The Sweet Passage of Ancient Carols (A Poem)

By Joyce Jacobo [Author’s Note: Based on a bit of a history lesson about the creation of Christmas carols.] As the years unfurl like a roll of twine      some things endure with the toll of time Among them those ancient songs     first heard around bonfires as people danced along   after the harvest

Fairy Tale Road (A Poem)

By Joyce Jacobo [Author’s Note: I remember hearing about this road of mystic proportions somewhere in Germany a while back, along which the Brothers Grimm drew inspiration for the collection of fairy tales they gathered. Famous fairy tale locations exist along the route, including the town of Hamlin and Bremen. Enjoy!] Someday I would love

A Halloween Tree (A Poem)

By Joyce Jacobo [Author’s Note: Has anyone read Ray Bradbury’s story, The Halloween Tree, or seen the animated film adaptation of it with Leonard Nimoy? I would definitely recommend it, especially the special, since the focus is on how Halloween as a holiday has developed over the centuries.] Have you seenthe Halloween Tree where pumpkins

The Ancient Lives of Storytellers (A Poem)

By Joyce Jacobo [Author’s Note: I remember reading how itinerant storytellers, such as bards, used to wander landscapes and actually helped to keep the histories of certain places alive by their recitation of various tales–especially during The Middle Ages. This poem is dedicated to them.] I have read that once upon a time    storytellers

Article: Black Cat Appreciation Day

Happy Black Cat Appreciation Day, everyone! According to the National Calendar Day website, the tradition had its origins in 2011. New Yorker Wayne H. Morris founded this special occasion to commemorate his sister and 20-year-old cat, Sinbad, who had both passed away that year. Additionally, he hoped it would help to dispel all the terrible

Katie Casey Goes to the Ball Game (A Poem)

By Joyce Jacobo [Author’s Note: It turns out the iconic baseball song, “Take me out to the Ball Game,” was originally part of a much longer tune–with an empowering message about a woman who cheers on the games at her local baseball stadium, during a time when women were mostly banned from attending them, apparently.

California Tower (A Poem)

By Joyce Jacobo [Author’s Note: Someday, I’ll need to really spend a great deal of time in Balboa Park–where there are so many museums, a botanical garden, and several other historic places.]              A tower stretches upwards              through the San Diego skies                (for more than 200 feet)         above a myriad of historic

Mysteries Uncovered (A Poem)

By Joyce Jacobo [Author’s Note: I love visiting museums of all kinds. There is so much time and care put into arranging all the exhibits and sharing the knowledge they contain with anyone curious enough to see them.] I used to believe that museums     were where the past slumbered     undisturbed except by those

Mountain Tales (A Poem)

By Joyce Jacobo [Author’s Note: Mountains surround the place where I live, filled with interesting folktales and historical notes from the past.] Folks have talked about the trails        which weave like unraveled yarn   through the mountains yonder         …. just folks from around these parts                          like those grizzly old men who                              

Soot Stains

Retold by Joyce Jacobo [Author’s Note: Throughout high school, I volunteered at the local museum that opened its doors during my freshman year. Its curator, a wonderful older woman by the name of Margaret, turned what was essentially her childhood home into a spot where any visitors could learn about the history of our area.