By: Tim "James Swift" Suitor
I live in a land oft seen as dark,
With reputation of danger and war.
Our home holds risks others don't have
Every time we walk out a door.
We may say ‘safe,’ in a relative sense,
Or with a sardonic smirk,
But be assured, every goodbye is sweet
When they head out to work.
It takes a strange folk to live in this land
They find a way to survive.
We get by on more than bread and cheese
And will find a way to thrive.
The people, resilient, the communities, strong,
Finding ways to keep their heads high.
They cannot afford to be overcome,
So they look each day in the eye.
But despite the dangers, the rigors, and worse,
There are still ways to find Peace and cheer.
Please allow me to recount some places and ways
To dispel a Stonewood fear.
–
I was neither born nor raised in the nation of Stonewood, I petitioned the nation over a decade ago, and a common sentiment I observed was a shudder. People asking if that was truly where I wanted to live. Not that the nation was bad, but the lands themselves people justifiably were cautious about.
The lands ARE dangerous. Full of undead, plenty of monsters, deities and their servants that can have ill tempers ranging from a curse to a laying low those they feel stand against them or in their way. We’ve been a part of wars against terrible threats that still manage to haunt us, and I’ve seen shadows far too deep here. But nonetheless, it is my home.
I thrive here, I do my best work, and I seek to elevate those around me. The people here deserve peace, and I will continue to fight for it. At the request of my Lord, I am working on a public facing project for Stonewood, and this is the first stage of that. I hope to release a poem each month about the beauty or kindness that can be found in these harsh lands, sharing that important part of the country I call home.
I follow Solarus, of the Novem, Stonewood’s Pantheon. She is a goddess of Peace and War. There has been a lot of war in these past years, and more still approaching. It is important that we find the peace we can.
You would have my thanks
-Magus James Swift
