Now are the Days of The Mall.

As Gandalf lowers the crown to the head of Strider — now King of Gondor, who mumbles a healing song, we hear the soft call in the cool breeze, turn, lift the keys to the car, amble to our transportation and leisurely head to the vast indoor arena of merchandising known in our world as The Mall.

The Mall of Mid-Winter is a comfort, peace and retreat from the rushed wars of the holidays past. Along the long cloistered halls is a noisy lull between the seasons. No grand events are scheduled. The prelude with little anticipation draws a welcome sigh. We go not so much to shop as to wander, wait and watch. A covered coffee in one hand, we sit – gelato in the other, by a shooting fountain, catching sigh of a rainbow in the floating spray above. We brush between the racks of the 65%-off and more sales. The items are more given than purchased. There is no real pressure to buy, and the clerks are smiling. These are the days without a name, The Days of the Mall. Our hearts soar to find so meaningless and meaningful the mindless activity of focused inactivity, and we say a silent prayer that The Mall should always find it so.

Exiting a departmented store, we glimpse The Mall Tree silent in its graceful soaring, naturally ornamented without pretense of false tinsel. Our fingers reach to a pocket with the temptation to write “organic” on a sticky note and affix the title to the base of the botanical wonder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At our passing, the gaping maw of Tiny Mall Orchid yawns more lap dog at our heels than bark to drive our traffic to the nearest shop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even the squinting alien housed in Yellow Alien Orchid is content to offer no real menace at this time of honored amnesty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pink Panda Ninja Orchid wings a smile, its chomping teeth at rest until the flags of frenzied flusterment are again unfurled and the recumbent shoppers arouse and launch their next real assault at the retail mart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On a comforted chair outside a dressing room, we enjoy the rest of Denimed Right Knee — little surprised when our partner emerges not to buy a thing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With soft white Cactus Dreaming, we bench our ship and gaze without aim at the distant galaxies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cactus Dagger on spindle top does not our rest to ruin. We awaken from pause and reverie to the busy bustle of castle mall and the walk of royalty with no need to mend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One day soon these things will change. Dark rush will again invade these halls. Til’ then, it is good to know that quiet can touch and calm even the most busy of battlefields near our homes.

Still, there can be a sleeping beauty, and it may be good on future trips to be careful about the gaping maw of Tiny Mall Orchid, the spindle tip of Cactus Dagger and all the others.

They may now appear at rest, but a careful shopper is cautious always.

Enjoy the mall — what it can offer and all its risks.

 

Grandpa Jim