Once Upon a Storyteller’s Tale By Steve York
POETRY
By Amy C. Millette, Vilas, NC “Once upon a time…”; the most memorable, engaging and powerful four words in all of English language storytelling. It’s true! And it isn’t just within English literature. In fact, no less than 88 world cultures catalog libraries full of stories, fables, legends, songs or religious writings that include some version of Once upon a time. And many of those writings date back thousands of years. Now, think back to your earliest childhood. Do you remember the moment when your mother first opened up that colorful picture-book to read you a bedtime story? You were instantly captured by the magic of those four words, Once upon a time. And let’s be honest…those four words have continued to captivate all of us throughout our lives. From ancient legends and fables, to poems and songs, from fairytales to animated films, from classic novels to contemporary epic motion pictures, Once upon a time still wields its magic. Why? Because we never outgrow our childhood fascination with the fantastic. Like some sorcerer’s spell, it is words such as Once upon a time which enchant us. They grab and command our attention and then…they propel us and our imaginations like arrows shot from a bow through page after page, chapter after chapter, and story after story. For example, we all recall these classic opening lines that defy us to turn away: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”(1); “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary…”(2); “Call me Ishmael.”(3); “All this happened, more or less.”(4); and this dramatic movie opening scroll, “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…”(5). Here’s a little secret: Great storytellers know exactly when and where to use such phrases to jar and hold our awareness while weaving their tales, drawing us deeper and deeper into the magic and mystery about to unfold from within their stories and from within our imaginations. And here’s another little secret: It isn’t just those opening words. It’s the phrases used to transition from one paragraph to the next, from one scene to the next and from one chapter to the next, always mindful to keep us engaged, held in suspense and transported to the next reveal. Typically, storytellers use lines like: And, suddenly, without warning; Then, as quickly as it began… ; No question. I was lost!; In a blink, everything went dark; Here’s a little secret; and Now listen very closely to what I’m about to tell you. Of course, there are zillions more. But, to honor the season, we must include this beloved opening: “’Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house…”(6). From that point on, every child first hearing these words was forever enchanted. And, finally, let’s not overlook the four most powerful words in all of JudeoChristian religion, “In the beginning God…”(7). There could be no more profoundly evocative words in the entire history of humankind, for they set the stage for everything to come in time, space and infinity. And those words—or their equivalent—are found as the opening text within virtually all religious scripture throughout recorded history. Ah, but wait! Before we close this modest essay, let’s not forget the other two most powerful words in storytelling, “The End.” This version appears as excerpts from the author’s original essay. 1: A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens (1859), 2: The Raven, Edgar Allen Poe (1945) 3: Moby-Dick, Herman Melville (1851), 4: Slaughterhouse 5, Kurt Vonnegut (1969) 5: Star Wars, George Lucas (1977), 6: A Visit from Saint Nicholas, Clement Clarke Moore (1823) 7: Genesis, The Holy Bible (various editions)
Winter’s Lullaby The snow drifts down, windlessly down the side of the mountain like flour falling in slow motion time from a bread baker’s hand-turned sifter The dusk time hush of the scene brings thoughts of lazy slumber a sense of utter quietness signaling the soundless pace of Winter Cradled in the heartstrings of Mother’s quiet Earth Nature shifts her own heartbeat to a slowing pulse, where breathing is barely existent Bears snuggle into the warmth of nearby hollowed caves satiated by fall’s distant bounty, hickory nuts, crunchy and tasty huckleberries, juicy and ripe, the rare find of honey combs dripping like sticky manna from a bee’s colony of summer’s delight The groundhog burrows deeper within his own dug den summer’s soothing song of warm winds humming in the ears of his sleep-filled dreams No sounds from above disturb his peaceful hermitage save for the snap of a lone branch heavily weighted down with fallen snow Winter’s Lullaby … purrs like the motor of a sleeping cat gently rocking the Earth with its long wished for melody Hush little babies Don’t you cry … Spring’s gonna be here … by … and by …
CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Winter 2020/21 —
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