| I used the AGE from the old weathered sign of a land
agent. The New Book of Knowledge is hollowed out (and changed to read OLD
- this is old knowledge, this) and inside, under the tree of life and the
large lens bolted down (no escape) is the colonoscopy photo from a good
friend. A beautiful thing, but the cancer will kill her. Glowing like rubies,
but what's that Biblical bit - a good woman is above rubies. And that other
one, the price of wisdom is above rubies. She's both of those, and not
old. Age hasn't had a chance to do its damage. But that's no consolation.
There's a light inside the encyclopaedia, worked by a push switch in the computer game keys (Cross-shaped? Read it how you will). She was a mean player, keen logic and fast fingers. There's a ruby on the switch, but she deserves more. And handwritten on the book is "For Wisdom is Above Rubies, but Gaelyn will die. And Gaelyn will die." There's a really good poem which says what I feel about
death, far better than I can find words for.
Dale Copeland
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