Goodbye 2006 's been a year
but I say this cuz 2007 is here
nothing's gotten better, most things got worse
Here's where I cheat to rhyme the verse
we're still at war and Saddam's dead
What the hell was going through Bush's head?
We know he wasn't thinking and now he's a lame duck
He'll be impeached if we have any luck
crime out of control and school's are useless
money lenders and merchants are more and more ruthless
The Bill of Rights has been raped and murdered
so that the Bush agenda could be furthered
So have we all had enough
or must it get so rough
that we are in the camps
with no oil for lamps
are we gonna stand by and watch
Do something now, Beeyach!
Here comes 2007.

Shanna Mawavise

DREAM LOVER

By Shanna Mawavise

1. Prologue
What the hell happened?
This man wants to kill me.
I'm staring down the barrel of the gun and all I can think is; how did I get here. I'm looking into the barrel of a gun. This isn't where I wanted to be.
I see the beads of perspiration on his forehead dripping into his eyes; eyes filled with hatred and rage.
"Look, Jim, just put down the gun and let us walk out of here. We won't say a thing about the gun, just let us go."
I hear the bullet drop into the chamber; it is a very distinctive sound not unlike the sound of my death.
How can he be so angry at me, he doesn't even know me.
Beads of sweat drip down my face.
I am powerless for the first time in my life.
The predatory look on his face; he means to kill us both.
In a wild and uncontrolled movement he levels the pistol at Zeb's chest; the hand with the finger on the trigger shaking.
"Listen to me, Jim, it's not worth it. Please, please put the gun down. Let us go, you need to cool off."
I am pleading with him not to do this; we can all just walk away from this.
"Shut up, you fucking dyke!"
I never had words slap me so hard, odd time to think about it.
"Jim, please-" Zeb pleads with him the tears rolling down her face.
His fist flies, a backhand that launches her into the refrigerator, her blood paints the newly papered walls, she slides to the floor.
"Shut the fuck up you whore! You're fucking leaving me for this piece of shit dyke! I'll kill you both!"
It's like slow motion; gun aimed at the back of her head.
Nothing is in my mind but stop him, save her... I charge him.
KABLAM!

Walking the Path is the continuation of the Mothersource Cycle.

In the Tale of Chadizah you met Adula Zabadu the rightful ruler of the Amonu Empire and Lodiva Graze, Chadizah, the High Guildmistress of Chadizah and supreme sorceress of Lyantho. Although they are related by blood that is not their only connection. They are related in spirit and purpose.

Lodiva's history is the focal point of the story. This is about how she came to be on the throne of Chadizah. In the Walking the Path section Lodiva finishes her work in Agrippa and leaves for the springs of Lilligyth to build the True Temple of the Mothersource, something that she must do with only Aurelia Chopoda ( a baby dragon) for company. Her faithful companions Ban Ruda, Lelia Orun and Raisa Noduri have their own missions to fulfill.

For Raisa it is to reclaim Nerrovar from it's imprisonment by Bran Cavi'Lodiva.

For Ban Ruda she must deal with the traumas of her past and the tragic and senseless deaths of her family so that she can return to the hidden city of Nard.

Lelia must learn from the sleeping treekeeper Amaquaba.

The Battle of Blacraezur is revisited from a different point of view.

Zarazul is closing in on the Nerrovar School.

So much can happen in just a few minutes time.

It's a good thing I have a journal so that at least I can say what I want to and then at least I'll indicate that I actually read something in it.

I don't care whether anybody has a comment about anything but what's the point of having a blog if nobody pays any attention to it?

So, I'll start a conversation with myself.

"Shanna, how's book 2 coming along?"

I got my copies of my book today and it finally sank in that I have a novel that people can buy and like or hate. It doesn't matter what they do with it, they can use the pages to cover the bottom of a birdcage, but they have to buy it to do that!

It's great to finally have that done. I think I'm taking a vacation away from my pc so I can bask in the glow of my book. Then I can get banging on Part Two: Walking the Path which is shaping up quite nicely.

I have to give myself deadlines and adhere to them but I can afford to take a break; my mind id screaming for it. My students get more and more needy and I find myself being spread too thin. Oh well, I do love what I do. Gotta remember to take next Friday off at work, I have to go see Lazarus Unstoned.

I'm not sure what reminded me of this event, but it just pooped into my mind and won't go away.

A few years ago when I was walking home late at night, just minding my own business and escaping into my own little world, a young man of about 14 started verbally harrassing me. He didn't have the courage to speak to me to my face, he just followed about a quarter of a block behind me calling out the "N" word.

Had I been his age I would have jacked his a@@ up! But being much older and hopefully a lot wiser I continued along on my way and tried to ignore him. He followed me for a good long time before he turned down his street and went home. Needless to say the incident pissed me off for a week.

I wondered why I hadn't said anything; why his parents allowed him to do that; why he thought there was justification in doing that to anybody; why people think that strangers are interested in their opinions. This happened in Philadelphia in 1999.

About a month later, same time of night, same place I saw a group of teenagers beating up a kid. As a teacher myself and a concerned citizen I decided to intervene.

This is a good time to say that I usually look like a cop, I'm not, but its what a lot of people think.

I went over to them and told them to stop and lo and behold it was my little racist friend who was recieving the beating. Decisions, decisions.

I decided to say, "Look, I just got off work and I really don't feel like pulling out my badge or my gun, but I'll be watching you." They bought it and ran away.

I walked the little racist home without a word and waited until he went into his house. Then I went along home.

I'm still wondering if I should have let them beat the crap out of that kid...