As I finished writing a novel that I hoped one day would make it into the hands of millions of people, I quickly realized that it would be difficult to convince more than a few to read it in the short term. And, thus, my “why” of writing stories that lift people up would go unfulfilled for quite some time.
So I decided to put my ego aside for a bit and write a short story for my sister and her family for my niece and nephew’s first birthday. No huge ambition of one day getting it published and seeing my name in print. No dream of using this story to quit my day job and go into writing full-time. Just a simple poem for my family to enjoy (and my loyal blog readers too, of course!).
This made me think back to a blog post I wrote back in 2019 after coming back from the weirdness of Burning Man, which seems like a freaking lifetime ago. At that time, I reflected on all of the art pieces scattered throughout the enormous Playa and how many of them likely only had a handful of people who had seen them throughout the week. I was trying to determine if, given all of the hours the artist had put into creating the piece and the low number of visitors, it was worth it for them to create it at all. And I emphatically said, “YES!” as long as the piece changed the way those few people thought of the world or of themselves (obviously, the actual artist may have had a different answer).
And then I reflected back on myself and said that “if I can inspire one person with one of my stories, I really do need to put my ego aside for just a second and remember that creation isn’t always about going wide and getting as many eyeballs on my work as possible. It’s about going deep as well, even if that means just two inspired eyeballs.”
With my new story, Harry and Jules, I found those inspired eyeballs in my sister, brother-in-law, nephews, and niece, and that is more than enough. Well, at least for this story. So with that, here is Harry and Jules…
Harry and Jules
Harry was walking with Jules in their yard,
While Mommy and Daddy were there standing guard.
They looked on as CJ climbed up on the swing,
He swung up so high, it’s as if he had wings!
Harry and Jules hoped to join in the fun,
But Mommy said swings aren’t for kids who are one.
“You twins are too young, too fragile and small,
If you climb on the swing, you’ll get hurt if you fall.
In no time, you’ll both be two brave acrobats!
If you fall, though, we’ll catch you, I promise you that.”
Harry was mad and he whispered to Jules,
“Let’s escape from the yard and go make our own rules!”
They looked at the dog sleeping under a tree,
And jumped on its back and at last they were free!
The twins and the dog scaled up bridges and walls,
They soared through the air without fear that they’d fall.
They ran toward an airplane and hopped on its wings,
And rose to the heights of the highest of swings.
They glided past hilltops and up to the shore,
Saw swimmers and surfers and sailboats more!
But from so far up high, they began feeling afraid.
They grew wobbly and faint and they teetered and swayed.
Harry and Jules and the dog lost their grip,
They toppled and tumbled and flipped toward a ship.
They thought they were doomed as they fell through the air,
But saw Mommy and Daddy and CJ were there!
“Help us! We’re falling!“ they yelled through the breeze.
The dog dropped to CJ, who caught it with ease.
Mommy caught Harry and Daddy caught Jules,
And the twins understood why their parents had rules.
They love them and don’t want to see them in pain,
They protect them from danger, like falls from a plane.
“Adventures will come!” Mommy said with a grin,
“And we’ll be there for CJ and both of you twins!”
They returned to their home, and in no time at all,
The twins were both older and standing up tall,
So they walked through the yard and climbed on the swing,
They swung up so high, it’s as if they had wings!
CJ would push them from morning to night,
And Mommy and Daddy knew they’d be alright.