Atticus reads his never-before-seen original version of his most celebrated poem as he introduces the theme of the week: "free".
The boy ran
quick as rain
through grassy fields awake in dew
in moon dipped steps
a summers night
through fireflies
and sparkling stars
a glass jar in hand
little cloud breathes
up to the open sky
and there,
so there at once,
alone in that summer field, she flew
a fairy shone
bright as day
and the stars once bright, dimmed back in crimson
jealous of the way she shone
she, the brightest bright he’d ever seen
so bright she burned, for she loved him too
and he took her gently in his hands
and placed her in the jar
his love
Safe now within his coat —
and back to the town he ran
a thousand laughs caught in his throat
everything he loved so finally his---
and with all the people’s eyes around
he brought the jar out from his robes
and held it high above
his shining prize
His love
--but alas
she was dim
and though she tried
she could not shine so brightly
and his heart fell
and the people turned away—
“But I love her, he said
more than anything I could ever love
why can’t she shine for us?”
and the old man in the corner stood
and walked up close
to whisper something
in his ear
and the boy
looked at the fairy
dimming in the glass
and nodded at the old man’s words
and with the tears in his eyes,
sparkling as diamonds
he ran
faster than he’d even run
through the moonlight steps
through the darkened grass
through the fireflies
and the jealous stars
and there, so there at once,
in the summer field alone
he opened up the glass
and held it to the sky
And slowly and gently his fairy flickered out
And as she flew she burned again
even brighter than before---
and as he watched
and loved her so
the old man’s words
echoed on his lips--
“love her
he said
but leave her wild”.
xx Atticus
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