Reviewed by Sheri Harper
The Tapestry of Spirit
by Erik Paul Rocklin
Elucidare Press
ISBN: 978-0-615-59569-6
Erik Paul Rocklin has written a story on par with the tale of Jonathan Livingston Seagull in Tapestry of Spirit. On the face of it, Tapestry of Spirit is a simple coming of age tale of magic and experience for a young boy whose fate has led him on a journey.
In his dreams, he sees a man and then finds him at the marketplace. The boy’s power of belief is immediately put to the test. He has to believe in his own vision of his future in order to have a better life than he had before. It helps that he is orphaned and has no other choice provided than his own vision until he starts the journey.
The journey is allegorical for anyone’s life. The magic is one of facing the consequences of choice and the weight given to emotion and commitment to ones goals. What makes this journey special are the many characters that the boy meets on the way. The elder that leads him on his journey is suitable kind but distant. The Sage suitably offers fruit for the belly and for the soul and one enjoys the respite on the banks of the river. The Colibri is suitably beautiful and mysterious and a hidden clue to the future. The parable that the monk presents is suitably part awful and part amusing. The mother and father encountered share the emotional commitment to their child and what it means to be a parent. The Wholy Woman at the ampitheatre of the Circle of Beliefs helps to tie all the pieces of the story fabric together. In this tale, the minor characters are all teachers and for young people that may be the way they will encounter the world, especially if they are looking into their own spiritual life and learning from experience. Many people forget that learning does not all occur out of a textbook.
The places that the young boy visits on the way East are of less importance than the people he meets, usually he finds that everything he needs is provided. Although this is a simple tale suitable for any age of person, it can offer much insight. Many people in our society forget to look at their own spiritual growth and how people offer them more than just the food, drink, house, education, jobs that one needs. Young adults and adults both will appreciate the lovely simple tale told in the Tapestry of Spirit.
About the reviewer: Sheri Fresonke Harper is a poet and writer. She’s been published in many small journals and is working on her second science fiction novel. See www.sfharper.com