Return of the wizard

Getting up for the day cannot always be easy, he thought.  After an unknown period of time he was awakening once again, in obvious ways and in ways he had missed for quite some time.

Long stretching of long bones, a big yawn, a ... well, a need to do something about a dry mouth, and a not-too-friendly breath.

Dragons breath, he thought, absently, banging into this pile, then that pile of books, some toppling.

Opening the curtain--blinding!

Closing them again to be just a chink, just a crack.

In the armour of Smaug? he chuckled within.

Now why am I thinking so much about dragons?

Being a wizard had its pluses, and certainly many minuses, one of them occurring right now: sleeping for Goddess knows how long, then waking up to a largely unknown world, for getting back into the regular every day.

How long had it been, he didn't know.

Squishing and squiggling of somewhat clean water around, blinding again to be spittooning it out into the daylight of the tower window.

Closing the curtain again, sitting down.

Taking stock now of what had occurred, what had he known, what were the lessons to pass on before dying.

Oh, yes, that cannot be fun: to die and sleep and awake again, a new world each time, but, if only for a short life time, it kept up the variety, with centuries in between.

A wizard had its momentary glimpses of infinity, being one.

What lessons can be learned from what I know?

"Lesson One," he wrote in plumed and not-too-ancient ink, having sat down.

On this vellum parchment--cracking of his hip and neck, slight adjustments from side to side--I will begin with myself, what I know for myself, lest I forget my identity after such a long sleep.

"Way of the Wizard

I am a wizard and have F.O.R.C.E.S at my disposal ...

Friend of death
Open to love
Resilient, resonating, responsive

With my staff I have/am

Center of the universe
Entry into mystery
Strength in repose"

The ink blotting a bit and making the bolded letters not as tidy as he would have liked.

Well, should we go into each entry now, these FORCES at my disposal? he wondered, smirking and laughing a bit with this.

Well, no.

I think I shall await this for another day.

Perhaps just a short nap, not too long, then I'll have some mid-morning or perhaps mid-afternoon breakfast.

Yawning.

Then falling gracefully to sleep, folded hands around the parchment, with face, unfortunately, centered firmly on the drying ink.

Oh, to be a wizard.

Copyright © 2021, Mark Newlon

(Continued in Darkness and light.)