Though we lie so many oceans away,

A tear drops to the ground,

For both,

And it brings us together,

If for only a second,

And I can see you,

Smiling there,

For we've never met in person,

But words can be a friend,

And when I shed my tears,

They sink into the ground,

And drop down upon you,

So,

Soon,

You are crying too

Never

Is the cruelest word ever to be spoken

By a mortal soul

In agony I creep

In pain and sorrow we all weep

Though we try to conceal it

It always shows

And always, too

Can be painful

In agony I creep

In pain and sorrow we all weep

For though the mind

Can conjure

Such thoughts to make

New worlds unfurl

The eerie sound of never

Always

Stabs a needle in my heart

And let's the blood of words

Gush out

"Oh my God..." She said as they stared at it, both at a loss for words.

Inside was what looked like an eagle crafted out of gold.  But it wasn't regular gold.  It was thick, hard gold with diamonds embedded around the eagle's wings, rubies on the claws, and sapphires for eyes.  When Pat picked it up, she found it was as light as a feather, yet when they weighed it, it was thirty pounds.

" Strange." Pat clucked, staring at the scale." Your scale every do funny things?"

" What? No.  Not that I remember." Corrinda was examining the box for a return adress, stamp, anything that might help them distinguish the man who sent it.

" Hey!" Pat suddenly cried," There's a note in it's claw!"  Corrinda rushed over and peered over the old woman's shoulder." Look!" Pat pointed at the curled claw, and Corrinda could just distinguish a crumpled piece of paper clenched inside.

" How do we get it out?" Corrinda asked Pat, who's eyes sighed beneath her scarlet eyeglasses.

" Well, it's gold.  Looks pretty soft.  We should be able to bend it."

" Bend it?! I don't want to ruin it!"

" Well, then HOW do you proposed we get it out, hmm?" The wrinkled old lady stared at Corrinda, saracstic.

" Well, we could try to pull it out with tweezers, or something."

"Fine, whatever." Pat lifted the eagle up easily and carried it into the kitchen, where she sat it down on the table." All I can say, hon," She chuckled as Corrinda raced around, looking for her tweezers,"is don't go selling this on eBay."  The corners of Corrinda's mouth actually turned up for a moment, but then she forced them down to their usual serious postition.

About three hours later, each had a cramp in their hand, for working at the note.  They had managed to pull out a corner and now Corrinda was working on tugging it out, while Pat lay on the futon asleep.

Suddenly Corrinda felt something click.  The claw jerkily opened, and she snatched the note from it.

" You could have opened up sooner." She laughed at it, while opening the note.  The saphires on the Eagle glittered, as if in laughter. " Pat!" She yelled at the sleeping woman,"PAT!  I GOT IT OPEN!"

Immediately the old woman woke up and ran over to the table.

" Let me see!" She screamed happily, and Corrinda moved the note over so they could both read it.

 Nalazo cuoisilwan teunulao mi Nalazo hendgiski nofola mi  Yuere ju semzi lakom fericirieae mi  Het forshunabanan kist jurs mi

" Um..." Pat said after reading it three times," Is it a word scramble?"

Meanwhile, Corrinda's brain was whirring.  She had heard talk like this, but where?  She knew she had.  She just knew it!  As soon as she read it, something clicked, like the claw on the eagle opening, only inside her brain.

" Have you noticed the repetition of mi?" She pointed out," And that they say Nalazo twice?  What could they mean?"  She read it again." I'm pretty sure I've heard somebody speaking like this before."

" You're pretty sure?" Pat smirked." You don't know? She took the paper from Corrinda and examined it.  Then she flipped it over.

"Hey!  There's writing on the back!"  Corrinda snatched the paper away and read the words.  They were arranged like a poem.

Moki Moki kee kee mi

Lalo zenzuna kee kee mi

Nojunda merehutan mi

Moki Moki lee lee mi

Lalo zenzuna lee lee mi

Nojunda terehustam mi

Moki Moki talawadi mi

" Oh well that explains everything!" Pat sighed sarcastically, raising her arms.  Corrinda shushed her and kept reading.  There were two more lines.

Kelo--  Zezuma kolida sabot evytangn mi  Plases fourjav ki mi  Kiff ju lakom forshunabanan nit kist jurs mi  yovle --- Nomutanha

"  This one has mi repeated too!" Corrinda's eyes sparkled excitedly--she loved puzzles.

" Hoorah."  Pat sighed, but suddenly shouted." ENGLISH! THERE'S SOMETHING ON THERE IN ENGLISH!" She yanked the paper from Corrinda and read outloud.

 Call  1-800-CRUISE.  Tell them your name.  Then follow instructions. --A friend.

" Hey, do you have a boyfriend or something, cause somebody's giving you a number to call, that ends in cruise."  Pat smiled wickedly.  Corrinda yanked it out of her pruny hands.

" Give me that!" She snarled and read it over." What should we do?"  Pat shrugged.

" Call the number?"

" But, Pat, the man on the porch definitely did NOT look like my friend.  What if this is some number they use to place a bug on my phone or tap into it or something!"  Corrinda was close to tears.

" Geez, drink some tea.  AFTER you call this number.  Who knows?  Maybe the man on the porch was just sent by somebody...some cute, rich guy who lives in California, and owns a beach house, and will send you chocolate and--"

" Give me that phone!" Corrinda demanded, laughing through her tears.  Her hands trembling, she dialed the number and held the phone up to her ear.  Pat picked up the extension.

" Hello, you've reached 1-800-CRUISE!  My name is Patty and I am happy to work with you!"

" H-Hi.." Corrinda stuttered," I'm Corrinda Mavis and somebody told me I--"

"Corrinda Mavis?  Did you say CORRINDA MAVIS?  Hold on, I'll buzz you through."

" Thank you for holding!  And thank you for calling 1-800-CRUISE!  We love working with you!  And for a limited time, you and your family can travel 5 percent OFF!  To anywhere in South America, including Mexico-"

"Hello Corrinda."

"Umm....hi?"

" I hope you weren't bothered by my package.  I understand that my business client isn't the most peaceful-looking guy." The man had a deep, rich voice and spoke slowly." But I must ask you to follow my instructions."

"Umm...I dunno....maybe." Corrinda shot a look at Pat who was breathing loudly into the extension.

" I need you at the dock in Perytown at 6:00 AM tomorrow morning to catch your cruise.  Don't worry, it's all paid for. Be sure to pack heavily, your journey might take a long time.  Bring several fancy evening gowns as you may have to go undercover--"

At this point Pat gasped and Corrinda ran over to slap her hand over her mouth.

" It's really nothing to gasp about, Ms. Mavis.  Also, you should bring your friend Pat, too.  And, yes, I know she's on the extension and listening to our conversation.  Hello Pat."

"Um..hi." Pat looked puzzled and frightened.  The voice chuckled.

" Tomorrow morning, 6 o'clock.  Remember this, Ms. Mavis.  We will not wait for you if you are late."

" Wait!  Tomorrow?!  But I--"

There was a click and he hung up.

" He must have cameras, like, implanted in your chimmney or something!" Pat gaped, looking up the long brick tunnel.  But her only reward was a mouthful of soot.

" Should we go...or not?" Corrinda asked nervously.  Pat wiped off her tongue with a napkin, while looking at Corrinda like she was crazy.

" Hello?!  It's a CRUISE that has already been PAID for?!?!  Of COURSE we should go!  Are you crazy?!"

" But! But, what if they're trying to kidnap us!" Corrinda shrieked.  Pat sighed and shook her head.

" If anything looks shady, we can always leave, right?"

" I..guess.." Corrinda muttered.  Then she perked up." Well!  We should get packing now shouldn't we?"

"Yes we--" Pat began.

But a knock on the door cut off her sentance

(to be continued...)(again)(dun-dun-dun)

To see you again, by now I am ready

I come from a consumed world

covered in blackness, darkness, nothingness,

with anger and madness, I light a fuse,

with sadness lonliness, I sob a tear,

with authority and sovereignty, I rule a world,

with faith and hope, I bring a wish to life,

with doom looming, I disappear like a shadow,

soon to come back,

the swirling, mixing tides twist my feelings

all so suddenly, for I am a shadow,

a broken heart swallowed in confusion.

    "One day humans will fly," said Pixie to a growing crowd of 500 or so.  To us, everyday inventor Bill Bob, is known commonly to us as "Pixie."  Bill earned the name after he invented the dust that makes you fly: pixie dust.  It was made exactly one year after his famous speech.  "10 bucks a pinch" the signs would say at Target, Walmart and Costco.  Or "Buy it by the grain.  A quarter a grain"  People would go flying crazy.  Zip!  Zap!  Zoom!  A newborn baby whizzes by in a stroller.  Seconds later, the angry mother floats after it. 

    People had heard the the sppech, but at the time, they had thought the mad inventor was insane and talking gibberish.  When asked what the secret ingredient was that needed to be added to sand, Pixie replied,"Magic"

A sea of white

Untouched by human hands

Softer than a rabbit's fur

Snow, ice cold, but holding warmth unimaginable

Children on sleds

Shrieking with joy

While snowflakes fall

Softly on their pink cheeks

An unseen light radiates

From the fresh powder

Stretching as far

As the eye could see

And the snow

Will not last forever

But will melt into cold water,

The tears of the sky.

Jeans of indigo

The color of night

What could possibly

Make your blue so bright?

Your patches

Represent love and peace

How can fabric hold so much wisdom

In every crease?

Your knees are worn

To the color of mist

Your amazing qualities

Too many to list

Collect flavorings like brick buildings

and rainy Sundays

and dog grins.

Fold in train songs

and mountains

and mist

Remember Scoth tape to keep the ingredients together.

Feathers to make it rise.

and many creatures.

with tails and horns and hats.

sea water and turtle tiles.

remember some laughs and a kettle of tears

tip the last of every spice into the dough

bake in the warmth of the smiles of children
cut out in shapes of good and questions.

I always love late Autumn

washing in the rain

that's brushing off the red

from their branches

but don't fret- they'll return next year

the sky is dark and dripping

with a frosted wind pushing discarded leaves

it carries a wing of birds

overhead

warm up inside in the

orange violin light.

A clear orange light

     like sun through dust

          warm like candlelight

     glowing through a frosted window

   hollow and soft like a large carpeted hall

     wrapping people up in my flannel air.

Flickering

on the projected screen

is

a series

of moving pictures

brought

upon

human emotions,

conveying

something else that matters.

The black dots

spark

the images and

bring

a

taste

of

fragile-isim

to the film.

An audience of one

is purer

than

an audience

of

many,

for the oneself feelings

can cast change.

How the oldness

of the projection

sparks greatness,

I do not know.

But,

I do know

that oneself recordings

last

forever

and ever.

Snowman: Don't melt me! Have mercy! I'm only one hour old

Sun: Sorry I can't stop...sigh.

Snowman: I won't tell anyone...please?

Sun: Hmmmmm...

Snowman: I'll do your dishes!

Sun: Nope, I got Pluto on that job.

Snowman: I'll mow your lawn!

Sun: You are to far away so Mercury can do it instead.

Snowman:I'll do your laundry! I'll drive your car! I'll clean your kitchen! I'll feed your dog! I'll fix your car! I'll make you snowcones! I won't turn on a light during the day! I'll tell the moon not to come out at night! I'll buy you a computer! I'll give you a T.V.! I'll make you a new house! I'll wait on you hand and foot! ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sun:nonononononononononononononononononononononononononono

nononononononononononononnononononononononnononononononnon

nononononononononononononononononononononononononononononno

nonononononononononoononononononononononononononononononono

nonononoononononononononono............................................................

...................maybe...

Jupiter: Hey Sun, can I work for you?

Sun: Sure! Sorry Snowman.

Snowman:NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO..........splash