I’ve seen smoke warm the sea as it bubbles up from a bottom volcano. I’ve seen fish slurp down stars and I’ve seen dark mountains throw blue shadows across sunset colors, high in the sky.
This story poem mixes wonders of nature with fantasy. Anna shrinks to mouse size and rides on her robin’s back to a hollow plum tree where she and her other robin friends all dance the tango.
Anna’s Robin – Title Page
The Gold Key is the first book in a series called The Mad Mermaid Queen, Superman, and a Dragon. The four books are written as an Iliad and Odyssey for children. The poem stories are written in rhyme, and with rhythm, assonance, and alliteration. The poem stories are best read out loud and tell of a brother and sister who discover a long journey and adventure. The words vibrate in the reader’s mouth as we step into a new world.
Often we eat ice cream fast but savor chores we hate. By slowly reading to children we echo the value this poem places on family love, on reading, and on reading to children, and the word play tickles the read’s mouth and the listen’s ears.
The Mad Mermaid Queen, Superman, And A Dragon
Each jumping bean below is as empty as my friend, who has a hole in her head. The little bug ate its way out and the bean will no longer move. Once upon a time a mommy stopped at a pet store saying, “Stay in the car and I’ll bring you a birthday present! I’ll finally get you that pet you’ve been begging for!”
The child waited and dreamed of puppies, kittens, and bunnies. The ‘mom’ brought out a jumping bean!
The six jumping beans below are drawn in children’s Crayola Crayon. What is it that great people (people with major talents and skills) have in common? Year after year, researchers have studied accomplished people’s diets, types of education, personal discipline programs, and more. Every study comes to the same conclusion: Their moms have spent a great deal of good time with them.
Create a unique car, never before seen, and the salesman says, “I’m famous because I’ve learned about the car, I’ve communicated, and I’ve sold it! I am famous!”
The same thing is happening in the art world where the gallery people say, “The artist conceived of something new, created the thing, but they are nothing. It is I who actually turned the picture into art when I communicated and convinced a buyer to buy it!”
In the book, ‘The Memory of Blood’, by Christopher Fowler a character explained that when he was young the youth of the day aspired to be nurses and policemen. To be of service and fulfill a duty. Now people want to be famous for doing nothing!
The painting below is called, Cranberry Queen of Portland.
I was a small child and ran to my mommy for a band- aid. Mom always made an inspection and usually found hurt feelings and anger not broken skin, so she sent back outside to the ruffians without a band- aid.
I’m glad for her help. Now I stand against hardship and I don’t even tape myself together with chocolate cookies anymore.
A few miles away lives a small simple house which looked as if a big full- sized pine tree grew straight up out the living room’s pointed roof! I thought, “I must have seen that wrong. I must have seen a tree growing close behind the house and merged the two images in my crazy mind.’
What I thought I saw was correct! I never did knock on the door asking to see inside. I’m still too busy inventing various interior decorating scenarios. How did the human inhabitants close off the holes, floor and ceiling, around the big trunk? Did they hang traditional red barns or tree pictures on their walls?
I’d add sky lights at the top and open them so the lizards or snakes, who lived with me inside, could step out to sun themselves or grab a bite to eat. Then the critters would scramble back in, so I could rub each one under his chin.
The eye in the tree sees all we do. Some of our doings make stars shine brighter, but others fill angels full of sorrow.
Both are shown in the Crayola Crayon picture below.
