Posts Tagged ‘legend’

Once Upon A Legend

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

I write a great many things these days, but my favorite thing to capture is a Legend. My children ask for Legends to be told before they go to sleep at night, and I often oblige. The problem is that I regularly forget the tale before I get back to my computer. Oh, I can remember the major plot points, of course. But, there is no tale quite as pure as a Legend told in rhyme off the top of my head.

My talent, whatever I may have, is not what makes such a Legend pure. No, it is the whispers and giggles and yawns of the listeners that distills my words and made-up language into a delicious story warranting remembrance.

This Christmas, I was given a digital voice recorder, which I love! Now, I have an easy way to capture the off-the-cuff Legends complete with listener reaction. Now, I can pick out the best parts of our bedtime ritual and bring them together in a written form so that they may be remembered and retold.

I wonder if they’ll be better than the ones I sit down and write with purpose…we shall see.

Amanda Salisbury, writer, ShyJot Publications LLC

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

The rest of the Legend…

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

See yesterday’s post for the first half of the Legend of Pazalarew…

Pamela grinned ever so slyly.

Knowing the answers, she started shyly,

“The water was crystal clear.

And the girls drew unwittingly near.

No supplies in hand,

they drew from the land.

One slight sip from the gurgling stream

found each girl conveyed to congenial dream.

For within the water washed a mineral,

the name of which is plaxineral.

The plaxineral trance waxes up to eight days.

Afterwards, all are released from its craze.

Peelo and Pila both were entranced,

neither one knowing that time was enhanced.

So, three times they did drink of the stream.

Three times they did sleep in a dream.

Your simple riddle is quite a shame,

for I have rather unwoven the game.

Desire you more of a score?

Now leave me and riddle no more.”

The riddlers sat in appalled shock.

Her riposte made their slight poser a mock.

Beset by Pamela’s beauty and wit,

The riddlers jointly decided to quit.

By morning light they crowned sweet Pam

Queen Riddler of all riddling land.

Their journey continued to a new town

Where another unpuzzler might be found.

Meanwhile, Queen Pamela ruled Pazalarew

with grace and majesty and not much ado.

-Amanda Salisbury, writer, ShyJot Publications LLC

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

The Legend of Pazalarew

Monday, July 6th, 2009

In honor of a recent birthday among the ShyJot family, I dedicate this post:

The Legend of Pazalarew

Once upon a legend, not so very long ago,

there lived a maid named Pamela. My! How her fame did grow!

Cocoa eyes of the maven

accompanied licorice hair, black as raven.

Pamela was blessed with satin skin of olive hue.

Many faithfully believed her splendor might someday cause a coup.

Riddlers came from far and wide to riddle mysteries Pam would decide.

Her commanding presence and beauty supreme puzzled every puzzler on the scene.

The riddlers pondered, “How could this be? Is it she who answers unfailingly?

If unraveling riddles is her destiny, then why be cursed with such majesty?”

Those who dwelled in Pazalarew

answered their questions without much ado.

The perfectly poised Pamela had flawlessness to spare,

but generation one by one brought winsomeness to bear.

No, the thing that set this girl apart from her ancestry

was wit and wisdom unsurpassed to fathom quandary.

One evening all the riddlers gathered to puzzle long and hard

And draft a grueling poser upon a linen card.

The card was sent by Anonymous to the home of Pamela,

Where its cleverness and mystery caused marvelous hoopla.

“Peelo and Pila were best of friends.

What one breaks, the other mends.

The two thrice came to a gurgling stream.

One was hypnotized by the water’s gleam.

Each one stayed eight days or fewer.

Who can explain the bubbling lure?

But that’s not the riddle we’ve come to say;

Rather, here’s the verse to lead Pam astray:

Which stayed longer, the second or first?

And with no supplies, how’d they quench their thirst?

And how did the water hypnotize?

Was it in the water or in her eyes?

Answer these and we will crown you

The very Queen of Pazalarew.”

-Amanda Salisbury, writer, ShyJot Publications LLC: tune in tomorrow for Pam’s answers!

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Regret

Friday, June 20th, 2008

What did you regret today? If the answer is “nothing,” then I’d say you are in the vast minority of individuals. There are a few things I regret today. None are major incidences that will alter my life. Yet, I regret them all the same. I propose it is good to grieve regrets, not for long, to be sure, but for a bit.

I lost my patience today. Unfortunately, the ones who paid for my loss were certainly at no fault. That matters not, because they paid all the same. And I grieve my lost patience because it impaired the day. My impatience bore crankiness and ill tempers in others.

Some days bear bigger and more painful regrets than others. Thankfully, I don’t have too many of those days. I am mindful, however, that the small things I forsake today become the big regrets of days to come.

In this simple moment, as I grieve my former impatience, I remember the awful sinking feeling that is regret. The remembrance spurs me onward toward the many and sundry goals I have set for my writing, my career, my family, and my future.

Avoid regret, whenever possible. But when regret inevitably comes, grieve appropriately and move forward. For that is the only way to avoid regret.

-Amanda Salisbury

If you have a story to tell and you need help telling it, tell your story without regret: visit shyjot.com or e-mail ghost@shyjot.com  to partner with a ghostwriter from ShyJot Publications LLC to tell your tale.

If you know a legend, tell them how you feel and have no regret: visit shyjot.com or e-mail oual@shyjot.com to start the process of having a custom-written Legend written for the legend in your life.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »