The Storyteller: The Lyrical Tales of J. Michaels

By J. Michaels

Whether it's the big-hearted hooker, the henchman priest, the fate of poor Bobby Fischer, tripping with Tom O'Leary, or the last thoughts of a dying man, we are told their secrets by the only one who knows them all, The Storyteller. Yet what haunts the mind still lingers. What is his secret, or dare we ask?
Well, here's what I think it is: I believe that each of the stories the aged one offers up contains one morsel of his mystery. When they are all ingested by the mind and the soul, they will reconstitute as one. It is truly a jigsaw puzzle of sorts in that, as each piece of the puzzle is examined, an image starts to form in mind. As each remaining piece is examined in turn and integrated into the whole, the secret starts to emerge. Many may, of course, challenge my assumptions, perceptions, or illusions, but I shall remain steadfast in my belief, albeit delusional. It's the best I've got and I'm sticking with it.
So before you lay this splendid book down and we part company, I leave you with the words of the old tall taleteller himself, as he describes what can happen when we fail to recognize the truth before us. Perhaps that recognition is his secret.
His voyage ended fruitless
For he never found that sought
He failed to let words point
To where, in truth, they ought

• Language: English
• Publisher: Resource Publications
• Release date: Sep 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9781532602153

J. Michaels

J. Michaels is a longtime student of the human adventure. His writing challenges popular beliefs and expresses both the profane and the profound in a unique storytelling style, as evidenced in the Musings of Mind and Spirit poetry series. His novella, Treasure of the Mind, is a unique blend of prose and poetry based on the murder of his son. Reach him at [e-mail] or see his work at www.overnightpoet.com.

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The Storyteller

The Lyrical Tales of

J. Michaels

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The Storyteller

The Lyrical Tales of J. Michaels

Copyright © 2016 J. Michaels. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.

Resource Publications

An Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers

199

W.

8

th Ave., Suite

3

Eugene, OR

97401

www.wipfandstock.com

paperback isbn: 978-1-5326-0214-6

hardcover isbn: 978-1-5326-0216-0

ebook isbn: 978-1-5326-0215-3

Manufactured in the U.S.A.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Tale Well Spun—Introduction

Once Upon A Time

Nicobod & Icobod

John Henry

Shows to Go You

My Captain’s Door

The Great Belgium Belch Off

Rebel Yell

Man on a Wire

Raggedy Boy

Jon B. Good

Penguard the Crusher

Broken Truce

Gridiron Hero

She Dances Her Amens

Ode to Baby Michael

The Children on the Hill

The King of Should

Town Sheriff

Hard Livin

King of All

The Dragon & the Old Man

Ship of Dread

No More Phantoms

A Complacent Man

Devoted Henchman

Searching for Sanity

A Place to Be

Poor Bobby Fischer

The Quest of His Dying

Two Holy Men

Star Man

Crown and Glory

A Most Predictable Way

The Twin Who Died

Redemption Denied

Reborn Inside

The Demise of Mr. Hughes

A Fragile Life

Toast of the Town

An Eagle at His Best

Tyler McShould

Nightmare for Sale

Skinny Kid

The Journey of J Michaels

Mr. Dull & Mr. Dashing

A Tale of Whoa

Trippin with Tom O’Leary

At My Papa’s Side

Holden Thought Aloud

Wisdom Burn

On The Road to Heaven

On a Good & Glorious Day

Boy in a Cage

Wisdom Bone

Dead Ahead Fred & Grace

The Great Cosmic Costume Ball

Alley Sage

Easy Meat

Blind Man Walking

Dr. Feelgood

Large Bromar & Smelly Smallish

Sinister McInister

Billy the Bully

Lines of Gold

Hooker with a Heart

He Who Must Rhyme

Bully Meat

His Name is Fear

My Pawpaw

Gradual Guy

Peace for the Boy

Epilogue

Dedicated to those who love a good tale, yet quibble not whether penned as prose or verse, but rather let both instruct as they search for truth in the shadows of their own story

Tale Well Spun

(Introduction)

Everyone loves a good story. Most enjoy a good storyteller. These are stories told in the style of the ancient storytellers, with words animated by rhythm and rhyme. They are more in the style of a Bob Dylan ballad than a Shakespearean sonnet. Such tales are woven with provocation, humor, suspense, and deep feeling, and do so without a full frontal assault. Stories, fables, parables; all leave open a host of interpretations and allow the reader to take away what he or she wants or needs or is ready to assimilate. They may teach, illuminate, or simply entertain, but a good one will most certainly pique our interest.

This medium of storytelling can convey the deepest of sorrows, the pinnacles of joy, and discover the most humane of experiences. They reveal that the greatest of human achievement often comes from the simplest of acts and that all of us involved in this mutual human experiment are far more alike than different. These are unusual tales, lyrical and haunting, attired in word and phrase. So come join us, if you will, for an excursion through the realm of mystical tales that aim to inflame your heart, provoke your mind and stir your soul. Let us once more ask the storyteller to weave us some magic and may it fill us with the wonder of the tale well spun.

Once Upon