Faeries
have been seen all over the world. In forests, jungles, even lawns, and
backyards. Wherever there are flowers, trees, vines, and tall grass
there you'll find them. The tall wild grass seems to be their favorite
though.
Yes they love being amongst the blooms, and flitting
about neon signs. They skim over ponds, and hover between the limbs of
trees. However the sea of green grass the wild grass has a special
attraction for them.
If you wish to meet a faerie go there. To
the wide fields of the countryside. Step softly, and whisper your
greetings for they are easily startled. It would be good if you bought a
gift.
Perhaps hard candy or a shard of bright colored glass.
Even better a small flute or tiny toy harmonica. These they especially
prize for they love music. Bright colors, candy, and music.
Now
when you see them don't be surprized. Because at first glance they seem
to be children. Graceful children with wise bejeweled eyes, and
shimmering wings to match. Though very young in appearance they may be
old, much older that you,..or your mother or grandmother. Legend says
that faeries live as long as trees, maybe as long as the mountains.
Seeming
frail they actually have the strength of ten men. Because of their
years, and strength. Faeries have the wisdom to live in love, even
innocence. The innocence of age. The gentleness of experience. These
beings sing, play, dance, and dream both day, and night.
Joy, and
a deep reverence for life, all life is their way. Kindness is to them
what breathing is to us. True they are not Angels. They have faults,
make mistakes even, though rarely, commit sin. They are fallible, and
mortal, but are slightly holier than humans.
There are legends,
stories told by soldiers through the ages. Tales of wounded, and lost
soldiers laying helpless in jungles or forests. Stories have been told
by these men about seeing "them" the shining ones. All of man's wars
have tales of winged children made of light that save the wounded, and
maimed.
These bright beings would seek out, and find the
forsaken, and heal them. Wounded survivors from the wars of the Pharaohs
to the tank battles in Iraq have sworn that kindly, winged sprites had
saved them.
With smiles, and gentle touchings their wounds
healed. Shattered limbs were made whole, burns vanished. All pain, and
terror would lift, and fade as like the passing of a storm. Then in a
moment. In a blink of a whisper they'd vanish in a blur, and shimmer of
rainbows.
Leaving only a faint breath of their songs.
"Me my Dad our Buick, and the Faeries"
Well
there I was in bed with what I've told my pals is, "a flu, cold, cough,
fever monster thing!" It's almost like being stoned. Everything is sort
of sideways, and different colors. I'd be enjoying this if I wasn't so
sick.
Anyway being in this frame of mind I naturally thought about my
wee pals the faeries. Gee how I loves them. City faeries are neat, but
you have to be quick to spot them. Hey this is a tough town, and faerie
or not you have to be fast to get over around here.
As I
mentioned in one of my story's city faeries are attracted to neon
lights. Well that, and some of the brighter traffic signals. It's not
unusual in summer btw to see city faeries around pizza, and ice cream
stands,..the neon. They like the ruby red of tail lights too. In fact
that's how I saw one of my first faerie's.
This happened a few
thousand years ago when America was great, and even regular Joe's had
jobs, dough, and laff's. Well one night in this long ago happy time I
was sitting next to my dad on the front seat of our old Buick.
A
1955 sky blue, and white two tone if ya wanna to know. Well as is the
habit of kids everywhere I was squinting my eyes to make the passing
street lights look weird. I had just begun to do the same with the tail
lights ahead of us when I see something.
Wow that's a big bug I
thought. Only when I stopped squinting it wasn't. A bug that is. It
wasn't tinker bell either. Ya'know whole generations of rubes got real
wacky ideas of what faeries look like 'cause of all the Disney
propaganda. Thing is faerie's is just like folks. Just alot
smaller,..with wings,.. and feelers, sometimes extra arms'n stuff,
magical powers, eh halos, and eh. Well okay faerie's ain't like folks at
all, but so what.
Well there I am sitting next to the old
man as we're roll'n through Queens on our way back to Brooklyn, and
there's these little faerie guys darting around the tail lights of the
Oldsmobile in front of us. Hey, com'on ya can't make this stuff up.
Now
ya'see by this time I'm an 'experienced' kid, and know better than to
tell my dad that I'm seen'n glow'n bug people buzz'n around the butt-end
of the car in front of us. Hey gimme some credit. I still remember the
penance I had to do for one of my previous visions.
I foolishly
told my folks that I saw flaming demon bat beasts flying out of an open
manhole on Flatbush Avenue. My mom made me kneel on a steel rod while I
said the rosary ten times over for being in league with Satan. Heck I
never even met the guy.
Sooo, I keeps my young trap shut, and
enjoys the doing's of the wee folk in front of us. If dad saw anything
he wasn't about to tell me. He knew better too. Still they was fun to
watch, and they meant no harm.
Yes very interesting, but Uncle Sidney what the hell are you getting at with all this?
Ah,
I'm glad you asked! See with the warmer weather coming we has to
prepare for "Faerie Time!" As we know from tradition handed down from
kid, to kid. Generation to generation, like the varied rules of stick
ball or ring-a-leave-v-o, or ring something. It varies from block to
block around the world, but you know what I means.
Like "Ring
Around the Rosy" passed from kid to kid for nearly a thousand years. The
knowledge of "Faerie Time" in the same way has come to the 21st
century.
Come June at midnight on that Longest Day all
"Faeriedom" awakes, and begins their summer frolics! Which is to say
it's their mating, and general screwing around w/humanity season. Eh,
playful screw'n around. They never hurt anybody. 'Least not on purpose.
One thing tho' don't rob or try to hurt them they don't kid around about
that sort'a thing. They may be seriously cute,..some of them, but they
have sharp thorns. Get my drift?
Otherwise we're all welcome to
dance the summer away with them. That business about them abducting
folks for years is crap told by the Church, and the CIA. They don't do
that,..the demons on the other hand. 'Word to da wise,..stay clear of
them gumba's.
How long has this been going on? "Faerie Time" No
one knows. Maybe it's from before Ur or Babylon. Legends is full'a all
sorts of traces about "Faerie Times", and it's goings on. That
Shakespeare story kind'a got some of it right, but he mixed it up with
all the class, and culture bullshit of his times. I guess we all do that
in a way.
But "Faerie Time" is real. My older cousins told me,
and I told my special friends at school, and they told their friends,
and so, and so, and so through the years, and generations, and ages to
come. An unbroken tradition from kid to kid.
When I was little I
danced in a faerie circle with the sweet wee folk by the light of a full
moon in Prospect Park. Then again on warm steamy night in Central Park
when I was a happily crazed, and horny teenager. Now in my demented pissed
off late middle years I still hear their songs.
Bless the little fuckers!
Stay Tuned.
