Well come October

It's perhaps my favorite moth of the year and yet I'm sort of sorry to see these last two months go.

Through the support of some truely generous people we made some great gift of donations to the department of youth and family services of NH. I wrote a great collection of fiction that I will be expanding and submitting to publishers as time goes by, and had a grand time doing it too.

What's more I managed to launch my book of hand drawn mazes online, and as of this evening I managed to start up a store where with a flip of a switch I will be able to sell my original designs for Card meant to be sent by adoptees to genetic family.

I've submitted some of my short fiction to a few people, and have a couple of them getting ready to be mailed to publisherd of sci-fi magazines. I've got contact information on a publisher to query about a novel for publishing and a few non fiction ideas in the works.

I'd hoped to get a little farther into some other projects, but I may still be able to get these done in what remains of the week. One of these I hope could lead to some freelance work for a well known company.

It seems all a bit scrambled and there were some last minute things that made getting it all done impossable. But There is no reason why I can't keep at them.

One more day this week for an update, two if I'm here for saturday night.

Until then, Thanks for all the support of those of you who helped me out, take care of yourselves,
Roving Jack

Ahh, time slipping away

I'm trying I'm really trying but it's so crunchy (mmm, I miss crunchy, poached gets boreing after a year).

Tomorrow is my one last day in sept to take care of some things. I'll have flubbed the month deadline on some of my goals but truthfully I've got three more months to see to them. Several of the things that have gobbled my time of late are more pressing and hopefully stand to benefit me more in the near future. While October first is sort of an artificial marker it is important to take care of much of this within a week or so.

It's just so tricky.

Wake up spend time preping my special diet for the day, see how my health is doing, work on one project, research what I need to prep for upcoming projects. Prepare for work and get there. Then hit the computer labs for my rationed out computer time before heading back to do a few more bits of projects before bed. But it just seems like the time flies out of my hands while I'm working on things.

Just not enough time to do some things. I guess I have to eccept that. I'll let a few less urgent ones slide for now. I will do my best to get two important ones taken care of by tomorrow night and post my progress then.

Until then take care of yourselves,
Rovingjack.

One down...

Ladies and gentlemen I give you my hand drawn mazes. http://www.bookhabit.com/book_details.php?book_id=1118

Check it out. They are a bit rough and organic but I think that is part of the charm of them. It’s also interesting to note that if you look closely at some of the pages you can see hints of what might be on the other side of the paper they are scanned off of. Proof that Roving Jack is a strong supporter of reducing, reusing and recycling.

This has been one of the projects I’ve been working towards for a little while. It’s both a creative and meditative process for me (much as origami has been over the years) and it’s also something

I hope there is intrest in. As the description states there will be future volumes, as I have been producing them, one a day, since January first. Once the New Year comes along I will see where interest in these might go from here and consider a cleaner and better produced series of mazes based on the feedback of those who might be interested. So let me hear from you about them. The first two are free so you can get the feel for my work, and if you should be interested the price is right for getting 120 mazes like none you’ve ever seen before.

Now while I’d like to rest on the wonder of this first step in a grand experiment of creative ventures I have two urgently calling projects that I have to get back to, and a myriad of other little ones whose deadlines are a little less urgent and a bit more flexible.

One last thing of note. I was stunned and nearly speechless by a most generous donation on my Charity write-a-thon. Http://www.firstgiving.com/rovingjack

As the person chose to be anonymous I can but offer great thanks generally and hope that it hasn’t forced you to resort to eating rice noodles. I would gladly offer some token of my appreciation such as a free copy of my book of mazes. Or a custom piece of handmade jewelry from one of my two styles yet to be released to the public.

Well I thank all my readers and kith and kin who know where to find me for watching me during that event, and all I can say is, keep watching because more is coming from me over the next few months.

I may do another charity fund raiser while writing for NaNoWriMo this November (likely to whatever children’s literacy cause they are benefitting this year), but definitely I will be doing one after the new year, and I’m thinking of helping the same wonderful people who saw me to my family.

But for the near future I’ve got to prep for NaNo, finish some of my other master list projects, and generally create, create, create.

I’ll let you know any new developments on Monday, and By Wednesday I hope to be able to report on the completion of two or three other major projects.
Until then Take care of yourselves,
Roving Jack

Yes again

I figure my audiance hasn't complained so far about my clumbsy editing and last minute posts and since I'm trying to get so much done in the next five days that time is tight that you all will forgive me for being a touch rushed in my blog posts.

I could say something about getting to enjoy socrates cafe at the school before work today, or expound on the topic of discussion (What do the rich owe the poor) or the people who were there. I could talk about a missed opportunity to meet celebrities that happened because I was not paying attention to events in the area.

But for the most part this post is going to have to settle for telling you that I hope to be in again tomorrow, I may post then on this blog, hopefully more then a quick one like this. Friday I will more then likely not come in. I will spend a good chunck of the day taking care of some of the goals Iset for the month and some of these new projects that have come up.

Hopefully by Monday I will have some things to report on But I should be able to touch base saturday.

So wish me luck and ...
Take care of yourselves.
Roving Jack

Things to learn from

I'm sorry for the last few posts being unedited, hopefully they haven’t done any long term damage to your brains. I am so busy lately that I get to the blog post so late at the end of the night that there is a time crunch.
However it’s not that which I’m learning from in the last week so much. but something so astoundingly simple that I cringe to realize that I was completely oblivious to it before now.
I’m used to thinking of myself and my creative work as private and essentially keeping to myself. I completely failed to realize I have contacts. And bloody good ones too. All in the form of business cards which are haphazardly stuffed in my pockets along with my loose change or used as bookmarks.
If you’ve been reading for some time you may know that every year I attend a multi genre convention called Connecticon, and a local crafts fair, and that I work at a university. Well one of the things that happens at these places is the inevitable social contact with people who share my interests and fairly often business cards.
So here I am in a creative explosion enjoying creating things for no compensation, while working a job for almost no compensation (and worried about it), wishing I could make money doing the creative stuff. All the while I’m sitting on or holding my place in a book with contacts. Darn good ones. Yet never the two did meet until a passing comment from somebody the other day started bridging the gap for me.
I’ve been looking through these cards, which while handled somewhat irreverently are always kept, and realizing that I’m standing in a hallways full of doors marked opportunity that are all slightly ajar. And I think to finish this analogy you’ll have to imagine I’m a centipede. Because there are a lot of doors that I should be sticking my feet into.
I’m in the process of at least trying some of them now. It’s really an embarrassment of riches, that I have been ignoring and a lot of good people should do my best to stay in contact with. Even if nothing comes of most of these things I can at the very least have some people who share my interests and with whom I can exchange ideas.
Since this realization struck me I’m chasing many of these leads and realizing that there were other opportunities I failed to notice before too. It’s like that moment when suddenly the water drains from your ear when you hadn’t even noticed it, but things are suddenly much better sounding.
It makes me feel stupid, where was all that creativity and brainstorming ability while all these things floated around before me, all but waving their arms for my attention.
Well feeling foolish will get me nowhere and I’ve got some busy days ahead of me if I want to seize some of these opportunities. He who hesitates is lost.
Onward and upward,
Take care of yourselves.
Roving Jack

Much going on

I have much going on right now, some is secretive and mysterious. Some not so much.

I'm guilty a little of my famous procrastination tonight, but it's sort of a reward for getting a fair amount done this weekend and also building energy to help me get more done over the next few days.

I've got some big things happening so Keep your eyes on the site and hopefully you will be pleasantly surprised by the direction things go in the next two weeks. I'm really stepping out past any point where I've gone so far and it's a bit exciting... and unnerving.

I've given it some thought and it one of those things that is hard to explain; but I will try.

Think about a great actor or writer that comes immediately to mind, now think of yourself. You may see the comparison as almost two differnt species. Actors are actors and I'm just sort of me. I may like acting and I might even be decent at it, but I'm not an actor. Acting is something I do, not who I am.

Well this is the sort of thing I'm facing now. Most of my life I've had idea after Idea and even creative project after creative project. But always at the end of the idea or project it is set in the closet. Because creativity is something I do not who I am. Only lately have I come to realise that those actors , or writers or creators are people too. As real and complex and flawed as I. They are not the archetypes we set up on pedastals, they are just people. They may have skills I don't and they may have talents I have yet to learn but that doesn' t mean I can't be an actor, writer and creator too.

It sound silly but this really is a difficult idea to grasp. That moment where I'm standing with well over 280 hand made mazes in hand and the idea of making a book of 120 them to sell online, but not being able to take that next step because it crosses over into a territory that makes me feel like a trespasser.

So now I'm faced with a bit of a leap of faith, and it's the hardest kind of faith. Faith in myself. It's picking up a new mantel, a new identity. And in true Roving Jack style I've not made it any easier on myself by choosing more then one leap of faith to make at a time.

Funny thing though. I know I can do them, and I know I can survive coming up short on a few if that should happen. I should even be able to transmute short falls into not only landing on my feet but finding a sweet spot that I otherwise would have missed.

So With these realisations in hand I'm making some leaps over the next two weeks and I'll keep you all posted on just where they take me.

Ready, Set, Jump...

take care of yourselves,
Roving Jack

Another late min post

But I got a fair amount done tonight. I did a great many of the little things that have been hovering around my todo list and impedeing my listed goals.

I still have a few errand to take care of tomorrow and with a bit of time during the week but I have freed up a bit more space in my schedual for the tasks I've got left to do this month.

I've also started to build up a network of freinds and contacts I can go to so that some of these things don't pile up on me. Until now it's been mostly me doing my maps and writing and research and ... well you get the idea. Now I can ask some people a few questions and get some feedback. It will hopefully make things much easier.

I managed to edit two of my 31 short stories from last month and sent them to the web board for which they were originally intended So including the september first post that's three works of mine on the web (though the other two are among a community that is private so, sorry I can't hand that out) I have one fanfiction specifically for my first donator to my charity and then the rest are things I have to type (since they are hand written) and send to publishers.

With a bit of time this week and a lot of work on my part I should be able to give my novel a good run over and maybe finish that sadly failed first scrip from a while back. The novel and two of those short stories I'd like to send out before the last of the month. So yeah times pinching around the edges a bit.

I'm also Near to getting what I need for getting my custom cartography bussiness going. It's going to be small stuff at first but I think it has growth potential.

Just got to make it to the start of Oct. and set some simpler goals for then. I've got some heavy studying for myself next month and some of the remaining projects from the big list are going to be pleasant breaks from that. Then I'm participating in NaNoWriMo (http://www.nanowrimo.org ) in november. I'm shooting for maybe two novels this year.

By then I hope to have an agent and an editor for my works and started doing what redrafts and such are needed to get something published.

Wish me luck.

Look for the Next post late night monday into early tuesday.

Until then, Take care of yourselves.
Roving Jack.

Ach Time Dilation

Is it true? are we really coming up on the end of the month already?

I suppose that is what I get for knowingly doing all the writing last month. I've experianced it before. In the month of work I am doing a million things and running around and on a high from getting closer to the end of my goal.

Then I finish and look back at the start of the month and it feels like three or four months have gone by. But then there is the rebound.

When the next month begins and I set myself some more modest tasks and catch my breath a bit, I suddenly realise a week before it's all over that the month has nearly passed me by and left me feeling like only a few days have ticked past.

Time dilation, that's what that is, and it's more then a little inconveniant. I had a list of things to take care of this month and if memory serves me... none of them have even gotten started.

Part of that is catching up to the other parts of my life that rested while I wrote, but it really does seem that my perception of time gets altered somehow.

So now it's likely to be a mad rush to try and finish this month with at least some of those goals of mine taken care of.

I'll be in here tomorrow, as I'd said I would be, to do some of that. And then I'll post a final post for the week.

Monday may be my next post, seeing as I work Mon, tues., wedn., and this is were I get my net access that's the likeliest schedual of guaruntee I can offer. But being a net access addict I come in at least twice more during the week. I may be too bussy trying to finish my goals for the month this coming week to do that though. We'll see.

As always, Take care of yourselves,
Roving Jack

Self awareness

Last night I was in my tiny room, having just finished making a hand drawn maze, listening to Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons (Le quattro stagioni Concerto No. 1 in E major, Op. 8, RV 269, "La primavera" (Spring) coming out of a stereo that somebody had thrown out because the CD player was not working (which I fixed in five minutes). I’d just started to do some reading in my copy of works of Nietzsche and it dawned on me. I’m such a nerd.

This isn’t exactly a revelation to me. But it was a kind of nice moment. That sort of feel good, after a warm shower on a cold winter’s night sort of feeling. A warm fire and comfortable living space (and maybe not having an illness that precludes hot chocolate) would be the only thing I could think of that would have made that any better.

I get moments like this from time to time, but usually they involve feeling terribly alone. That moment when you want to talk excitedly about developments on the cutting edge of scientific research, or ancient cultures, languages or mythology; only to realize that there is nobody around you who shares these interests.

Now I’m not saying I like Nietzsche, I’ve only read some of his early stuff so far and for the most part he doesn’t exactly strike me as terribly profound (might have something to do with how modern culture has taken much of his thoughts into itself, it’s sort of ubiquitous now) and some of his statements are a bit less then respective of certain people (though it was interesting to see that it was not the case in areas I had expected to see it, he’s been horribly miss used). But I suppose it is a product of the time gap between us and him.

I am saying that the violins were wonderful to hear. It has been quite some time since I listened to some classical music and I am definitely going to put that radio station in my cars sound system. I wasn’t all that fond of the Chopin piano following it but that was short and was followed by a Mozart so it was good enough.

It was really just a momentary awareness of who I am, and a pleasure in being an explorer of sorts. Finding deep, rich corners of my world and enjoying their beauty.

And while the Nietzsche will come to an end soon I think the classical music is likely to stay for a bit, while I continue to work on my projects.

Speaking of which I will put up a post either tomorrow or by Friday night. Then hopefully another by Saturday night. Unless you are a night owl like myself, your best bet is to look for the posts on Saturday morning and Sunday morning. If you’re a late nighter then keep an eye out for midnights on fri and sat.

Until then, Take care of yourselves.
Roving Jack

here we go again.

I'm going to start up on a binge of projects to clear my plate of some things here in the next few days. Mainly designing some cards for adoptees to genetic family, I'll post those to my web store at cafepress and link through here for anybody interested. That will get me a bit more practice in how that all works.

Then I want to see about making a shirt or button out of the message in a bottle image for sale through my store too.

Then Finish my map, work out another one or two and then scan them and make a flier from them. That way I can advertise my services to publishes and gamers and Novelists.

With those things done I can use the momentum to edit some of my writing and finish a few others. Which was to be the main focus of this month when I started. That could give me a boost. Especially if I can find a literary agent and maybe an editor too. that would get me a bit closer to some of my goals.

Once I've taken those steps I can use the last of this month to see about setting up and selling my hand drawn mazes, which I have faithfully done one of; each night since january first.

Next month is study month. I'll be studying Sumerian, mathmatics and computer programig languages as well as trying to apply some of the languages to creating a conlang (constructed language).

I'm still trying to get my cinamon basil to become a bonsai for indoors this winter but I also intend to get to the store where I last saw one of those mini bonsai kits. I sortof want to hedge... pun sort of intended... my bets. I want to be able to say at the end of the year that I completed that goal. And my success with growing green things isn't good enough to put all my seeds in one pot.

At any rate I've got to head out soon. But I will be back tomorrow night for sure, and then we will see if I get here agin before saturday.

Take Care of yourselves.
Roving Jack

Best layed plans

Layed like an egg. I didn't manage to get to the store event and missed out on the computer labs but that was because I had some good conversations at the social gathering.

Then sunday I worked on one project and became quite ill. I don't know if it was something I ate, or a flair of my illness, or what but I haven't had that kind of trouble for a while. It's slightly disheartening. And more then a little exhausting to wake up every two hours to take care of the problem.

I was really worried about making it to work today. But (cross my fingers) it seems to have settled down. I'm off to get some groceries, then maybe work on some of those neglected projects.

I'm in the mood to get into some of the editing my current months goals include and see where I can take some of my work. I do keep forgetting to look in the writers marketplace for editors and agents. I want to look into some of that this month.

Ooops I'm quickly running out of time here, so I'll be short. I finished the penciling of the map for my 'customer' and I have to say I'm somewhat impressed with how it came out. Hopefully she will be to.

Now onward and upward. I'll post something more substancial tomorrow.
Take Care of yourselves,
Roving Jack

I'm Late, I'm Late...

Where to start, I had some very interesting things to talk about last night when I couldn’t get access to the computer. They’ve all departed from my mind in the intervening hours however.

Mostly right now I’m working on getting myself to work on visual and crafty projects. The first which I did start was the map I mentioned earlier. I’ve got the basics all figured out now just to lay out the skeleton on paper and then start making the thing come to life.

It’s interesting to note that while this is intended for somebody else to use and based on their own vague ideas of what might appear in their story, I’ve ended up coming up with reasons why the slums are in an area of the western bank, having to do with trade from lands on the other side of the western sandy wastes. Something like the old silk roads. And reason and images of other aspects of the city keep coming up.

In other words a sort of universe building has started taking place in my mind for somebody else’s idea. Chances are they won’t use half of the material but it helps build a more realistic and more useful city structure.

Also today I’ve got a group meeting to attend, but if I can I’m going to try to make it to a local store that’s holding an event until five pm. I may not make that because I’m almost an hour away at my mothers for the weekend and I’ll be leaving later then is ideal to make the closing.

But after that I’m headed to run some errands and then work on some jewelry and other crafts ideas. Making rough mockups to share with a friend at the group meeting at 7pm. Then it’s off to the computer labs to take care of some last minute things.

Around one am I’ll be back at my room, eating dinner and working on two or three more things before going to bed.

Tomorrow is going to be down time I think, but only in the sense that I will do my darndest to not go anywhere. I’ll work on the maps, the crafts projects, another more personal project and read some more.

So for now I’ll sign off and get back here by Monday after work. Until then,
Take care of yourselves.Roving Jack

Okay okay I'm sorry

I left this to the last min again, but I have a good excuse, well excuses this time.

The first part is that The people in the kitchen left behind some of the recipes in a book open. Open to the page with the recipe for pickled beets that make me drool. I can't eat it due to some of the ingrediants but I might be able to modify that in the near future. Anyway I love the smell of them and I can always make some for the family.

Beets you say. Yeah I hate them too, but these are less of a beet and more of a sweet and spicy pickle then a beet. Jeez I better stop thinking about them I going to ruin this key board.

I grabbed a few othe recipes while I was at it. I've been looking for the beet one for almost a year at this point. It's that good.

Anyway that is one of the things that made me late getting here. The other is that one of my projects, the fictional cartography (fantasy map making) is now starting to make a move. I've got something of a client for a work. I say something of because the deal I struck is that I'll make a map and keep it, while sending her a scan of it to use. I get to use the map in a portfolio, get to figure out the best method for getting what info is needed from a client and to streamline my processes, free advertising when she shows it off (or publishes through a publisher) and meanwhile I can use the map in a flier to show an example of my work to future clients through web pages and fliers in gaming stores.

It's going to be the first request I do for somebodyelse, so I hope to learn some valuble things in making it happen. I may do one or two more like this, but then I hope to get a feel for what I can expect to get for generic premade maps, and commission peices.

So I was gathering the relevant data and corresponding with her about what she was looking for. Then I sorta procrastinated a bit. I helped somebody get a novel plot idea worked out. And in the mean time came up with some new ideas for my notebooks. Sigh. At this rate the note books will be full of new ideas in a few months. It's a good thing but also sort of exasperating.

I don't know why the later. I do love being creative but it's sortof like trying to catch snowflakes. Running around trying to catch them all. enjoying it but tireing too.

Well That's that for tonight. Maybe again tomorrow but for sure something by Saturday.

Until then take care of yourselves.
Roving Jack

MMMM, books.

Apparently I've missed my reading lately, because I am on a binge. Just Stared best known tales of Arabian Nights yesterday, I remember having a more complete volume somewhere in storage, I've got to get that out again. But I'd fogotten how much fun stories like those could be. I enjoyed a young adults book that is part of a series that looks to be decent, and revisited another fantasy series that I haven't read in since... well geez aside from one other in the setting it's probably been near a decade since I read one.

I reread the Hero and the Crown (prequel to the blue sword, which I have yet to read, but is on my shelf).

I also read the golden compass, and it was an interesting story, I'll have to see how the rest of the three turn out.

Meanwhile I've filled up a few pages with ideas in my idea journals, something that I do in spurts usually. It seems to me that all this creativity has lead me to more creativity. It's so awe insiring sometimes to create like crazy and feel like you might just reach the end of it all, only to have it be something that carries you further into a creative way of being. It can almost be terrifying. I just wish I had a bit more faith in myself to hold on to things as I take this adventure through my myriad arts and crafts.

Like time, I haven't much time here tonight for this, and about a million other things going on. But fear not, for Tomorrow I shall return.

Take care of yourselves.
Roving Jack

Rain rain rain

I'm tripping up my goals here this month. I've seen for sure that my creativity isn't dried out after last month, if anything it's flowing more vigorously. But I did use my free time over the last week for a somewhat frivolous venture. I read four paperbacks this past weekend. And when I went out to do laundry, discovered that the local laundrymat is flooded and closed due to the rain we've had.
So I really have to use some of my free time now to travel twice as far on days I'm working to get laundry done that's needed for the next day.
I'm a bit rushed for time tonight so I'll not be saying much more then that.
I'll try for a post tomorrow night and the again on Wends.

Until then, take care of yourselves,
Roving jack

Who's out there

I’ve been sort of waiting to see if I’d hear back from the mysterious Ruth. As this individual commented on one of my posts and stated “We'd love to learn more about you and hope you will be in touch.” But then has not returned my reply and seems to have no contact data.
I’d love to correspond with anybody interested about my activities and even share some of my secrets to be successfully insane with goals I set myself and how you can do it too. Seriously though. I like hearing from you all and would like it if I could keep you posted. It’s one of my sorrows on the Message in a bottle boards that I’m the only one posting and only two of the people to pass the bottle on have joined. You don’t have to be a part of the project to join the boards. Discuss this project and where it’s headed and what could be done differently and anything like that. I will be sending out three more bottles so at the very least we can expect a board with five people on it. And if other people decide to try it out the more the merrier.
But like any good artist and many a good philosopher it helps to have an audience. I don’t imagine I’m some great celebrity and to be honest I dislike lots of attention, but feedback and interconnection with others if a fundamental need of most life forms. I’m inviting you all to join me on these adventures. Let me know what goals for creativity and self-expression you have for yourself.
Well I do hope to hear from some of you out there, I know you’re out there I can hear you reading. I’ll be back by Monday.
Until then Take care of yourselves,
Roving Jack

Fall In

Well here we are in the month of September and ready to move into a whole new series of projects, while not leaving behind the last one completely.
Begging or not I want to drum up a few more donations for my charity (http://www.firstgiving.com/rovingjack)
while I edit a few of them and prepare them for sending out to publishers.

You see I’ve set this up as my editing month. Some of my goals on my master list involve editing and submitting works and that is what I will do this month. Two short stories at least from the past month and my winning NaNoWriMo from last year are my goal for submissions by the end of the month. But there is also an important script to edit too.
A year ago this past June I had rediscovered the NaNoWriMo pages and beaten myself up for not remembering it in time to participate, but I had discovered its sister site, Scriptfrenzy. I’d committed myself to doing that. I’d a script planned out and a schedule of writing times to get to it. I procrastinated much as I did with some of my stories this past month. I saw the deadline approaching and decided that I wanted to do an entirely different script.
I sat down and began to write, and set a fantastic pace. I was completely in the writing experience, enjoying it when I wasn’t struggling with unemployment requirements for benefits and help looking for another job. But then something happened. I got sick. Very sick. The kind of sick that nobody ever wants to get. And it all fell apart.
I never finished that script, I never got another job and ended up working back at the university when it reopened in the fall; but the latter was less saddening for me. I still am sick to some degree and it’s something that will be with me as long as I live, and all the struggles that entails, but I’ve begun to learn how to live with it.
Right next to my bed sits the unfinished script. And I want to be able to say at the start of November or even better, the end of this month that next to my bed sits the finished script. I’m no script writer and I’m not sure if it might someday sell, one could hope, but I do need to finish that script.
If for no other reason than to set the mood for the sequel I have in mind. J
I have a total of sixteen goals this month, some of them stubborn hold outs from last month, but that one is the most important to me. Finish what I began and to also take that leap and see if I can be a published writer.
I’m thinking it would be fun to ask the publishers if they’d be willing to publish my works under this name (Roving Jack), so that I can let you all know where to look, and the readers of the stories could join us in the goals and future adventures.
There you have it. I’ll be taking care of some errand tomorrow but expect a new Post By Saturday at the latest.

Until then, Take care of yourselves.
Roving Jack

The Sleeper Awakens

The people of the village had found the thing among the vines and trees. It had been there for ages past and the trees had grown over the form, binding it to the earth. Only now did they find it as they expanded their village boundaries.
“What is it?” asked the tanner.
“It looks like some casting of a warrior or monster deity.” The Smith said to the gathering people.
The woodsmen felled a nearby tree and then stopped to see what had attracted so much attention.
“What goes on here?” Enquired the man in charge of the cutting of the trees and the hauling of the logs.
“We have found something. Something old and forgotten among these trees, amidst our new fields.” Replied one of the farmers.
“What do you make of it?” The woodsman asked.
The Smith Chuckled. “It's of fine bronzes; I might make a great many tools from it if it were mine.”
“Bronze indeed, and enough that I could cast a truly wondrous bell, were it mine.” Replied the Bell maker.
“I think I could make of it a great sculpture in the image of our mayor, were it mine.” Cried the artisan.
And so the Villagers set to thinking of what they may make of the thing in their new field were it but theirs to do with as they please.
The trees were felled and the stumps removed or burned. Crops were planted and still the form lay in the field bound to the earth by the roots of a felled tree. Lay unmoved and untouched as things changed around it, a sleeper in the fields.
Time passed and the villagers left off their thoughts of the figure asleep in their fields, they labored to bring in the harvest and tighten their belts for the coming winter. But the new fields had seen them through a poor growing season with enough to last them all the winter.
Snow fell upon the fields and the people tucked in to stay by the hearths and tell the stories that kept the winds and storms at bay. The spun their yarns, and knit their cloths and still the figure stayed upon the fields dressed in a fleece of snow bound to the earth with the roots of a felled tree. Unmoved and untouched, a sleeper in the fields.
The edge of winter Hung on the village and the surrounding lands for longer than some thought possible. The thaw began much later then they expected but the harvest held them. But the villages of the surrounding landscape had fared far worse, they had not set to new fields to feed them and now faced the end of their food and too long before new seed could bare food to sustain them. Distant neighbors turned a hungry eye to the village with its new fields. Fields upon which slept a sleeper bound to the earth with the roots of a felled tree. Unmoved and untouched. The sleeper I the fields.
Hunger made of neighbors, the things from winter stories. Full of cold and danger. They propped themselves up with talk of the things they wanted all the while watching that the village had those very things. Fear of doing without and anger at being scared drove men to act as they had not dreamed they would. Up came the threshers and the scythes and they marched on the tiny village with their new fields among which the sleeper lay. Bound to the earth by the roots of a felled tree, untouched and unmoved. A sleeper in the fields.
A spirit moved upon the land, a wild spirit stirring up the ancient memories of growth and birth. The spirit called fourth others and moved about the land stirring the return to life of the fields and the return of the creatures among them. It sang in the trees and danced on the fields sowing dreams of life and health to all that was there. And the sleeper dreamed.
Angry men set out across the land, taking to the trek that would bring those with nothing to the doors of those with plenty. They wound around the little village gathering their courage by fanning their anger. Gathering their strength by gathering their neighbors. And at last the set their eyes on the tiny village. Their hungry eyes filled with anger and strength in numbers looked covetously on the grain houses and food cellars stocked with the remains from the winter stores and seed for the new planting. They looked upon the houses clad in new wooden shingles harvested in the previous year, and they saw the smoke from the warm hearth fires burning hard wood logs. Those covetous eyes looked upon the homes and fields of their neighbors with hate. The homes and the fields felt the touch of that approaching hatred. And the sleeper was touched.
The march was on and death was invoked to take his toll when they should arrive. The march was noted by the villagers who looked out over the fields at the distant army marching on their village and despaired. They could not hope to stand against the numbers that approached their walls. But they could do nothing else. For there was an omen of no mercy for them on the winds that moved over the village. So the smith pounded the plowshares into swords, and the bell maker cast the guns. The woodsman set up the axes and arrows and they waited at the gates. They stood their ground outside the village where women and children waited in fear. These men would die to hold their village and its fields. The stood their ground and would not move. And the sleeper was moved.
The spirit within the sleeper was moved by the plight of those in the village, touched by the danger that marched toward the fields where he lay, bound to the earth by the roots of a felled tree. And within the sleeper stirred the dream of life cast by the spirits that hand danced in the field this spring and among the woods that had lain here before that as far back as the sleeper had been there. And even before.
As the army approached the village it took up places on the far side of the muddy fields in the cold days of early spring. The Village men stood at the gates of their home on the other side of the fields determined to stand their ground.
Each side stood at the ready willing to kill on the fields for what it wanted. And each one heard the sound as it range out across the fields. The sleeper was unbound. The roots of the felled tree themselves fell away and the sleeper climbed to his feet looking across the fields. The sleeper had awakened.