The Trapped Truth Society ~ guest writer Kelly Collins' Poetry and Prose

The House
(a chapter from Kelly Collins' book in progress)

     The house stands four square to the world. Built by an honest man and laid down along true lines. It is made of brown mud brick of the land itself and it seems to grow up out of it.

     It sits empty now but for an occasional hunting party but once it sheltered a family. A family that was broken and scattered came together again in this house. The walls absorbed the sounds of living. The laughter and the crying. The quiet squeak of a rocking chair.

     The family increased while it lived there and the house absorbed the extra the way it absorbed the sounds.

     Its roof is high and high pitched to shed the snow. The cedar shingles laid on neatly were resistant to hail, wind and wind driven snow. The yard is barren, any thought of grass trampled out by the feet of children at play.

     The house is the house but to some that lived there it was a prison to others it was the center of a world of wonder. Even for the prisoners within its walls it was a refuge from the elements and from the world.

     The family weathered many storms, sheltered inside the thick walls but storms were coming that would blow the family to the world outside again. They would scatter across the nation from there, and across the world.

     For a time though the house stood four square to the world sheltering its family from the gathering storm.

Kissed

Feelings returned
Passion, love, hate and sadness
Flooded back upon me.
You laughed as you pulled me down,
Then kissed all that awake.

Now I remember her,
Now I remember.

Damn you for kissing me.

Road House King

Air thick with smoke, He takes a toke
When the waitress isn’t near.
Its whiskey to begin and going on to gin
And finally down to beer

With kids at home and a wife alone
He guzzles down the rent.
With out a care he buys his share
Until his money’s spent.

Come the dawn he’s on the lawn
Passed out beneath the tree
Inside she’s had enough to pack her stuff
Finally she is free

He comes awake and he’s got the shakes
"Oh god I need a drink"
Door open wide he goes inside
For his stash beneath the sink.

At the kitchen table he’s finally able
To let truth come in
She’s gone for good, with that he stood
Looking for his gin

Revoke His Poetic License

Its midnight 30 down and dirty
I’m so tired that I could weep
The nitty gritty in the little city
And I can’t get no sleep

The moon is low, the clock is slow
And here I pace the floor
It’s sad to say but it’s been that way
Since you walked out the door.

I wouldn’t mind but you were unkind
You could have left me a bed.
I’ve got no place to rest my face
Or lay my little head.

      In a land far from here was a kingdom, The King and Queen there were blessed with 5 beautiful daughters. There were no sons though, and the realm needed heirs. Each of the princesses was loved dearly by their mother and father. The youngest was of course the smallest of the Princesses. Her name was Ivy. They were at peace and no one threatened their borders, even the lowest of the peasants was well fed and well housed and all worked cheerfully together.

     The king and queen were beyond the age to have more children. While they accepted and loved their daughters the lack of an heir was disturbing to the Kingdom. It is a rule that for the young years pass slowly by while for the older the years seem to go by all too quickly.

     The 5 princesses grew to adulthood and the youngest Ivy was still the littlest. Her diminuitive stature 6 inches shorter than her sisters. She was well loved by all because she was boundless in her energy, whether she was helping some one with sewing or weaving or when she was studying the endless number of books in the library.

     There was an old man that spent his days in the library and sometimes they talked of the books and the things in them. He loved the little princess as if she were his niece and she thought him quite grand and loved him for being a friend, teacher and erstwhile uncle. He would suggest to her books that she would enjoy or ones that would teach her something.

     With out her intending to, Princess Ivy became the most educated person in the Kingdom. She didn’t use it to make others feel inferior to her. She used it to help people. When the dry spell came she went and taught the farmers how to build flumes that would take water from the river to their fields. She learned of a loom that had not been used in 100 years and had the royal carpenters make one. It was better and faster than the ones used in the Kingdom. You can see she put her knowledge to good use. She always felt bad because she was the smallest. Her other sisters were courting and had been for a while. She had no suitor though she was old enough. It was because she was small she didn’t look like a woman grown up but still a little girl.

     More years pass and the Littlest Princess despaired that she would ever become noticed by any. Her 4 big sisters were always doing things that got notice while Ivy worked in the background. She never bragged about the works she did.

     She was very disheartened when a ball for her oldest sister’s nuptials came and not one man in the kingdom asked her to dance. She fled to her favorite spot by the river and sat under the willow tree crying. Ivy had worked so hard for every thing and no one would even dance with her. She thought. “Perhaps, I am ugly.” But when she looked in the still waters and saw her face in the water, she knew she was not. She leaned back against the willow and cried herself to sleep.

     "It was a dream" she thought, a man on a big bold nut brown horse came across the stream. Ivy realized she was awake and jumped up half-startled and a little afraid, this was a man she had not seen. She curtseyed to him as he dismounted. "M'Lady perhaps you could help me " he said. “If I can M'Lord I will.” She replied.

     He said “I am from a kingdom 6 hard days ride from here. I have heard of a mighty Princess in this place that has power and knowledge to make the rivers obey her.”

My King is dead” he said, “and my Kingdom is near ruin because of wars and strife. The last thing the King did before he died was to finish with all wars. Now it is time to rebuild and to renew, to plant and to heal.”

"I heard of a mighty princess here, I have come to win her heart as I already love her. I have come to ask for her hand, to take her with me to rebuild what was beautiful and make it beautiful again."

     Princess Ivy was smitten on the spot. The man was not a giant nor was he really small. But he was handsome and he seemed to genuinely care about his people. She was afraid to say that she was the Princess that had changed the rivers. Afraid he would look at her and ride back home with out further looking. She directed him to the castle, and he asked if he could offer her escort to there or was she planning on spending the night in the company of willows. She walked back with him. He was leading his horse.

     The ball was still in full swing when they arrived and Princess Ivy directed him to the great hall she fled upstairs to her bedroom. The man entered the ballroom and saw all the people, he was announced once the seneschal knew who he was. He was introduced to the King, The queen, and to the princesses and all. He talked to the King and asked him where was the 5th princess. The King looked around, thinking surely she was there As usual no one noticed that she was not there, they scarcely ever noticed when she was either.

     He asked The King and Queen for a private audience. They went to the Kings office. He told them. “I have come to ask if I can court your daughter Ivy. I would like a chance to win her heart. I have heard of her great works and have come to love her with out seeing her. I have heard of the caring she gives your people and the marvels she has accomplished and my heart already belongs to her. I would take her to my kingdom and cherish her and work with her to build anew the land my father allowed to be razzed to near ruin.”

     The King and Queen looked at each other. “Ivy?” The king asked The Queen, The Queen shrugged.

     It was strange that things Ivy had accomplished had remained unknown to most in the kingdom, but were heard about in a kingdom 6 hard day’s ride to the south. They Summoned Ivy to the King's Office. When she arrived, the stranger, King Kyle kneeled. He said, “When I found you by the river I dared not hope that you were the one I sought. Your loveliness and your caring show through in your beauty.”

     A courtship followed, true love took root and blossomed. Ivy was happier than she had ever been in her life. She was thrilled at the thought of marrying and being able to use her knowledge to restore, to rebuild, and to work beside such a kind and caring King.

     She went to the library to tell the old man she was marrying and moving away. She bent and kissed his cheek , He smiled at her and said, “I knew one day things would happen for you. I saw it so long ago when you were but 2 foot high. I have loved teaching you and helping you. She thanked him, kissed his cheek again and left.

     There never was such a love as developed between Ivy and Kyle. They married, and when time came they had children. Their first born were twin princes. She taught them. Taught them well as she herself had been taught.

     They had daughters as well. Lovely ones and taught them also. She and the king made the kingdom to be one of great status and renown.

     They sent the prince's to their grandparents one summer and received a letter back saying that Ivy’s father was not well. The two Princes impressed all in their mothers Old Kingdom and the King himself. He named one to be his heir, and rule the kingdom after him.

     I said for the young the years pass agonizingly slow but for the older ones the years go by all to quickly. The love between Ivy and Kyle lasted a lifetime. And then they were gone. Because of the loving, caring and the teachings that she passed on from the old man there were two Kingdoms ruled by brothers, ruled with wisdom and kindness.

Kelly Collins Kenton, Oklahoma _________________

Kelly Collins
Kenton, Oklahoma
_________________