"Myth,"
he said,
"is but the stories
that give a culture or people
its framework, its meaning.
Myth is not fable or fiction;
myth is another word for truth–
essential truth–
our essential truth,
even when embodied
in tales that some may consider,
well…improbable."

The light from the fire
softened his lined face,
danced on the bookcase behind him.

"So…not true…but true,"
I murmured,
trying to wrap myself around–
and find myself within–
his words. 

"Yes," he said,
drawing deeply on his pipe.
The smoke,
amorphous like his speech,
wound around his head
and snaked toward the ceiling,
dissipating into darkness.

Text and image © 2013 by Dirk deVries. All
rights reserved.