I throw my heart up into the sky –
honest joy pinwheeling on errant breeze.
Take this, this simple song and do what you will,
throw it into the abyss of the center,
hide it where the sand meets the sea,
bury it beneath the scales of monsters.
Surely somewhere, somewhen,
it will be found by one who needed to find it.
It will be measured, wondered about, recited.
Perhaps a high note might stun a pragmatist
or maybe the low throb of its rhythm
will find a gaunt heart to give its warmth to.
But mark me well, oh gentle reader,
one fine day, when the world least expects it
the love that is crafted in this simple voice
will spin and whirl, dip and dive, breathing for clouds.
One whose world needed exactly this voice to set it free
will slap life with fevered palm and be its master.
Lulu is different to others. Once, she believed, she had a friend to love her. Then that friend betrayed her and Lulu learned that hate is safer than love. When she begins her new life at the Court of St Jerome in the Old Sea City, she finds people who must fight their personal demons of hatred, ambition and greed. Embraced in St Jerome’s fold, Lulu learns to trust again, perhaps even to love.
Nothing, however, is as it seems and Lulu discovers that love doesn’t always wear the face of the one you yearn to call beloved.
Lyrical and atmospheric, buoyed by touches of magical realism, this compelling spiritual story explores the sacrifices people make in the pursuit of their dreams. Lulu’s quest, and that of Jamila and Zahra too, is to find the divine love that will fulfill their hopes and save their souls…if they can recognize the masks of those who seek to lead them astray.
About the Author:
Judy Croome lives and writes in Johannesburg, South Africa. Shortlisted in the African Writing Flash Fiction 2011 competition, Judy’s short stories and poems have appeared in various magazines and anthologies, such as the Huffington Postand the University of the Witwatersrand’s Itch Magazine. Her books “The Weight of a Feather and other stories” (2013), “a Lamp at Midday” (2012) and “Dancing in the Shadows of Love” (2011) are currently available.Judy loves her family, cats, exploring the meaning of life, chocolate, cats, rainy days, ancient churches with their ancient graveyards, cats, meditation and solitude. Oh, and cats. Judy loves cats (who already appear to have discovered the meaning of life.) Visit Judy on www.judycroome.com or join her on Twitter @judy_croome
Kate Policani 