Faeries at the Door

hammer

00:00 / 04:14

HALLOWEEN SURPRISE

FIND AN ANCIENT PATH

Shut your windows, lock your doors, and arm
your alarm system. Find an ancient path
into the woodland forest and hike until you stumble
upon a Native American Village, abandoned

over a century ago. Along the way, you will find
sweet, ravishing flowers, revealing how the brilliant
energies of splendor extend into the cosmos--
to the farthest stars. You might find an ancient oak

emanating peace from the Source and suddenly
feel free of negativity, and suddenly feel
compassion for all life. As you stand among
the flowers, under the huge branches, your ego

might let go as you gaze far into the distance
and suddenly you might feel one
with Universal Consciousness and know
that all energy is holy. Your ego might let go

as you gaze into the distance
and you might suddenly feel one
with Universal Consciousness.
You might find flowers emanating

sweetness from the Source and suddenly
feel peace beyond understanding,
and suddenly feel free of negativity,
and suddenly feel compassion for all life.

As the Fool was waiting for the first trick-or-treaters, he hummed a song. He loved sudden inspirations, especially when music came to him from out of nowhere. As he was wondering if anyone else would ever like the song, the doorbell rang. The first children who arrived at the Fool's door were dressed as faeries. Each had a bag with a strange name on it. He thought the names must be in some faery language.

Trolls at the Door

The next group of kids were dressed as trolls. He noticed that each bag had the word "troll" on it, but on some of the bags the word "troll" was spelled with three "l's," not two. He wondered if someone had done that on purpose to make them seem more adorable.

The Patriot

Then an adult trick-or-treater showed up at his door. He had wrapped himself in the American flag but wore a demonic mask. "They call me 'The Patriot,'" he claimed. "I'm here to ask for your vote on November 5th!"

"Nice costume," the Fool replied.
"When I win, I will check to see whether or not you have voted for me," The Patriot replied. "If you didn't, I will order government scientists to conduct an experiment to see if you have bad genes. If we determine that you are a vermin, your entire family will be wiped out because your grandparents and parents and aunts and uncles and nephews and nieces and cousins and children have similar genes. We will exterminate all of you because you are the enemy within."
"Here, have a piece of candy. Maybe that will make you feel a little better," the Fool smiled. "Happy Halloween!"

Farmer Boy

Then a boy dressed as a farmer showed up at the door. "My family made me wear this to show that we grow almonds and cotton and pasture grass on very big farms here in the valley."
"Good for you. Your family must be very wealthy," the Fool replied.

Sandhill Cranes by a Once Mighty River

"Yes, my parents told me that the river from which we get our water to irrigate our crops was once the largest and mightiest river in the valley. It used to flow to the bay and refresh the wetlands in wet years. Now it's just a trickle of water, and only a few birds hang out there. We've made a lot of progress. We have tamed this land," the boy stated proudly.
"Well, have a piece of candy," the Fool muttered. "Happy Halloween!"

Native American at the Door

Then the Fool encountered a girl dressed as a Native American. "I don't understand why you celebrate the horrors of the human condition," she blurted out. "When the settlers of European descent came to this region, they murdered almost everyone in my tribe. Only a handful of us remain. Is that why you people are celebrating?"

Genocide in the Valley

The Fool shook his head. "It's just a silly tradition," he mumbled. "Don't take it personally. Here's a nice piece of candy. Have a good evening," he mumbled as he shut the door.

Debt Collector at the Door

Another adult suddenly showed up at the door. "Where's the party?" he laughed. "No, seriously, I'm here to collect your debt. You're up to your eyeballs in it. You've maxed out your credit cards and can't afford your rent or your car payment or your insurance. Soon I will be back to take away your TV and your furniture and your car and anything else of value. Happy Halloween, sucker!"
The Fool didn't give him a piece of candy.

Corporate Executive at the Door

Another adult showed up at his door. "Are you supposed to be the CEO of a corporation or something?" the Fool asked.

Smog in the City

"Yes," the man replied. "I work for the oil industry. I am one of the people responsible for all the smog you've choked on most of your life."
The Fool frowned and was about to shut the door, but the CEO continued.

Hurricane

The CEO grinned, "Now we're responsible for terrible hurricanes and floods and droughts and wildfires. I just want to make sure that you know that no one can stop us because we own the whole political system."
"I think everybody knows that by now," the Fool replied. The Fool didn't give him a piece of candy either.

Soldier

Then a boy dressed as a soldier showed up at the door. "Trick or treat," he blurted out.
The Fool laughed as he gave the boy a piece of candy. "You've got to respect a man in uniform!"

War

The boy smiled proudly. "Yes, you have to respect the military, especially for making such great weapons. Just think, our president can drop nuclear bombs on any country at any time. We are so powerful now."
"But that could result in a nuclear winter that destroys the entire planet," Nathan muttered.
"Aren't you glad we spend so much money on the military? Happy Halloween," the boy blurted out.
"But that's why we don't have the money for a half-decent health care system that might contain a pandemic or for good schools that truly educate our children or for effective social programs that provide people with the support that they need," Nathan mumbled as the boy ran off.

Gas Chamber

Suddenly a woman in uniform showed up at the door. She smiled, "I'm here because we have determined that you are a member of the vermin class."
"That was pretty damned fa-fa-fast," Nathan stuttered.
"Oh, yes, we are a very efficient agency," the woman replied. "We don't even need to examine your genes. Based on what you have stated in your blogs, you are obviously a radical leftist lunatic, and we have determined that you should be transported to a concentration camp. Pardon me, I mean a detainment camp."
"Does it have any gas chambers?" Nathan groaned as he asked.
"Of course," the woman in uniform assured him.

Demons at the Door

Suddenly three demons showed up at the door, the woman no longer anywhere in sight. "We are the demons of autocracy, the demons of fascism, the demons of dictatorship and greed!" the three demons sang in unison. Then they giggled, "We are here to drive you and your society insane."

Doctor at the Door

Suddenly a doctor appeared at the door. "If you are seeing demons, you should have your head examined," the doctor stated matter-of-factly.
"I just saw three demons at my door," the Fool confessed.
"I can prescribe expensive and addictive drugs, but only if you give me $150.00 first," the doctor assured the Fool. "Oh, and I will also refer you to a specialist. Here's his number. You can call that number and leave a message, but no one will ever return your call."

A Member of the Liberal Class

The Fool went inside to search for some money. When he returned a different adult was standing at the door. "Who are you supposed to be?" the Fool queried.
"I am a proud member of the liberal class," the man declared. "I teach Elizabethan and Victorian literature and poetry as well as how to make state-of-the art videos. Unfortunately, I could lose my job if I were to tell the truth or get involved politically in any way, so I can't do anything to end the threats of fascism and global warming and nuclear annihilation. That's up to people like you who obviously have less to lose. Your job now is to organize the masses so that people in power fear you."
"But if we make the people in power afraid, won't they just take away more of our rights? Isn't that what they are doing now even as we speak?" the Fool asked.
The proud member of the liberal class ignored him. "If you go deeper into debt, you can learn some cool stuff!" he exclaimed. "That's the American way, right? Go deep into debt to get ahead. You just need a little more education."

Priest at the Door

The Fool went back into the house to look for his checkbook. When he returned, a priest was at the door.
"We have studied your blogs. You keep espousing heretical religious beliefs," the priest declared. "We might have to burn you at the stake, but first we must question you vigorously and drag you into court. I must warn you, however. Most people don't survive the inquisition. If you give us three-quarters of your assets and a signed confession, we might not have to torture you and kill you, but you must retract all of your false beliefs in a written statement."
The Fool gazed at the pen in his hand. "Okay, let me see if I can find some paper," the Fool muttered.

Skeleton at the Door

When the Fool returned, he found a child in a skeleton's costume. Relieved that the trick-or-treater was just a child in a costume, he gave the child a piece of candy. "Happy Halloween," he shouted as the child turned and dashed away.

All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2024 by Jim Robbins.

Cruise Ship

1hid

00:00 / 04:31

SHIP OF FOOLS

HIDDEN EYES

Only I have glimpsed your hidden eyes
that once saw me. Kings have never
marveled at your golden crown.
Priests have never beheld the glittering diamond
above your head. Architects could never
draw your ladder to the eternal.
Painters could never capture the rainbow flowers
of your aura or the soft pink or your heart.
Astronomers have never witnessed your brilliant sun.
Clerks have never sold your golden cups
and plates or your pure white tablecloths.
Doctors have never examined your golden caduceus.
Nuns have never noticed your golden, equal-armed cross.
And only I have glimpsed your hidden eyes
that once saw me....

The Fool remained alone as Virgil worked somewhere else to bring the Tarot Realms back. Sometimes, while not struggling to survive his two gigs, the Fool remembered a woman who could see him on a spiritual level. At one point, he could see her on a spiritual level as well. So the Fool composed a song about her. When he finished the song, due to all the tension around him, the Fool scraped up the money to take a vacation. He chose to go on a cruise ship that resembled a Spanish galleon, mainly because he liked the idea of experiencing the unknown as well as a sense of what it was like to experience the glory of establishing an empire in a new world.

Sleeping on the Job

The first day of the cruise, he encountered a man, who looked like he might be the captain, sound asleep or passed out on the deck.

Chief Mate

Then he encountered a man holding a sword. "Nice costume. Are you a pirate?"
"I am the captain's Chief Mate, his senior advisor," the man sneered.

Liars

Suddenly a man riding a lion blew a trumpet and started spewing lies. A few passengers on the deck looked confused, but some laughed.
"Very entertaining!" a passenger exclaimed. "I'm glad we took this cruise, aren't you?"

Castaways

Then a small boat floated nearby with people who seemed dehydrated and starving. The cruise ship didn't stop for them.
Another passenger noted, "In this world, you've got to learn to fend for yourself. You can't expect cruise ships to stop for you," the man muttered as the cruise ship was leaving the small boat far behind.

Minister

Suddenly a minister began to give a sermon on the bow. "The new commandment is this: love one another," he preached. "Live with humility, generosity, and charity. Feed and clothe and shelter the poor. Welcome the stranger. Treat others the way you want to be treated, for all people are divine expressions of One Universal Consciousness."

Captain on an Alligator

When the sermon was over, a man riding an alligator came out of the captain's quarters. "I am your captain. This is my ship!" he proclaimed. "And you must follow my rules and my rules only." Then the captain started accusing some people on the ship of being "very bad people" and "perverts" and "vermin" with "bad genes." Then he claimed that some people on board were "radical leftist lunatics" who threatened everyone because they were "the enemy from within."

Mutiny

Soon a fight broke out. "This is a mutiny! Mutiny, I say!" the captain shouted. "Chain up all the vermin!"

Prisoners

Some of the people who had been fighting were chained up and imprisoned in the hold of the ship. They were brought out in the middle of the night to scrub the decks.

The Salacious One

The next day, a man with a lion's head came out of the captain's quarters. "As the captain, I can grab people anywhere and anytime I want," he boasted.

Assault

The salacious one turned into a handsome man and started assaulting a woman. No one on board attempted to stop him. They were all dancing.

Dancing during an Epidemic

Suddenly a large number of people on the ship fell ill. People kept dancing even during the cruise-ship epidemic.

Victims of the Epidemic

People disappeared. (The people who died from the disease were thrown overboard in the middle of the night.)

Fascists

Suddenly, men who looked like fascists took over the ship. They honored the captain with a strange salute.

Fascists Dancing

The fascists waved weird flags as they danced with the other passengers.

Captain Troll

Eventually a troll appeared on the main deck. "My friends and fellow passengers, I am your real captain. The others were only actors. You must listen now only to me. You must believe only me and follow only my rules."

Sailing into Rocks

The galleon began heading straight toward huge rocks as the people kept dancing. Someone fortunately steered the ship away from the rocks at the last moment.

The Burner

That evening a man began igniting small fires all over the ship.

Dancing as the Ship Burns

The passengers kept dancing as the ship kept burning. The Fool yelled, "Come with me! We can help each other swim to shore!" He jumped into the ocean and swam to shore by himself.

All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2024 by Jim Robbins.

Cardboard Box in the Forest

3oriol

00:00 / 03:58

BOXES

THE ORIOLE

This afternoon the rain pummels
the purple Chinese houses, stripping
the petals from their stems. The storm
drives the spring birds back to their nests.

The splendor hurts, thanks to the grayness
of the daily grind, and because my love
is gone and no one else
is here to share it.

It doesn't bother me now
to sit still by the creek,
dying out of myself, just
flowing water and oak woodlands

because we are not bounded
by minutes, and generations
may pass or only moments.
A creature with merciless jaws

is nearby, but the oriole
has returned in the sunlit rain,
flitting from branch to branch,
singing a little....

One day, the Fool ended up in a cardboard box in the middle of a forest.

Opening the box

Eventually he opened the box and looked around. The magnificence of the trees amazed him. He sang a song about a bird that he remembered sighting before they had sent him to the concentration camp.

Box in a Field of Lupine and Poppies

The next day, the Fool found himself in a box in a field of lupine and poppies.

Opening the Box Again

When the Fool opened the box, the splendor of the flowers ravished him.

Boxes in a Classroom

The Fool started taking classes again because he needed a full-time job with a living wage. He spent most of his time in a box with other boxes surrounding him.

A Box in the Office

As the Fool worked at one of his gigs, he sat in a box next to a person who rarely talked to him.

A Box with Bookshelves

The Fool realized that he had spent years receiving an education in different realms so that maybe someday he would be able to spend most of his time in a slightly larger box with bookshelves.

A Faery next to the Box

One day, the Fool peeked out of his box and felt a nature spirit nearby. An image of a faery appeared in his mind's eye. He knew that no one else would believe him.

A Gnome near the Box

Another day, the Fool glimpsed a gnome near his box. The old gnome ran around the box so fast that the Fool knew he could never catch him.

An Angel near the Box

One day during meditation, the Fool had a vision of an angel near his box, and the Fool felt supported by unseen spiritual forces.

A Native American near the Box

When the Fool peeked out of his box one day, he noticed an abandoned Native American village site nearby. He felt the spirit of a Native American and understood that the negativity and horror of genocide still linger in the spiritual dimensions.

Homeless People near the Box

The next day when the Fool peeked out of his box, he saw homeless people all around him. Despite all of his experience with poverty, the Fool couldn't believe that so many destitute people lived in the wealthiest realm in the world.

Mountain Lion next to the Box

The next evening in the mountains, the Fool peeked out of the box and discovered a mountain lion next to him. The Fool was terrified, of course, but he felt a strange kinship with the magnificent creature.

Archangels next to the Box

The next day, the Fool peeked out of the box during meditation and had a vision of Archangels surrounding him. The Fool knew he was personifying the powerful subtle forces as people with wings, but he soon understood that he could work with the forces to create greater harmony in the world.

Oriole Perched on the Box

In the middle of spring, the Fool peeked out of the box and couldn't believe that a stunning oriole was perching on the side of the box.

Blue Bird

The Fool decided to climb out of the box, and almost immediately he sighted a bluebird perched in a tree. He thought maybe he could leave his box and explore the world.

Angry Bosses near the Box

The next day at a gig, angry bosses pointed their fingers and yelled at him. The Fool wasn't sure why. Maybe the bosses had heard that he had told the truth once or twice.

Chained to the Box

It didn't matter because soon the Fool lost both of his gigs due to his ninth bout with Covid, during which he had spent two weeks at home.

Empty Box

After he recovered, the Fool left his box and explored the forest all day long.

All stories, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2024 by Jim Robbins.

Monster Eating Capitol

5secrt

00:00 / 03:40

THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING FOOL

SECRET PATHS

Now we know all the secret paths
along the river. Today the ravens
are gone, so are the butterflies
that jeweled the sand.

Graffiti defaces the rock,
and trash, too much for us
to clean up, covers the little beach
where we once were alone.

We have forgiven each other
so much that forgiveness hardly matters
anymore, the bats softly
flitting around us, skimming

the water as the skyline begins
to glow, the pure, intense moon
rising behind a bare oak.
Now we know all the secret paths

along the river, the bats softly
flitting around us, skimming
the water as the skyline
begins to glow, the pure,

intense moon rising, its
terrible craters so clear
in the cold,
still air.

King Genuine

The Fool remembered a time that he and a woman friend explored paths next to a river in the mountains. At sunset, they watched as a full moon rose over the mountain top and bats skimmed the water next to them, so he sang a song about that evening as he was washing dishes. Then he turned on the TV and watched King Genuine give a speech.
The King claimed, "I always tell the truth, as you know, so I am going to tell you now what will happen if you oppose me or my policies. First, I will send the police to arrest you. As most of you know, I have declared a state of emergency since immigrants are invading our country, and I have suspended Habeas Corpus. If the police fail to detain you for some reason, I will send the militia or the military to your home--and I assure you, they will not be polite. If they fail to find you, I will send a monster to maul you and drag you to jail. We will then send you without due process to a concentration camp in another realm, and the guards there, I promise, will do terrible things to you. As most of you know, I also have an army of ferocious monsters at my disposal. My monsters maintain order, and as we speak they are dismantling the government in every way imaginable so that we have enough money to pay for a tax break for our billionaire noblemen, who have shown great generosity in support of my great cause. God bless the oligarchs!"

Magic Trick

That day, the Fool made himself a few inches tall by performing a magic trick.

Police Raid

It was a good thing he did. The next day, the police, who apparently had obtained a copy of the key to his apartment from the manager, unlocked the door and looked around. The police didn't notice the Fool at all because he was so tiny.

Incredible Shrinking Fool

The Fool, with his "smaller" perspective, had found some good hiding places in his apartment. For instance, he found a hole in the back of the couch where he could climb in and hide for awhile until he was out of danger.

Monster at a Courthouse

The Fool, after the police raid, was afraid to make any noise or leave his apartment, so he turned the volume of the TV way down and watched as a monster devoured the capitol building and as another monster destroyed a courthouse. "So much for the three branches of government," the Fool muttered. "Looks like we now have a 'unitary executive.' King Genuine is now genuinely a king."

Monster Devouring Truth in Media

After King Genuine won re-election, the media after that either blatantly lied or ommitted the truth or focused on the trivial as they presented news stories.

Monster Devouring a Polling Place

The Fool soon discovered that King Genuine had won re-election through voter suppression and election fraud. His monsters had devoured polling places and purged voter rolls and challenged the voting rights of thousands of people. When the "challenged" voters showed up at polling places, they were provided with "provisional ballots," many of which, depending on the states within the realm, were not even counted. Also, King Genuine's political party had gerrymandered many voting districts. Nevertheless, when King Genuine won, he claimed that he had an overwhelming mandate to dismantle the government and "suspend" the constitution.

Military or Militia Raid

In a few days, the militia or the military--the Fool couldn't tell which--entered the the Fool's apartment and searched for him. The Fool hid in one of his favorite hiding places until they were gone.

Head in the Cloud

During that time, computer hackers stole all of the Fool's personal information--as well as everyone else's personal information--from government agencies.

Remaining Food Source

The Fool realized that it was a good thing he was so small because it took him a lot longer to eat the food that remained in his apartment.

Computer under Surveillance

The Fool eventually realized that the authorities knew when he was in his apartment because they constantly monitored his computer.

Almost Stepped On

That's why the authorities kept entering the Fool's apartment when he was home, usually without knocking. One time, a policeman almost stepped on him, but the Fool leaped out of the way just in time.

Friendly Cockroach

After awhile, the Fool made friends with a cockroach who lived in his apartment. The cockroach had three antennae, which the Fool found a bit unusual, but the three antennae reminded the Fool of his fool's cap. They helped each other find crumbs on the floor.

Monster Devouring Social Security

With the volume turned off, the Fool and the cockroach watched the TV as a monster devoured the Social Security Administration. The Fool soon discovered that an unelected immigrant, without confirmation or approval by congress, had commanded the monster to destroy the agency.

Monster Devouring the Environmental Protection Agency

A monster also devoured the Environmental Protection Agency. No experts were making sure anymore that the water was safe to drink or the air was clean enough to breath.

Monster Devouring a Hospital

Monsters all over the realm also destroyed access to health-care for millions of people because King Genuine and his political party had eliminated programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.

Monster Devouring Law Firms

Also, monsters devoured all law firms that had tried to curtail King Genuine's criminal and unconstitutional behavior. Consequently, most law firms stopped representing people who had been harmed by King Genuine's regime.

Monster Raiding Apartment

Soon a monster raided the Fool's apartment, but the Fool and the cockroach quickly hid together. Because the Fool was so small, the monster never even noticed him. Either the monster's eyes were bad, or, like the police and the military authorities, the monster expected to find a male adult somewhere between five and six feet tall.

Faeries at the Door

HALLOWEEN SURPRISE

FIND AN ANCIENT PATH

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Shut your windows, lock your doors, and arm your alarm system. Find an ancient path into the woodland forest and hike until you stumble upon a Native American Village, abandoned

The next group of kids were dressed as trolls. He noticed that each bag had the word "troll" on it, but on some of the bags the word "troll" was spelled with three "l's," not two. He wondered if someone had done that on purpose to make them seem more adorable.

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The Patriot

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Then an adult trick-or-treater showed up at his door. He had wrapped himself in the American flag but wore a demonic mask. "They call me 'The Patriot,'" he claimed. "I'm here to ask for your vote on November 5th!"

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Then a boy dressed as a farmer showed up at the door. "My family made me wear this to show that we grow almonds and cotton and pasture grass on very big farms here in the valley." "Good for you. Your family must be very wealthy," the Fool replied.

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Native American at the Door

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Shut your windows, lock your doors, and arm
your alarm system. Find an ancient path
into the woodland forest and hike until you stumble
upon a Native American Village, abandoned

Then a boy dressed as a farmer showed up at the door. "My family made me wear this to show that we grow almonds and cotton and pasture grass on very big farms here in the valley."
"Good for you. Your family must be very wealthy," the Fool replied.