WINDSDAY WONDERS
Compiled & Edited by Rob Chappell
(@RHCLambengolmo)
Editorial Associate: S. A. Sonnenschein
Vol. 3, No. 33: June 19, 2024
Longaeviology 101
Episode #3: Almost Midsummer Eve!
Editor’s Note
This week, we continue
our annual June series of articles and poems about the Celtic Otherworld and
its chief denizens, the Fair Folk. This week, in honor of Midsummer Eve (coming
up on Sunday, June 23rd), we are featuring an original story and an
original poem by two of our own very talented staff writers!
“Tales From the Wood: The Elf and the Human”
By Josie Kincaid, Staff Writer
In the heart of
the ancient forest - where oak and elm whispered secrets to each other in the
breeze, and mist shrouded glades slumbered beneath the gaze of the silvery moon
- there dwelt an Elf named Eldrid, who loved nothing more than to explore the
mysteries within the wood.
Eldrid was not
like her kin. Unlike them, she harbored a secret desire to explore the world
beyond the forest. She often sat on the edge of the wood and gazed wistfully
across the grasslands to the distant mountains, wondering what lay on the other
side.
One day, as Eldrid
sat staring out across the grasslands, she saw a lone figure crossing the
landscape. The figure was too far away to discern if he was a man or a boy, but
the way he walked was that of someone who had a faraway destination in mind.
Eldrid's curiosity
piqued, and she left her spot on the wooded edge to have a closer look. She
followed the figure at a safe distance, careful not to reveal herself. She
watched as the figure neared the forest, stopping a short ways outside the
trees to rest and eat a meal. This was a curious sight: Why was the figure
sitting outside the bounds of the wood?
Unable to quell
her curiosity, Eldrid crept nearer to the figure, hiding behind a large oak
tree in order to listen in undetected. She heard the figure talking to himself
as he ate his meal; his voice was that of a young man.
Eldrid watched as
the young man finished his meal and stretched his limbs, his body arching in
the sunlight. Then, he took a leather-bound volume from his satchel and sat
beneath a tree to read, propping his back against its trunk. Eldrid could see
now that the young man was tall and broad-shouldered, with a head of unruly
brown hair and tanned, muscular forearms.
Eldrid was
mesmerized by the figure, who read with an open and expressive face. His eyes
scanned the page with a frown or a smile, depending on whatever mood his
reading put him in. His mouth sometimes moved as if he was practicing speaking
silent syllables.
For hours, Eldrid
watched the young man read his volume, until his eyes began to wander shut. He
struggled to fight it, shaking his head to try to stay awake, but his fatigue
was too strong for him. He laid his book down on the grass beside him and surrendered
to sleep, his arms folded over his chest. He looked so peaceful, his face
tranquil and undisturbed.
Eldrid crept out
from behind her oak tree to get a closer look at the sleeping human. She
cautiously approached the young man, her eyes wandering over him. He was
handsome, this human, with a square jaw and straight nose, and a pair of full
lips now parted in sleep.
As she stood
gazing at the young man's sleeping figure, Eldrid experienced a strange and
unfamiliar sensation deep within her: a pang of desire, of a long-suppressed
need, to reach out and touch him, to feel the soft flesh of his pale skin
against her own fingers.
But before Eldrid
could act on this impulse, she was interrupted by a familiar voice behind her. "Eldrid,"
came the voice of her elder sister, Iole, who now stood behind her in full view
of the human.
Iole's eyes
widened in shock at having spotted the human, and she grabbed Eldrid's arm in a
tight grip. "What are you doing?" she hissed. "You know better
than to approach humans!"
Eldrid winced at
her sister's harsh grip and responded to her in a sharp whisper. "I was
just looking at him. I was drawn to him, somehow." She cast a glance at
the human, still fast asleep against the tree, his eyelashes dark against his
tanned cheeks.
Iole gave her
sister an angry look. “Stop staring at him! You are playing with fire, little
sister. Stay away from that human. You know it is forbidden.”
“But he looks so
harmless,” objected Eldrid, her eyes lingering on the human’s bearded jaw and
parted lips. “And he looks so defenseless, sleeping like that…”
“Don’t be deceived
by his appearance, little sister,” warned Iole. “Humans are weak and foolish,
with short and fragile lives. They are not to be trusted or meddled with. They
bring only pain and suffering to those who get involved with them. And besides,
a mortal man such as him could never be interested in an immortal being such as
you.”
Elder sister
Iole’s words made Eldrid’s jaw set in a stubborn pout. “You don’t know that,”
she retorted. “How do you know for certain that this human could never be
interested in me? You don’t!”
Iole sighed in
exasperation. “Little sister,” she said gently, “you are being foolish. The
lifespan of even the most long-lived human is but the blink of an eye for us.
And they get sick, they get old, and they die. They are like moths, burning
brightly but for no more than a night. They cannot love as we do. They cannot
understand us. They are…too different.”
Eldrid scowled.
“You speak as if you know humans.”
Iole placed her
hands on her hips and gave Eldrid a stern look. “I have been around longer than
you, little sister. And I have seen all manner of human in my time. They may be
interesting and clever, but they are foolish and shortsighted. Even the most learned
among them are like children.”
Eldrid’s scowl
deepened, her heart protesting against her sister’s wisdom. She once more
looked at the sleeping human, admiring his broad shoulders and the long,
muscular forearms, which were relaxed at his sides. “So you honestly believe
that nothing could ever work between a human man and an Elf woman?”
Iole sighed again,
rolling her eyes at her sister’s persistence. “Eldrid, listen to me,” she said
sternly. “You must put the idea of being with this man out of your mind.
Nothing good will come of it, only misery and heartache.”
Eldrid looked at
her sister with a defiant expression, her hands clenched into fists at her
sides. “You speak as if you know this as certain fact,” she said in an
imperious tone. “Have you actually ever had a relationship with a human man
yourself?”
Iole’s eyes
widened in surprise and irritation at Eldrid’s blunt question. “Of course not!”
she snapped. “And I never would, either. I have never allowed myself to fall
for the tricks of those mortals.”
“See?” said
Eldrid, folding her arms and sticking her nose in the air. “You are just saying
those things because you don’t know. You have no idea what it’s like to be with
a human man, much less the man right in front of us.”
Iole’s jaw
twitched in frustration at her stubborn younger sister. “I don’t need firsthand
experience to know how these things work, little sister. I have seen it a
thousand times with our people. And every single one of them ended in tears and
heartbreak.”
Eldrid looked over
her shoulder toward the human again. The light from the sinking sun struck his
hair and shone against his skin like honey. She had a sudden pang of desire, of
envy for his warm, mortal body. “Still,” she said, her voice softer this time,
“He is a beautiful man. And he looks so peaceful, lying there asleep like
that…”
Iole rolled her
eyes in annoyance, sensing the weakness in her sister’s voice. “Eldrid, you are
a fool to be so enthralled by this mortal. Even if he should take an interest
in you, you would be setting yourself up for pain and a broken heart.”
Eldrid’s ears
tingled with irritation at her sister’s chiding tone, despite knowing she was
telling the truth. Frustrated, she clenched her little fists at her sides. “I
may be a fool, but I cannot help how I feel. I can’t just turn my desire for
him off, as if it were a faucet.”
“You must learn to
control yourself, little sister,” said Iole sternly. “We are not mortals. We
must avoid becoming enamored with them. We must never allow ourselves to become
attached to them.”
Eldrid scowled,
her temper beginning to flare at Iole’s lecturing. “And why not?” she demanded.
“Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do, who I can and cannot feel?”
Iole crossed her
arms and scowled back at her sister. “I am older and wiser than you, little
sister. And I know better than you. Your feelings for this human are unnatural,
as well as imprudent. They will lead only to misery.”
Eldrid scowled,
refusing to back down in the face of her sister’s logic. “But how do you know
it will lead to misery?” she said, her voice laced with indignation. “Have you
ever even tried to form romantic bonds with humans yourself?”
Iole shifted
awkwardly from one foot to the other at the mention of romance, a pink flush
rising in her cheeks. “Of course not,” she said stiffly. “I have never allowed
myself to be drawn in by their charming words or handsome faces. I have never
been interested in humans in that way.”
Eldrid studied her
elder sister’s flushed cheeks and shifty eyes with a penetrating gaze. Then,
with a smirk, she said, “Oh, really? Then why are you blushing so fiercely?”
Iole blushed more
deeply, embarrassed to be called out in such a fashion. “Hush!” she snapped at
her sister. “You know nothing, little one. Do not make assumptions when you
have no proof.”
Eldrid raised a
skeptical eyebrow at her sister’s flustered expression. “Oh?” she said, her
mouth curving up in a smile. “Is that so? Then perhaps you would care to
explain to me where this blush comes from?”
Iole turned away,
refusing to acknowledge her sister’s gaze. “It’s…nothing,” she muttered, her
voice gruff. “Just the heat, that’s all. It’s a warm day today.”
Eldrid crossed her
arms and leaned her weight against one hip, grinning in triumph. “Really?” she
said, her voice laced with skepticism. “It’s the heat, is it? Interesting how I
am not blushing…”
Iole cast a
scowling glance over her shoulder. “Stop looking at me like that,” she growled
at her sister. “This blushing means nothing. I told you, it’s just the weather.
Now drop it!”
Eldrid smirked,
sensing her sister’s defensiveness. “Are you sure it’s not because you’re
embarrassed and just don’t want to admit it?” she inquired slyly.
Iole’s mouth set
in a tight line of frustration. “I am not embarrassed,” she said, her tone
clipped. “I have nothing to be embarrassed about.”
Eldrid tilted her
head at her sister, her smirk widening. “Then tell me why you are blushing so
vigorously. If you are not embarrassed, as you say, then why is your face so
red?”
Iole huffed in
irritation. “I told you, it’s the heat, that’s all. This blush means nothing.
Now quit fussing about it!”
“I will most
certainly not stop ‘fussing’ about it,” retorted Eldrid. She stepped closer to
her sister, studying her flushed cheeks. “You are clearly trying to hide
something from me.”
Iole took several
deep breaths, desperately trying to regain control of herself. “I am not hiding
anything,” she said, her voice slightly wavering. “I’ve already told you, I am
not embarrassed about anything. Now please, stop talking about this blushing nonsense!”
“On the contrary,
I don’t think I will stop talking about it,” retorted Eldrid with a teasing
smirk. “Not until you tell me the whole truth. And I will keep pestering you
about it, and I won’t give up, until you come clean about why you’re blushing
so severely.”
Iole groaned aloud
in frustration, knowing that her sister would not stop hounding her until she
fessed up. “Fine, fine,” she exclaimed. “I admit it. I’m blushing. Is that what
you want to hear?”
“Not just a little
blush,” said Eldrid, grinning at her sister. “You are turning a very lovely
shade of scarlet. In fact, if you turn any redder, I think you’ll burst into
flames.”
“Very funny,
little sister,” said Iole, rolling her eyes in irritation. “I’m trying to be
honest with you as you requested, and this is how you respond?”
“Oh, please,”
countered Eldrid, her smirk widening. “You’re the one who tried to deny the
fact that you were blushing in the first place. Did you really think I wouldn’t
notice?”
“No, I didn’t
think you would notice,” growled Iole, shooting her sister another scowl. “And
I wouldn’t have had to deny the blushing if you hadn’t been so insufferable
about it!”
“’Insufferable’?
Me?” Eldrid exclaimed with an exaggerated look of feigned shock. “Why, you
wound me, big sister! All I was doing was asking a simple question. I had no
idea you would get so flustered by it.”
Iole huffed in
irritation at her sister’s innocent look. “You act all angelic now, like you
did nothing wrong,” she said, “but you know perfectly well why I am flustered.
You were the one who caused this blushing in the first place!”
Eldrid shrugged in
mock-innocence. “But how was I to know it would cause such a reaction?” she
said, her grin widening. “I was just expressing my curiosity, that’s all. I
merely wanted to know what exactly was causing such a lovely scarlet flush on
your face.”
Iole felt her
temper flaring at her sister’s innocent act. “Oh, really?” she said, her voice
tinged with sarcasm. “Was it purely out of curiosity, or was it that you simply
wanted to humiliate your older sister?”
Eldrid chuckled
and placed a hand on her chest, feigning hurt. “Me, humiliate my poor big
sister? Whyever would you think that?”
Iole rolled her
eyes at her sister’s mock-innocent expression. “Spare me your ‘oh-so-innocent’
act, little sister. You know perfectly well why I would think that. You just
love to watch me squirm.”
Eldrid’s smirk
widened as she leaned in closer to her sister, her eyebrows raised in
faux-surprise. “Squirm? Me, make my stoic, unruffled big sister squirm?”
“Don’t play coy,”
said Iole, her voice laced with irritation. “You know you love to find my weak
spots and poke at them. It’s like a favorite sport of yours.”
Eldrid chuckled, a
sly gleam in her eye. “I don’t know what you’re referring to, big sister. I am
nothing but sweetness and innocence, remember? I would never deliberately try
to poke at your vulnerable spots to get a rise out of you.”
“Oh, really?” said
Iole, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “You expect me to believe that? You’ve
always taken pleasure in finding my weaknesses and exploiting them to your
advantage.”
Eldrid chuckled
again, taking delight in her sister’s irritation. “Well, what can I say?” she
said. “It’s just such a rare treat to witness you lose your composure like
this. I couldn’t help but dig a little further.”
Iole clenched her
fists in frustration, desperately trying to hold onto her composure despite her
sister’s relentless teasing. “You are utterly maddening,” she said through
gritted teeth. “You enjoy nothing more than seeing me flustered and
embarrassed.”
Eldrid smirked,
relishing in her sister’s struggle to maintain her dignity. “Oh, come now,” she
said, her voice dripping with feigned innocence. “You make it too easy for me.
Can you blame me for having a bit of fun?”
“I blame you for
being insufferable and annoying!” retorted Iole, her cheeks burning even hotter
with embarrassment. “You take pleasure in watching me squirm and blush like a
fool, and it is utterly infuriating!”
Eldrid chuckled at
her sister’s outburst, her smile widening. “Oh, big sister, there you go again.
Always so stoic and unruffled. But then, when I come along and poke at all your
buttons, you lose all of your famed self-control.”
“I do not ‘lose
all my self-control’!” exclaimed Iole, her voice rising in frustration. “You
just know which buttons to push to get a reaction out of me, and you take
pleasure in using that knowledge to your advantage.”
Eldrid smirked,
her eyes gleaming with mischief. “Oh really? Then why are you blushing so
fiercely right now? If I weren’t getting a reaction out of you, wouldn’t you
remain as cool as a cucumber?”
Iole felt her
frustration mounting at her sister’s smug expression. “You know very well why
I’m blushing!” she exclaimed. “You’ve been hounding me endlessly and digging at
me ruthlessly, deliberately trying to provoke a reaction. Of course I am going
to get flustered! Anyone would in this situation!”
Eldrid chuckled,
enjoying her sister’s flustered state. “But it’s so much more fun when it’s
you,” she said. “You always try to be so aloof and unruffled, but I know how to
get under your skin and make you squirm.”
“I am not
‘squirming’!” protested Iole, feeling her frustration grow even more at her
sister’s smugness. “I am perfectly calm. I am simply annoyed with you for being
so relentless and tenacious in your pursuit of provoking a reaction out of me.”
Eldrid chuckled
again, her smirk widening at her sister’s protests. “Ah, but if you were
perfectly calm, you wouldn’t be blushing, now would you?” she said, leaning in
closer.
Iole flushed even
more at her sister’s words, her cheeks burning. “It’s not my fault!” she
exclaimed. “It’s your fault for being so persistent in trying to get me to lose
my cool! I can’t help but blush when you keep hounding me relentlessly like
this.”
Eldrid chuckled at
her sister’s flustered state, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “But it’s so
much fun to see you blushing and flustered like this,” she said, her smirk
widening. “It’s such a rare sight to see my stoic, unruffled big sister losing
her cool for once.”
Iole huffed in
frustration, her irritation mounting. “Well, I wouldn’t be blushing and
flustered in the first place if you weren’t being such an insufferable brat!”
she exclaimed. “Why must you go out of your way to push my buttons and make me
react?”
Eldrid smirked at
her sister’s irritation, enjoying the spectacle she had created. “Because it’s
so satisfying to see you lose your composure like this,” she said, her tone
playful. “You’re always so cool and collected, always trying to maintain your
image of being the stoic, unruffled big sister. But I know how to get under
your skin and make you blush.”
Iole huffed again,
her irritation growing at her sister’s gleeful satisfaction. “You seem to
derive great pleasure from making me blush and lose my cool,” she said, her
voice laced with irritation. “It’s like some kind of game to you, seeing how
far you can push me before I snap.”
Eldrid chuckled,
her smirk widening further. “It is a bit of a game, isn’t it?” she said, her
tone lighthearted. “I just love seeing the look on your face when you become
flustered and embarrassed. Your cheeks turn such a lovely shade of scarlet, and
your eyes widen in surprise.”
Iole huffed in
further irritation, feeling her blush growing even more intense at her sister’s
words. “That’s because you go out of your way to make me that way!” she
exclaimed, her voice rising in frustration. “If you didn’t hounded me and poke
at me incessantly, I wouldn’t blush and lose my composure like this!”
“Oh, come now,”
said Eldrid, her smirk widening even more. “Don’t be so defensive. I'm just
having a bit of fun with you.”
As the two sisters
continued their back-and-forth banter, the human, who in fact had been quietly
listening to their conversation, could not help but smile to himself from his
position on the grass. Perhaps he was indeed enjoying the show a little bit too
much...
Iole huffed,
trying to maintain her composure despite her sister’s relentless teasing.
“Well, I don’t see why you have to resort to such underhanded tactics to ‘have
fun,’” she said, her voice tinged with irritation. “Can’t you find some other
way to express your boredom instead of making me flustered and embarrassed?”
Eldrid chuckled at
her sister’s protests, her smirk widening further. “Oh, come on, big sister,
don’t be such a stick in the mud,” she said, her tone still playful. “Where’s
your sense of humor? Can’t you take a little teasing occasionally? We’re
sisters, after all. Teasing each other is what we do best.”
Iole huffed again,
her irritation only growing more intense at her sister’s nonchalant attitude.
“There’s a difference between playful teasing and relentless badgering,” she
said, her voice rising in frustration. “I’m all for a bit of good-natured
banter, but you take it to extremes, especially when you want to dig at my
weaknesses.”
Eldrid chuckled,
enjoying the banter between them. “But where’s the fun in just playful
teasing?” she said, her smirk widening. “I like pushing your buttons and seeing
how far I can go before you lose your cool. It’s like a little game that we
play, seeing how flustered and embarrassed I can make you.”
Iole huffed in
further irritation, her blush growing even more intense at her sister’s words.
“Well, I don’t enjoy this ‘game’ of yours!” she exclaimed, her voice rising in
frustration. “You know very well which buttons to push to make me flustered and
embarrassed, and you delight in doing it! It’s like your favorite sport or
something!”
Eldrid chuckled,
enjoying how effectively she was succeeding in riling up her sister. “Your
blushing is so cute, though,” she said with a smirk. “You’re always so serious
and composed, but when I push the right buttons _just so_, you turn as red as a
tomato!”
Iole huffed again,
her irritation mounting even more at her sister’s comment about her blushing.
“Well, it’s easy to make me blush when you know all my weak spots!” she
exclaimed. “You know exactly what to say and do to make me flustered and
embarrassed, and you seem to take great pleasure in doing so on a regular
basis!”
Eldrid chuckled
again, enjoying the effect her teasing was having on her sister. “Oh, come now,
big sister,” she said, her smirk widening. “You make it far too easy for me.
You just have so many weak spots that I can’t resist poking at them when the
mood strikes me.”
Iole huffed, her
irritation only growing more intense at her sister’s smug attitude. “It’s not
my fault that I have so many weak spots!” she protested, her voice rising in
frustration. “It’s your fault for being so skilled at finding and exploiting
them!”
Eldrid chuckled,
enjoying how easily she was getting under her sister’s skin. “Oh, come now,”
she said, her smirk widening. “Don’t blame me. You’re the one who has so many
weaknesses. All I’m doing is taking advantage of them. It’s not my fault if
you’re so sensitive and vulnerable.”
Iole huffed in
frustration, her irritation only growing more acute by the minute. “It’s not
‘sensitive’ to not enjoy being teased and provoked relentlessly!” she
exclaimed, her voice rising. “And it’s not ‘vulnerable’ to have weak spots!
Everyone has them!”
Eldrid smirked at
her sister’s protest, finding her flustered state immensely satisfying. “Oh, I
beg to differ, big sister,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “You are
far more sensitive and vulnerable than most people. You’re just so easy to rile
up and provoke.”
Iole huffed again,
her irritation reaching a new height at her sister’s snarky response. “Well, I
wouldn’t be so ‘sensitive and vulnerable’ if you didn’t try so hard to tease
and provoke me all the time!” she exclaimed, her voice rising in frustration. “You
enjoy torturing me with your relentless badgering and poking at my weaknesses!”
Eldrid chuckled,
enjoying the effect her words were having on her sister. “Oh, come now, you
exaggerate so much,” she said, her smirk widening. “If I really wanted to
torment you, I would use far more sinister methods than just playful teasing
and some lighthearted poking at your weak spots.”
Iole huffed in
frustration, feeling her irritation beginning to reach its boiling point. “Oh,
please,” she said, her voice laced with sarcasm. “Your ‘playful teasing’ is far
from ‘lighthearted!’ You’ve always been merciless in your drive to make me lose
my cool and blush like a schoolgirl!”
Eldrid chuckled
again, enjoying the spectacle her sister was making of herself. “Well, it’s not
my fault that you blush so easily and turn so adorably red when I tease you,”
she said, her smirk widening. “It’s just so satisfying to see you flustered and
embarrassed, especially when you try so hard to maintain your facade of
composure and dignity.”
Iole huffed again,
her irritation rapidly reaching its peak. “Well, I wouldn’t be so flustered and
embarrassed if you didn’t go out of your way to make me that way!” she
exclaimed, her voice rising in frustration. “Why do you take so much pleasure
in trying to get me to lose my calm demeanor and blush like a schoolgirl,
huh?!”
Eldrid chuckled at
her sister’s growing irritation, her smirk widening. “Because it’s so much fun
to see you struggle to maintain your “cool” and composed facade,” she said, her
tone playful. “Your cheeks turn such a lovely shade of scarlet when you blush,
and your eyes widen in surprise. It’s just too priceless to resist!”
Iole huffed in
frustration, her blush growing more intense as her sister continued her barrage
of teasing. “Well, it’s really annoying to have you constantly trying to
provoke me and make me blush like this!” she exclaimed, her voice rising even
higher in irritation. “Why can’t you just leave me alone and find some other
way to entertain yourself?!”
Eldrid chuckled
one last time, her smirk widening to its fullest extent. “Oh, come on, big
sister,” she said, her tone light. “Why would I want to find some other way to
entertain myself when teasing you is so much fun? Your blushing face and
flustered state are just too delightful to resist!”
The human, who had
been quietly pretending to be asleep all this time, finally opened his eyes and
lifted his head from the ground, a soft smile on his face. He had indeed been
enjoying the spectacle put on by the bickering sisters, amused by their bickering
and bantering. The human took a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking,
his smile still lingering on his face. "Well, I must say, that was quite
the show you two put on," he said, his voice soft. "It's clear you're
both quite close, even if you bicker and tease each other a bit too much."
The sisters both
turned to look at the human in surprise, not having realized he had been
listening to their conversation. Iole's face turned a shade of scarlet at the
realization, her blush growing even more intense. Eldrid, on the other hand,
simply smirked and chuckled at her sister's embarrassment. "Oh, don't mind
us," Eldrid said, her tone still playful. "Teasing each other is just
our way of showing affection."
The human chuckled
at their explanation, a wry smile on his face. "Ah, I see," he said,
his tone indulgent. "So you two tease and bicker like an old married
couple out of affection, then?"
Both sisters
paused for a moment, processing the human's comment. Iole's blush grew even
more intense, her face practically glowing red now. Eldrid, on the other hand,
simply smirked and chuckled, clearly amused by her sister's flustered state.
"I suppose you could say that," Eldrid said, her tone still playful.
"We may bicker and tease each other, but we do love each other dearly,
despite the occasional squabble."
“The Ballad of the Fair Folk”
By Ashley Ambrose, Staff Writer
Underneath the ancient oak tree,
Where the shadows dance with the sun's early light,
A world of magic and mystery waits to be seen,
As the Fair Folk come out to play and take flight.
With laughter and whispers that echo and chime,
The Fair Folk gather like faeries in a ring.
Their slender forms glimmer in the forest's embrace,
As they dance to music only they can sing.
Deep in the heart of the enchanted wood,
Where time stands still and the air is imbued,
With the magic and mystique of the Fae,
The Fair Folk revel and roam with such joy and glee.
Like shadows that flicker by the moonlight's glow,
The Fair Folk move across the forest's floor,
With graceful steps that barely touch the earth,
As they frolic and play, untethered and free.
Between the moss-draped branches above,
The Fair Folk play their games in the twilight,
Their silvery laughter like chimes in the night,
As they dance and sing, and make merry all the while.
Under the stars that twinkle and shine,
The Fair Folk's magic and charm are divine,
With a sparkle in their eye and a flutter in their wings,
They fill the night with a sparkle like fireflies.
Beneath the silver moon that glitters so bright,
The Fair Folk's revelry continues into the night,
As they dance and cavort, a whirlwind of joy,
Their beauty and grace a wonder to behold.
In the shadows and mist that waver and swirl,
The Fair Folk's mischief and pranks never quell,
They play tricks and weave magic spells of fun,
Their laughter ringing through the ancient woodland.
In the silence and mystery of the night,
The Fair Folk whisper secrets and tell tales untold,
With a wink and a smile, they share their tales of old,
As they dance and frolic, forever young and free.
Through the trees that sway in the summer breeze,
The Fair Folk dance and play, their hearts full of glee,
With their laughter and songs echoing through the wood,
They weave their magic, spreading joy with every move.
As the forest grows quiet and the night is still,
The Fair Folk fade away in a soft mist and mist,
But their magic and joy linger on, like a precious memory,
In the hearts and souls of those who long for their return.
Rhiannon, the Queen of the Elves in Welsh mythology,
is riding a white horse on Midsummer Eve. The popular song “Rhiannon,” recorded
by Fleetwood Mac in 1976, is based on Rhiannon’s tale as told in the medieval
Welsh Mabinogion. (Image Credit: Digital artwork created by the
Editor.)
Weekly Words of Wisdom
By Skylar Sonnenschein, Editorial Associate
"The
world is but a canvas to the imagination.”
à Henry David Thoreau
Thoreau was
a 19th-century American author, poet, naturalist, and philosopher. I
love this quote because it reminds me that our imaginations are almost
limitless and that even our most mundane experiences have beauty within them.
Stoic Proverb of the Week
Contributed by Amy Kendrick, Staff Writer
"Waste
no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one."
à Marcus
Aurelius: Meditations 4.16
Amy’s
Commentary:
In this quote, Marcus Aurelius
reminds us that it's not enough to simply talk about what a good person should
be. Instead, we must strive to embody those virtues ourselves. It's easy to
criticize others and discuss what constitutes virtue, but it's a whole other
matter to put those ideals into practice in our own lives. As the Stoics
frequently said, talk is cheap – action is what matters. So don't waste time
debating about what a good person should be – just be one!
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