Dear Bentari Project Blog,

How fast the year has passed since you were one[1]!

This year, I once again must thank many people on whose wings I have hitched my dreams. Alix, Raja and Amine—important guides throughout year one, are now joined by David Michael Slater, Jessica Glenn, Vinnie Kinsella and Kristin Thiel who have kindly entered the Bentari Project sphere.

Happily, I remain employed—gainfully. Happily, I have re-commenced the continued story of Bentari (yes, book II). Happily, peace and freedom continue as prime goals for many humans while hatred, war and depredation slowly erode into historical mist.

Randomly, from ancient myth and lore, from sage and poet, from parents and from tutors come the whispers, comes the fire, comes the light and comes—our destiny!

In Celtic myth—the hero follows the deer into the misty realm and is beckoned to become the leader of a mysterious new world.

In Greek myth—Telemechus is instructed “Go, find your father”.

In Bentari—a boy loses his father to a borrowed war and climbs through stygian night and tunnels pursuing his lost sire’s shadow that beckons and points to peace.

Edwin Markham was an early Oregonian, like many of my fathers and mothers—Browns, Tates, Nowlens and Badollets. Edwin was a poet laureate of our state. He wrote “Outwitted”, a poem that’s theme covers for Bentari’s reason d’être.

He drew a circle that shut me out –
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But Love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle that took him in!

Happy Birthday, Bentari Project Blog, and thanks to all, especially to parents.

Image: Dad

[1] See: http://www.bentari.com/Blog/Entry.aspx?pid=276&bid=51&beid=842