Literary Works by ILIA

I wasn’t supposed to reach or discover or find a different way. First of all, I was SUPPOSED to be there in that regular old dingy place that had lots of rooms and lots of people doing as I was doing. I was suppose to wait. So, I was waiting.But, there was some time I was told, so I took a walk. The walk was down a country road with nice scenery, pretty flowers, well-kept houses, in a quiet neighborhood with no people around. The houses were set away from each other as if there were some set rules on boundaries. Yards full of gadgets, stuff and decorations to look at and admire on the way down the country lane.

When I got to the end, there was a bend of the lane that turned into another road that seemingly sprang out of nowhere. The road was fairly long, curvy and way in the distance I could see the most gorgeous rainbow in a golden sky. I knew that was something different! I stood there in awe for how long I do not know. I truly was compelled to take that journey and find the wonders along the way.

However, being the well-brought up individual that listens to and obeys the rules, I realized that I had been some time away from the place I was supposed to be at and the things that I was suppose to do…then looked again at that long road that arrived at the most gorgeous rainbow in the most spectacular sky…

Ah well. I decided that it takes too long, that I’ll be late for doing what I’m supposed to be doing and that I’ll travel on this road later.. It takes too much work to walk that path, so I thought. It’s interesting though, so I’ll be back, I’m sure I will.

So, I skipped my way light-heartedly backwards to where I would do what I was supposed to and wait. I hadn’t realized on my short walk out on that country lane that the road was old and crumbly or that there were huge potholes filled with muddy water or that the houses that I thought were so beautiful with all their doo-dads were really just facades and that behind the screens were rundown broken homes.

Gleefully ignoring the surroundings, still trying to make mock-ups of great things that could be – barely avoiding pothole craters, missing a step now and again, I made it back to the place that I was supposed to wait just in time…

…to wait…

Well, I did what I was suppose to. I went backwards along the track I came on because the other road took too long to travel and here, although I wait for what I do not know, is more familiar than the unknown.

Why was I wearing cob webbed covered clothes with musty odors that were torn in places by thorn bushes and soiled by mud that had splattered over it? I kinda felt like this was not how it should be…But, I was supposed to stay because this was the place to be.

It really was the all important place, wasn’t it? I was supposed to be here after-all. This was where the all important people were also waiting. It was certainly THE place and I was certainly on time and there were so many other all important people with their all important stuff still waiting since I left for that walk. It just had to be right to be here.

Then why did it look so different? And, more importantly, why didn’t I think that it was so dang important anymore?

…WHAT DID I THINK I WAS DOING???!

Up I jumped, I’m not sure if anyone noticed because of being too busy doing “supposed to’s”. It didn’t matter, I left that all important place with the all important people with the all important stuff where I was suppose to be waiting. My departure was at such a fast pace that I probably looked like a blur. I just kept going, didn’t look back, my pace turning into a gallop that soon turned into a charge. I was hoping against hope that I could re-find that road with the rainbow in the spectacular golden sky.

Huffing and puffing I wound my way down the old country lane – that looked even worse than it had just a few minutes ago with the facades melting down to reveal the decay – and I raced to the bend in the road…

IT WAS THERE!!!

ILIA

Copyright © 2007. All Rights Reserved.

About a month or so ago, I decided to take a Sunday Drive. I was in no hurry, so I took the regular city streets, staying in the slow lane so as not to annoy the folks that weren’t on a Sunday Drive. Taking a city road, Cave Creek, located in north Phoenix, I headed north thinking that it would be a great adventure to drive till there was no more city. I figured that eventually I would wind up in desert. Driving, I passed the city limits, saw the outskirts of suburbs and continued through to a little old west town named Carefree.

You have to slow down when going through Carefree because the wide road gets smaller, people are crossing back and forth across the streets from shop to shop and the road gets windy. If you ever get a chance, go to this town. It will put a smile on your face that will just grow bigger and bigger. It’s like being in a wild west town - that has had a few renovations and a few new buildings. It is quaint with neat old west shops and a selection of restaurants.

I didn’t stop though as I was on a mission - how far out do I need to go to be out of civilization and find the desert. That question was answered right out of Carefree, I was just driving, taking in the sites, going around the curves in the road when I saw a large sign. The sign blended right in with the surroundings, natural desert colors, I almost missed it: Tonto National Park, (just a 40 minute leisurely drive north out of the city was the desert).

I went winding around curves and hills till I saw an even smaller sign for the “Sears-Kay Ruins”. “Oh boy”, thought I, “indian ruins”. So I turned off onto the little road to go in search of them.

The first thing I noted when taking in the place was that there were huge, curious rocks that were shaped unusually. Several rocks like this were scattered around the hills that lead up from where I stood. I perceived them as guardians.

After reading the legend for the Sears-Kay ruins, I couldn’t seem to find the path that lead to the ruins.

Looking right and left, I finally saw that most folks in the area had headed off to the right. I thought it was odd that there wasn’t a beaten path and I had to climb through a gully to get to another path which led to yet another larger path, but climb I did.

Once onto the larger path, I headed in the general direction of the other hikers in the area.

Admiring the new large rocks I saw - there was a group together that looked to me like a family, parents, a few children - large rocks and smaller ones but close knit.

At one point the climb was dangerous. As I was going uphill, the sandy ground was slipping away beneath my feet.

Finally I got to the top - as other hikers were going down - thinking that I finally made it. Walking around between cactus and more rock clusters, there were NO RUINS.

Looking around on all sides of the hilltop, for miles around, I could not find a single place that looked like ruins.

Perplexed I skidded my way down the hillside, back down through the gully (which seemed very dangerous and scary) to where I parked.

I marched myself right back to the legend where a couple I passed on my way up were staring, too - very puzzled - trying to figure out where the ruins were.

It was a mystery that we shared.

It was then that I realized what a hoax was being played on us by the “guardians” - those alive looking rocks that I saw.

I realized that the spirits of indians were still in the area protecting their land from intruders - as they had done for ages past.

I acknowledged them.

I looked right at those magnificent huge guardian rocks and said “well done” and looking back towards the legend, I saw clearly the path that led towards the ruins.

ILIA

Copyright © 2007. All Rights Reserved.

It started as a drear and gloomy day with fog so thick that you could hold it in your hand. To make matters worse, because of the dampness of the air, the cold seemed to find its way not only through the layers of my clothing but chilled straight through to the bone. It was as if warmth was a word that didn’t exist.

Certainly the conditions made it hard to stay on the path and to keep going. Seemed as if the future was only the next inch away and the effort to carry through was waning.

The forest, although old, had many saplings and yearlings struggling to start life, the remainder of the trees were gnarled and bent as if it were an effort to grow in such a harsh environment.

As the morning sky lightened just a fraction to relieve the gloom, I noticed a clearing in the midst of the wretched forest - it was bare of life. As a matter of fact, there was absolutely no life, no plants, no grass, no birds singing, no insects, and no animals. It was as if I was walking alone in a world of the living dead.

I paused there a moment to gather my nerve, panting and struggling to breathe the scentless air, getting ready to continue on my journey when a flicker of movement on the other side of the clearing caught my eye.

What was that?

At last, after squinting and staring. I was able to peer through the fog with utmost concentration to see that a jack rabbit had just come out of the woods directly opposite me to the far right of the clearing. He was splendid! A huge jack rabbit with shiny velvet brown fur and a gorgeous puff of a white tail and white undercoat. His fur shined so much that even though he was quite far away, I could still see the sheen!

Very impressive!

What made me stare though was the finely detailed armor that he was wearing, the blazing sword at his side and his skill at riding on a pogo stick.

I didn’t get much time to wonder about why a rabbit would be dressed in armor riding on a pogo stick because charging right behind him was the meanest, cruelest, most ugly and unkempt grisly bear that you never would want to see.

Skillfully riding rapidly, the jack rabbit pulled out his sword, spun his pogo stick around and faced that ugly creature. The bear, shocked that he didn’t intimidate the rabbit was rapidly disposed of. The rabbit swished his sword back and forth - it lit up the area in blazing light – and suddenly the fierce bear was no more…instead there was green grass in the clearing and the trees seemed to be more brown instead of blackened.

I suppose that the battle of rabbit and bear through the forest disturbed a hive of bees because no sooner than the bear was dispatched, the rabbit was battling a swarm of furious bees. His sword blazed right to left, left to right and suddenly, the bees were butterflies.

For some odd reason, the sky seemed to get a bit brighter.

I looked again where that pogo stick riding rabbit was and he was surrounded by the meanest bunch of wolves that you wouldn’t want to dream of in your worst nightmare – never mind confront and handle. Fangs snapping at his feet, claws aimed at his face – I was sure that the dear rabbit had lost this match.

Again the sword came flashing out, the wolves had no chance to do damage and were disposed of rapidly and without sorrow. The clearing seemed to become more alive with light green grass, the trees unbent and reached for the sun that could now be seen through the clearing clouds – the fog existed no more.

Again and again I watched in wonder as the jack rabbit handled the horrors from the forest that came his way, turning each trouble into beauty until the clearing was flourishing with green life in trees and grass, flowers were blooming, birds were singing, and the field was full of the critters that make their home in a forest. The trees had unbent, filled with leaves and new blooms.

I looked up and saw that the sky had not only cleared but that there was a rainbow. Looking across the clearing to where the amazing jack rabbit on his pogo stick was, I was smiling in wonder – he returned my smile with a grin of his own, gave me a wink and bounded off into the woods.

Much lighter of heart, with purposes renewed, I continued on my way through the now pleasant woods – my path clearly in sight. With a skip in my step and joy in my heart, hope was renewed with the coming of dawn.

ILIA

Copyright © 2007. All Rights Reserved.

Once upon a time there was a hag. She didn’t start as a hag, she was actually a sunshiny beautiful person that had a gorgeous smile.

Even though she was an older lady, wrinkles on her face and a sort of general tired look overall, when she smiled, she lit up a room and looked as if she just got younger by 25 years!

It was beautiful to be in her space and enjoy the sunshine of her happiness.

To be a part of that sunshine that radiated throughout her living space and bask in the validations was very nice.

Seems that jealousy is not a pretty thing. It is a torture to the user.

The beautiful bright sunshine turned into gloomy dark storms when jealousy reared it’s ugly head. It is like a serpent thrashing out and the bite really hurts the victim. But this particular serpent of jealousy has two sets of teeth.

The jealousy serpent strikes out and bites it’s victim but it takes just that much of the serpents sunshine to accomplish it.

One bite, cloudy skies; second bite, grey skies; third bite, lightening; and more strikes and bites…a massive roiling storm that engulfs the serpent in it’s entirety.

And, so, she was engulfed with jealousy and spite and became a hag.

ILIA

Copyright © 2007. All Rights Reserved.

#154 sprang out of bed as soon as the siren went off. He donned his gray tunic, gray coveralls, gray shoes and cap. He made his bed rapidly pulling up the gray blanket over the gray sheet and gray pillow ensuring that not a single wrinkle was present. #154, along with the fellow gray clad people that resided with him, were lined up and ready to go to breakfast within 3 minutes of the siren. Not a single person spoke, the punishment for communication was too cruel.

Breakfast consisted of a dull gray tasteless mush that the people had to eat while standing up. Two minutes were allotted for the people to choke down the dismal meal.

The people filed out in a prearranged line to march at an exact pace (mustn’t step out of line otherwise the punishment was given). The buildings they marched past were dull drear gray and the sky was dull drear cloudy gray and the weather gloomy. The people exactly dressed marched on to do their day of drudgery.

From dawn till dusk the gray clad, gray skinned people toiled, men, women and children in the pits. Some fell and were tortured till death by the overlords. It did not matter if it was a child that was thirsty or a woman in labor or a frail old man - death was delivered swiftly.

The pain was evident in the faces of the people but toil on they did as this was the only life allowed to them. A sharp intake of breath, a sigh, a cough were reasons for the overlords to interfere and deliver punishment to the offender. Not moving fast enough, not doing enough work, not being efficient were all reasons to torture the workers.

The people, at dusk, exhausted, were marched back to their dwellings, fed another bowl of gray gruel and were allowed a moment in the radiant deionizer that served to cleanse the days grim off the person and the clothes. Passing through one by one the people were thusly cleansed and then reported to their bunks.

Taking a moment too long in the radiant deionizer or not reporting directly to bunk or just looking wrongly at an overlord resulted in the punishment and sometimes in instant death.

#154 laid in bed one night, pretending that he was asleep, but reviewing his life. He knew that it was not survival to be thusly controlled. No original ideas. No individual choices. Each little nuance deemed unacceptable by the overlords was punished until sameness ruled. There were no colors, no sunshine - and #154 remembered that, at one time, there were colors, sunshine, smells, tastes and more! He was not fooled into the belief that life had to be lived the way that the overlords had doled out along with the drab gray they wore.

#154 knew that life was to be created, enjoyed, experienced - even with each individual nuance. Life was not to be controlled to the death! With that, #154 decided on a plan of action and fell fast asleep.

Siren! Jump out of bed, into clothes, line up, eat gray mush and file out to toil the day away. #154 was smiling though - this was seen by the overlord of the morning and #154 was given an electric jolt.

As the group tramped toward the work site, #154 broke away and ran - the overlord struck him with the beam. #154 fell but dragged himself up and with all his effort started running away again - to be struck once more by the overlords beam. This time it was more difficult, but #154 hauled himself up again and started to briskly hobble away when once again he was struck down by the overlords beam - afterall, he was being different. Different was to the overlord “difficult” and “uncooperative” - #154 was just not following the rules! He deserved to be punished.

#154 did not get up again.

His actions were not missed by the group of gray clad co-workers. With a sudden realization, as if they just woke up, that they out numbered the overlords - each one broke into a run in different directions. At first the overlords were baffled, then they were overtaken and tossed into the pits - never to be overlords again.

#154 rose from his body into the air. He happily saw the rabble that he created. His people were fighting back now. He drifted away in search of another life - only this time he decided that he was not going to live a life of a dull drear regimen - he was going to find a place where it was okay to be. Where creativeness was welcome. Dreamily he went his way thinking about his next life and the fantastic future that awaited him.

ILIA

Copyright © 2007. All Rights Reserved.

August 15th, 2007

Just a word you may think
But, take a moment and get on your feet
You have to run a bit to get the correct velocity
And after trying a few times, you might be a bit giddy
It’s just a run and a graceful jump
You need to aim for the landing pad That place that you really want to end up
What you’re aiming for is the best moment of all
The split second that’s right at the highest point
Of that pounce.
Legs stretched out
Aim is true
Velocity perfect
And right in the middle of that incredible leap
Is a moment that time stops
and motion stops
You’re suspended in air
King of the world
Then motion starts again
The pounce continues
And you land true
It’s so very cool
You really have to try it
Boy is it ever fun!

My best ever pounce
Was sailing two and a half feet through the air
You’re gonna have to run to keep up with me
If you want more lessons I am, after all, just a kitten

Best,
Opie Taylor

ILIA
Copyright © 2007. All Rights Reserved.