The Novel Planet

I first learned about the Novel Planet when I was six years old, and it was entirely by accident.  I remember waking up by myself in the woods near my house, feeling cold and wondering how had I arrived there.  My feet were covered with a strange orange mud and pine needles too.  I looked up through the waving branches above me, and saw a beautiful bird fly into the early morning sky.  It had a long neck that curled back like an 'S', and very yellow eyes.  I know that because it looked back at me and winked.  I wanted to fly after it, so I did, right up to the top of the tree.  The bird circled around when it saw what I was doing.  She smiled; or so I thought she did.  It's hard to tell when birds do those kinds of things. 

With a squawk and a whistle, she grabbed me by the shoulders and said, 'My dear boy, you mustn't follow me now . . . the day is far too young, and so are you.  Here, have a seat on this branch here. I'll tell you everything you'd like to know.'

I was most curious about how I had just flown to the top of the tree, but since the bird wasn't alarmed by it, neither was I.  So the next obvious thing was the mud on my feet.  I rubbed them together to wipe some off, but the bird stopped me with her wing.

'How else will you fly, my love ?' she saw me shiver and put her other wing around my shoulders.  'I will help you and care for you as best I know how . . . but I can't do it all right away.'

'Here, take this.' She winced as she pulled a feather from her wing. 'Keep this dear for evermore, and as you grow . . . you will see this Novel Planet . . . more and more.'

I took the feather from her and brushed it across my face.  Wherever it touched, a warm tingling sensation followed that made my heart race.  She got nervous, and looked at me with concern.

'I'm OK.' I held out my hand to pat her side, but she turned away in alarm.

With a bounce and a jump, she stretched her wings out into the air and swooped to the ground, then back up to me in one fluid motion.  She circled around because she couldn't hover too well. 

'My world is here.' she said on one pass.
'Yours is there.' she pointed down on another.
'You are welcome in mine.' she stared deep into my eyes.
'But yours is not safe . . .' she looked sad and said,
' . . . for all of me.' 

I was distracted by that and became afraid that my world was not safe for me either, so I tried to fly after her again.  This time I went down through the branches, not quite falling or flying, all the while reaching for that beautiful bird.  She looked back at me with a wink and a smile, then flew back to her world.

When I landed, the ground was soft and smelled sweet; the sky had bright colored objects hanging from strings.  It suddenly got dark, and I closed my eyes.  I felt that strange tingle across my face; the one that made my heart race.  When I opened them I hoped to have that feather in hand, but instead I found my mothers long hair; and across my face there drifted a strand.

I was confused for a minute, so I finally cried. 'Where is my feather and that beautiful bird ?'
All that came out was, 'Gaaa gaaa a mooo heeeey hey aaaaa booooo !'
I grabbed for my feet and saw tiny little toes.
'Haaaaa haaaaaa oooooo' I said. 'Bubbb bubbbb bubbbbubb BIRD !'
My mother stood up and called for someone to come, 'His first word ! His first word !'
Fantastic, I thought.  I have so much more to tell !

All these years later, I know it was not a dream; that bird who wrapped me in her big loving wing.

I guess I wasn't six after all, but maybe I was.  It's hard to tell. That was today, or tomorrow,
or I guess it doesn't matter.  Besides, it seems everything happens right now anyway.

I now have that feather here in my hand, with the nib sharpened to a point.  From it flows the ink of a lifetime, stories from the Novel Planet . . . I know you've been there too . . . it shows in your smile. 

Take a moment here to talk, or write for a while . . .