Sanctuary Blessing_blessing from my story Sanctuary

Wind beneath thy wings
Sunlight upon thy heart
Hands gripping thy hand
Solid ground supporting thy feet
Smiles bestowed upon thine eyes
Hugs to hold thee close
Love, Joy, Peace, Courage
Sanctuary
These things I wish for thee,
to follow, to lead, to accompany--
Wherever thee may go.
Blessings surround thee
Enough to fill all thy days and nights
Sanctuary no matter when, where, or why
Thou art deserving
And so I thee Bless
With Eternal Sanctuary

The first Keeper of the Sanctuary blessed someone hunted with this blessing. The "thy" and "thine" and "thee"s are all there because this blessing was spoken when those words were still used. The entire blessing is often only used in formal, ritualistic ceremonies. The every-day blessing is shortened to "I thee bless," "Thou (you) art deserving," "Eternal Sanctuary," or just "Sanctuary." Among anyone in the Magic World (as it were--the story is an urban fantasy and is set in modern day USA) knows the blessing, what it means, where it came from, and how significant it is.
(an insult is "Undeserved" or "Undeserving")

Spirit Animal_Swan

Spirit Animal Quiz from: http://www.jerismithready.com/quiz/

You are a Swan! (your score: 26)

Characters: Tereus, Kalia in the Aspect of Crow trilogy

Powers: Foretelling future through dreams, dream-walking

Swans are idealistic, open-minded, and passionate. Your good nature often leads people to think they can take advantage of you, but they should be careful—beneath that serenity lies a fighting spirit. Your love is fierce and unconditional, fueled by the certainty that it should last forever.

Best matches: Wolves, Horses, Otters

Watch out for: Cougars, Foxes, Hawks

Quote stolen from Meople's blog. (Sorry...sort of)

"If you take a Bible and put it out in the wind and the rain, soon the paper on which the words were printed will disintegrate and the words will be gone. Our Bible IS the Wind and the Rain." -~Unknown

Other quotes:

“Nature has her proper interest; and he will know
what it is, who believes and feels, that every Thing
has a Life of its own, and that we are all one Life.” —
Samuel Taylor Coleridge

“Nature brings to every time and season some beauties of its own.” — Charles Dickens

"I put a capital N on nature and call it my church." -Frank Lloyd Wright

Poem_As Yet Untitled. Inspired nby A'net's "a small sunburnt shack"

It stands forgotten there--
Lost, alone, abandoned--
Where rain and frigid cold, winds and scorching heat
Ravage, weather.
It had been a home once
Now it no longer even deserves the title "house"
It used to be red and cheery, a hub of activity.
No more.
It has faded to grey--
The warped wood shelter only for termites who've carved their paths like tribal tattoos into teh flesh of the structure--
And lost more than half its shingles
The windows have been smashed, leaving
Gaping Holes
Like caves for dead leaves, dust, dirt, and the odd mouse,
The door the last memory as Home,
A tribute,
A sign for any weary wanderer to come and take its precarious shelter.
Roses border it, still faintly seen--
The only color left.
It waits patiently for the Return,
For the Homecoming,
For when feet will once again tread on hardwwood, thread-bare carpet, creaky stairs, and cracked tile
For when laughter echos down the halls instead of the mere faint echo of a memory.
It stands forgotten there--
Lost, alone, abandoned--
Ravaged by Time and patiently
Waiting

Poem_Wavering, between the Brink and Solid Ground

Wavering
At the edge of the brink, tip-toes on the precipice:
It's a long way down from here--
And the easy way is through empty space
Tumbling
With ease like handstands in a swimming pool
Cartwheeling
Through mid air
Going
Down

The landing, though, is much harder
Than the rocky, thorny, twisting-turning and very steep path
Behind
So simple to tip forward
And find out what it's like to fly
To sky dive--to
Fall
Helpless, uncontrollable, spinning and somersaulting
To the hard earth, fast as a semi down hill

Better to go the other way, on trembling feet,
Tripping and slipping and sliding
Skinning knees and twisting ankles, tearing clothes to shreds and
Arriving
Vertical and Triumphant instead of
Splattered like Humpty Dumpty

So turn around and take a deep breath.
Step by difficult step
And into the waiting, loving, and incredibly proud arms at the bottom
Take a bow. you did it.

Shaking, close to the edge,
The brink less than a step away with empty space awaiting
But turn around and you'll find
Solid ground

Poem_In the Form of a letter_Dear Best Friend

Dear Best Friend,
I miss you.
I miss your voice, your hugs, your smiles, your presence. I want to hang out, to laugh, to joke, to revel in the cheery atmosphere. We can talk about nothing. We can talk about everything.
Without you, I feel lost; I feel alone. I just want to call, to see how you are. I’m thinking about you so loud. Can you hear me? I’m calling out for my Best Friend. Please, let me know you’re there.
So when I go to bed at night, I will feel safe and whole because I’ll know my Best Friend is a phone all away, ready to send love, ready to banish tears. And when I wake up in the morning, I will not feel lost and alone because I will know my Best Friend is there.
Can you hear me? Please, let me know you’re there.
Dear Best Friend,
I miss you--
Love,
Me.