am lost for words. And yes again, I apologize for questioning you in a mocking fashion. Forgive me my rudeness. You have shown me a door ajar & now I know that it is up to me to open that door & go through it. I know now that had I not come upon you & asked of you what you wrote, I would have in passing that door hurriedly, just pushed at it & ran past without thinking, pondering, nor wondering at what lay behind it, too much in a hurry to live life in all its mysteries, when in fact, much of life is behind that door, the entrance of knowledge & of wisdom, & for that my dear lady I thank you profoundly.”

“THERE IS NOTHING TO THANK ME FOR YOUNG MAN. YOU ARE YOUNG, IMPATIENT & IMPETUOUS AS ALL YOUNG CREATURES ARE & I AM GRATEFUL THAT YOU STOPPED IN CURIOSITY & ASKED AT WHAT I WAS SCRIBING UPON MY BOOK OF SHADOWS, MY BOOK OF LIFE. THE FACT THAT YOU ASKED MEANS THAT YOU SEEK OTHER THAN THE BANAL, OTHER THAN WHAT YOU SEE WITH THE NAKED EYE & THAT IS GOOD MY YOUNG FRIEND.NEVER STOP SEEKING. I WRITE OF LIFE, NO MORE, NO LESS. I WRITE OF MAGIC, BUT THEN ALL IN LIFE & OF LIFE IS MAGIC. GO IN PEACE MY FRIEND & FIND THAT MAGIC FOR YOURSELF.