The Wordsmith's Forge

This poem is spillover from the June 4, 2024 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from goatgodschild and wyld_dandelyon. It also fills the "Nonsexual Touch" square in my 6-1-24 card for the Pride Fest Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It belongs to the Rutledge thread of the Polychrome Heroics series. It follows "The Continuous Thread of Revelation," so read that first or this won't make much sense.


"Your Own Blissful Path"

[Friday, May 29, 2015]

After the events at the workshop
Do Animals Have Souls? it took
almost a month for Johan to wrap up
his current activities and make his way
back to Vermont where he grew up.

During his childhood, his parents
had moved around from one commune
to another, because Vermont had all kinds
of hippie, New Age, and similar settlements.

Johan knew that he needed someone, or
possibly several someones, to teach him
about the abilities he was developing.

One look at the SPOON resources
had told him that they weren't what
he was searching for at this time.

He wanted to go somewhere that
the constant connection to the world
was normal, in the same way that
making things or cooking food were.

He understood the distinct positives
and negatives of being in a tightly
associated space connected to
the earth, and that felt normal
to him just as the outside world
would always be somewhat strange.

Johan felt pretty sure someone there
could offer the direction and answers
he needed for his empathetic abilities.

He'd been out in the world for years,
pursuing wider opportunities, but
that was no help at the moment,
so maybe it was time to go home.

Johan got off the bus in Rutledge,
then checked the bulletin boards
that advertised local businesses
to identify the ones run by hippies.

If he couldn't find what he needed
here, then he could always head out
to Emerald Mountain Glen later on.

The two options that seemed like
the most promising businesses
to try were the Peace Store and
Pyramid Holistic Wellness Center.

Johan decided to start at Pyramid
because he had relatives working
there the last time he dropped by,
which had been a few years ago.

It was a big place, with three floors
above ground plus basement space.

On the first floor, the crystal shop sold
not just stones but also books, drums,
singing bowls, and other mystical goods.

Bulletin boards and catalogs described
the various services available, most held
here, some in the little Center Street Park,
and others at the Mala Meditation Park
outside the city that Pyramid also owned.

There were immersion meditation rooms
scattered across the various floors, along
with the other thematic rooms such as
Life Cycle, Ionic Foot Bath, and Salt Cave.

Some were multipurpose rooms such as
the one on the first floor for mystical classes
and the big studio on the third floor used for
sound healing and group therapy sessions.

Johan was still browsing materials when
he heard someone calling his name.

"Hi, Aunt Amethyst," he said. "I
was hoping you still worked here."

"Of course," she said, smiling.
"Verdite is out back teaching
a Green Yoga class in the park.
What brings you here today,
business or pleasure?"

"Mostly business, but it's
good to see you again,"
said Johan. "I um, seem
to be growing superpowers."

"Oh, bosh." Amethyst waved
a hand. "You know I don't believe
that nonsense about soups and
naries! We're all just souls having
a human experience. So what is
your spirit manifesting now?"

"I'm not entirely sure," said Johan.
"You know I've always been sensitive
to the land and to some animals ..."

Amethyst nodded. "You'll want
to speak with Verdite if it's anything
to do with nature," she said. "My gifts
are more about healing human spirits."

"Yeah, that's ... part of it for me too,"
said Johan. "I went to this workshop
on animal souls, and a lady freaked out,
and I did something that helped. Then
I kind of panicked, because I've been
out in the world so long and people there
just aren't used to odd things happening."

"You are free as the wind, and you
don’t like following rules. You’re
open-minded and non-judgmental.
You’re neither a leader nor a follower.
You are on your own blissful path.
You believe that people should love
more and hate less. It’s really
that simple," Amethyst said.

"I've missed this," said Johan.
"I was really hoping I could
find some guidance here."

"Of course," said Amethyst.
"Has anything caught your eye
in the list of services? We've
grown a lot since the last time
you were here, so we have
a wider range of options now."

"I'd like to see what kinds of
energy work and healing you do,"
said Johan. "I could really use
some healthy touch options too."

"I do reiki and other energy healing,
chakra balancing, sound therapy,
intuitive readings, and healthy touch,"
said Amethyst. "I suggest that we
start out with intuitive reading to see
what you need. From there, maybe
chakra work or massage next."

"That could help," said Johan.
"You've got all these fancy rooms."

"The Reiki Room in the basement
will serve for most of those, and we've
also got the Sound Healing Room up
on the third floor," Amethyst replied.
"You might like the Angel Room on
the second floor, which is another
where we can do several things."

"The Reiki Room sounds good?"
Johan said. "I'm not into angels."

"Then we'll start downstairs,"
Amethyst said, leading the way.
"After Verdite finishes Green Yoga,
you can talk to her about nature healing."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," said Johan.
"I'll probably need lessons from both of you."

The Reiki Room was a tiny space with
warm peach-tan walls and brown carpet.
It held a massage table, an end table, and
a bookcase full of metaphysical knickknacks.

There was a Buddha head, some crystals,
a couple of beeswax candles, a rack of
aromatherapy bottles, and a table lamp
carved out of a Himalayan salt block.

"Hop up on the table and I'll start with
an intuitive reading," said Amethyst.

The massage table was comfortable,
and Johan finally began to relax
for the first time in several weeks.

Amethyst kept up a low murmur,
telling him where she was going.

She started with her hands on
his head, then his chest, moving
slowly down the length of his body.

"Wow, you have a lot of energy
moving around here, a lot of things
happening," Amethyst observed. "I
think you might be able to learn some
of the intuitive reading, and you've
definitely got something in healing.
I'm picking up nature vibes, too,
but that's really Verdite's area."

Just having someone's hands
on him helped Johan settle.

He could feel, sort of vaguely,
Amethyst's energy around his.

Maybe, with time and guidance,
he could get a handle on this stuff.

For now he would just ... rest.

* * *

Notes:

This poem is long, so its character, setting, and content notes appear separately.