“A Miracle”
“The teacher-beggar pointed to a dead bird under the bush beside him. He picked it up, and the bird shivered. He stroked it, and the bird slightly ruffled its feathers. He blew air into its beak, and the bird began to hop about on his hand. The reviver looked at Theo, who knew that he […]
Continue reading“Valley of the Flowers”
“He reached a confluence of hillsides completely covered, in all directions, for a distance of at least a quarter mile, with pale orange, lemon-yellow, lavender-blue, and bright tangerine-hued flowers. The perfume of these flowers overpowered him. Their combined scents enwrapped him like an aromatic cloak. Their aromas hung so heavy in the air that they […]
Continue reading“Predawn”
“When he finally opened his eyes, they beheld not a world, but an exquisite dream of beauty. The entire space before him was covered by a gently undulating mass of cloud. The cloud billow presented itself in cerise and raspberry, sobered rose and livid purple. At its summit, where it thinned, the rose and purple […]
Continue reading“The Ice Cave”
“Imagine a cave narrow and deep, about twenty feet high. The roof and walls of the cave are rounded knobs and ovoids reminiscent of dense clouds. Light penetrates through these rounded shapes sporadically, creating a feeling that one is in a half-subterranean and half-terrestrial world. The floor of the cave is an immaculate sheet of […]
Continue reading“The Sage”
“Theo examined their host. He was of indeterminate age. Very old, of course, but bordering on ancient, the visitor thought. His body completely lacked fat. His skin had the shiny look of an onion peel, and the antique quality of a sheet of Egyptian papyrus. His beard, thin and snow white, extended down to his […]
Continue reading“Waking in Eden”
“He awoke in Eden. The fleeceflowers dotted the low groundcover like tiny temples of color in the otherwise even green. Short to moderately tall spruces and firs encircled him. Lichens spiraled up the side of the trees like boas round a lady’s neck. The early morning light chastened the green hues of the trees and […]
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