A Light of Fantasy (Haiku)

By Joyce Jacobo [Author’s Note: Based on the story of the light that is usually kept on in the apartment above the fire station in Disneyland, where Walt Disney himself used to stay while at his theme park. Legends say that his ghost once asked a cleaner to leave the light on for him because

Beneath the Mountaintop (A Haiku)

By Joyce Jacobo [Author’s Note: Another major legend comes from the oldest residents in my area, those with family ties that go back centuries upon centuries. It is important to remember their stories and pass them along, such as this one about a shaman who turned wicked, sought to steal souls, and got defeated by

Glass Serenade (A Poem)

By Joyce Jacobo [Author’s Note: Have you ever heard of a “Glass Harmonica?” Otherwise known as a glass armonica, glass harmonium, bowl organ, or hydrocrystalophone, this musical instrument composed of rotating glass bowls was invented by Benjamin Franklin and became so notorious for creating eerie melodies that a bunch of superstitions and spooky tales appeared about it.

A Magical Slip in Seasons (A Poem)

By Joyce Jacobo [Author’s Note: I’m really looking forward to the arrival of Autumn.] When Autumn slips into our world    dressed in amber and golden waves  she alters the fabric of reality     and thins the gauze that hangs       between this existence and the next—               or so the old legends say Enchantments

The Storyteller (A Poem)

By Joyce Jacobo [Author’s Note: Does anyone remember Jim Henson’s The Storyteller? It was a wonderful show that shared a variety of fairy tales in the first season, and then some ancient legends in the second.] Let me tell you              of a wrinkly old gentleman     adorned in the battered cloak given to him                                    

A Miner’s Curse (A Poem)

By Joyce Jacobo [Author’s Note: Based on an actual legend from near my hometown.] Abandoned somewhere in the mountains      deep in Southern California           or so legends say                          exists a deep mine filled with gold                                                                               silver                                                                      and valuables left behind                                                                                      by Gold Rush-era miners                                                                                                   for inexplicable                                                                                                               reasons… However    

An Ode to Djinn (A Poem)

By Joyce Jacobo [Author’s Note: I’ve always thought djinn were fascinating.] Inscribed in ancient folklore   exist djinn composed of fire and air   whose forms shift with practiced ease       like the moon transforms each month They are as counterpoints to humanity    we beings created from earth and water     physical though sturdy

A Forest Trip with Robin Goodfellow (A Poem)

By Joyce Jacobo [Author’s Note: Robin Goodfellow is one of my favorite characters in fiction. He just has so much lore and history behind him, and oftentimes good-natured wit.] When in want of an ancient companion   deep in the forests among      the ash         and oak            and thorn Perhaps Robin Goodfellow would

A Forest Resting Place (A Poem)

By Joyce Jacobo [Author’s Note: Robin Hood has lived on in legends and retellings of his stories over the years, but it always surprised me as to how he passed away–and where he now rests forever.] Have you ever heard . . .    like an echo along wooden pathways       of the aged yew

Old Woman on the Moon (A Poem)

By Joyce Jacobo [Author’s Note: I remember hearing this particular legend as a child. The problem is I cannot remember its exact origins. However, there are many stories, in general, of goddesses or other divine beings living on the moon.] Have you heard about The Old Woman on the Moon—      reputed to spin each