Once upon a star, the earth breathed long and slow. Villages spread out as thinly as butter on toast. In the daytime the sun pulsed down like a heartbeat and the trees waltzed in the playful breeze. Kites floated in a rainbow array from the sandy beaches. At night the milky way played lullabies twinkling like gentle piano keys and the moon sang low in harmony. Apparitions rocked lost souls to sleep.
Rowen, a fanciful fluffy white cat was walking in a meadow following his wayfinder. He had been wondering so long and so far he had forgotten where he was going or where he had been. He took to sniffing flowers and jotting his findings down in a tired journal.
On an especially balmy day Rowen came across an iris, a purple flower that had the heartbeat of the sun and the harmony of the moon. As he took a sniff of it, some of the pollen fell on his tired journal. The journal sneezed. Confused, Rowen jotted down a picture of the iris and it suddenly appeared on the ground. Rowen hastily sketched a picture of a rose with a tiger's mouth and fangs. It appeared, hissed and leaped to chomp on a fly.
Rowen had an idea and scratched his cat whiskers. He started furiously drawing a kingdom of his dreams. A tall ethereal castle made of rose quartz surrounded by bubble gum trees and a ferris wheel. Furniture padded with cotton candy. Statues with moving eyes to keep guard, strawberry bats nestled in the rafters. He held the journal close to his heart and took a long deep breath. He nervously opened his eyes. Before him stood a magnificent kingdom, made just for him.
He filled the kitchen with waffles, blackberries and tea. He stocked the bathroom with potions. Claws extended from the walls to hold his new coats. He made his kingdom more and more whimsical and intricate everyday until he ran out of paper in his journal.
Rowen wanted to still create and so he had another idea. He gathered all the bits, bobbles, iris pollen, scraps of fabric and sewing needles he could find. He created plushies to occupy his kingdom. He made some to enjoy a friendly cup of hot cocoa in front of the fire. He made some explorers find new and rare materials. Some investigated the boos in the night, others laid in bed and read stories with eyes filled with magic. As Rowen created more and more his kingdom expanded and started spilling into other realms.
If you happen to find yourself near an iris and you smell cat whiskers and a bit of sour milk look around, look softly with a quiet curiosity. You may hear faint piano keys playing and the taste of candy floss floating on seafoam. If you happen to see one of Rowen’s Plushies and give them a long slow hug you may feel their heartbeat and they may whisper an unexpected tale of a magical land as your drift off to sleep.

~Written by Gwendolyn R.