{"id":402,"date":"2025-07-16T15:44:06","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T20:44:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/?p=402"},"modified":"2025-07-16T15:44:06","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T20:44:06","slug":"gates-of-fairy-land","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2025\/07\/16\/gates-of-fairy-land\/","title":{"rendered":"Gates of Fairy Land"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><em>Not all the things we out grow are imaginary.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Two ash trees stand, slim and tall<br \/>\nAll twined with crystal flowers<br \/>\nA pegasus and unicorn<br \/>\nGraze in that forest bower.<\/p>\n<p>The ashes\u2019 branches curl and twine<br \/>\nTo make a forest door<br \/>\nAnd through that gate, shimmering,<br \/>\nA land beckons me once more.<\/p>\n<p>So many pass the ash tree gate<br \/>\nAnd never see a thing.<br \/>\nThey cannot see the guardians<br \/>\nNor hear the fair folk sing.<\/p>\n<p>Not all who live through that gate<br \/>\nHave hearts both kind and bold.<br \/>\nSome have heart black as soot<br \/>\nAnd faces bright as gold.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve traveled there many a time,<br \/>\nAnd had many a stately feast<br \/>\nAnd many a harrowing tale to tell<br \/>\nOf monster, man, and beast.<\/p>\n<p>As I grow older year by year<br \/>\nIt\u2019s harder to get through<br \/>\nThe Master tells me it\u2019s almost time<br \/>\nI will have other things to do.<\/p>\n<p>But one by one, others come<br \/>\nTo learn in fairy land,<br \/>\nAnd fight the terrors threatening<br \/>\nAnd see the joy first hand.<\/p>\n<p>So stand by the gates of Fairy Land,<br \/>\nWhere giants guard the door<br \/>\nEnter in the tales we tell<br \/>\nAnd see what none has seen before.<\/p>\n<p><em>Gates of Fairy Land<\/em> copyright \u00a9 Heather Strickler 2025 all rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Not all the things we out grow are imaginary. Two ash trees stand, slim and tall All twined with crystal flowers A pegasus and unicorn Graze in that forest bower. The ashes\u2019 branches curl and twine To make a forest door And through that gate, shimmering, A land beckons me once more. So many pass&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2025\/07\/16\/gates-of-fairy-land\/\">Read More <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Gates of Fairy Land<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":403,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[14,13],"tags":[19,12,11,17,18],"class_list":["post-402","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-poetry","category-writing","tag-childrens","tag-hope","tag-poetry","tag-story","tag-whimsy"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/FairyGates.jpg?fit=600%2C600","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/parUcj-6u","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":377,"url":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2025\/04\/14\/fairy-bubbles\/","url_meta":{"origin":402,"position":0},"title":"Fairy Bubbles","author":"Heather","date":"April 14, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Fancies between dreams and waking to brighten your day. Worlds float by in bubbles Riding beams up to the moon. Fairy kingdoms drifting, Dream by dream they swoon. I chase them through the starlight And watch them as they sleep. I cannot reach their wonders Except by dreaming deep. Through\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Poetry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/category\/writing\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Fairy-Bubbles.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Fairy-Bubbles.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Fairy-Bubbles.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":237,"url":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2024\/08\/21\/fairy-jewels\/","url_meta":{"origin":402,"position":1},"title":"Fairy Jewels","author":"Heather","date":"August 21, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"A bit of whimsy to push into the second half of the week. Dew shines like diamonds And catches the sun drops gold Bright ripples of silver Across the river folds. Emerald shines the forest With a lapis flower floor Bronze trunks like pillars Frame the woodland door. Pearls upon\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Poetry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/category\/writing\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Fairy-Jewels.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Fairy-Jewels.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Fairy-Jewels.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":460,"url":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2025\/10\/15\/coming-of-dawn\/","url_meta":{"origin":402,"position":2},"title":"Coming of Dawn","author":"Heather","date":"October 15, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A bit more of a hopeful one than has come to me lately. I hope you enjoy. Out of the black woods comes the sun The night is over the day begun. The battle fought to victory A time of mourning then joy will be. The ash tree sheds a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Poetry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/category\/writing\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ComingDawn.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ComingDawn.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ComingDawn.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":520,"url":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2025\/12\/31\/the-watch-at-the-gate\/","url_meta":{"origin":402,"position":3},"title":"The Watch at the Gate","author":"Heather","date":"December 31, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A bit of an adventure to close out the year. Vigil fire burning bright against the magic in the night Gates of old have opened wide and rent the veils where they would hide. Under cover of a spell, the Fair come forth with purpose fell. And dare the guards\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Poetry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/category\/writing\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Watch-at-the-Gates.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Watch-at-the-Gates.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Watch-at-the-Gates.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":299,"url":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2024\/11\/11\/glimpses-of-gryphons\/","url_meta":{"origin":402,"position":4},"title":"Glimpses of Gryphons","author":"Heather","date":"November 11, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Being a veteran, and this being veteran\u2019s day I should do something veteran related. So what comes to mind? Gryphons in Scottland from the perspective of a child of indeterminant age. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. The Gryphons play in Aberdeen Where such creatures are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Poetry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/category\/writing\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Glimpses-of-Gryphons.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Glimpses-of-Gryphons.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Glimpses-of-Gryphons.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":546,"url":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2026\/04\/20\/fairy-stars\/","url_meta":{"origin":402,"position":5},"title":"Fairy Stars","author":"Heather","date":"April 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Something bright for you. I hope you enjoy it. The stars sing in the gloaming To little fairy ears The dragon pauses his roaming And remembers all he hears. The children come to the window Though they should be in bed, And in the light of the fire glow Hear\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Poetry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/category\/writing\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/FairyStars.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/FairyStars.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/FairyStars.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/402","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=402"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/402\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":404,"href":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/402\/revisions\/404"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}