The Western Gate

Toing and Froing, Up 'n' Down in the Earth


The Four Boons of Lakshmi

(The Discourse between Lakshmi and Karya~Jnana )

Twas upon or near the quarter moon
Before Diwali lights shone splendour
And there she rose within the tree that whispered I to I;
As Genii spoke, She were “Lakshmi! what wishes would I surrender,”
Thrice for sure a like the horse and one step ever closer.

“Three wishes then you hold plus one”… that is my way I wander,
Crooked as the meandering woods and broken as the glade.
So thrice the dice be casted and one more can I throw,
The temples of my head grew wide, Karya-Jnana! —that I know 
“The first then that you”, I said, “was-want of desires”.
“I care not for these temporal things and less for dreams of liars”

“So second that of wealth! What money cannot buy,
are nature things and listening trees and voices on the breeze.” 
“So thrice now is dharma, the life that I must lead,
But I’m a horse broke free from rein and no path shows light to me”

“And what” said Laksmi, “ now must you, forfeit three wishes lost,
but move as one your crooked path and lest as all be done.”
So tiptoe tall stepped left of I and mated to the queen,
The Goddess stood before me now three times, blessed as be. 

“Declare upon your toes your wish gained forfeit by else-three”
I said, “it is cessation, of all that I can be”
But! with this nature promised,
then all things cannot sway,
no dance within the hedgerows 
No ‘crowning of the May.’
“For want of naught is all I ask,
There’s nothing- that I want-
Just stand with me and watch upon
This strange world that we see.”



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The Random musings of a nobody. “Dagenham Dave”, is slang for someone one stop short of Barking (mad), though more contemporarily refers to any wayfaring and carefree person. Dagenham is a town to the eastern side of London (Luds Dominium) that was first recorded in a Barking charter in 666a.d. as the town of Daeccanham. Daecca is an ancient man’s name meaning ‘bright’ or ‘famous’ . Ham is short for Hamlet.
Dave is short for David, Hebrew for ‘Beloved’, My Surname ‘Wenborn’ derives from old English meaning of the Winding Stream.

Contents:-
1/ Book Reviews.

They’re not reviews as such- to recommend or asway, I neither seek to promote nor condemn, more my personal reflections on the books I read. In that respect it’s a subjective thing. I write the reviews as it instils in the mind, like writing down your dreams on waking, the right to remember.

2/ Short Stories and Tales

Short stories borne from imagination, dreams, thoughts and wanderings. Too large to be written in my journal of shadows.

3/ Full Books
Books that were once published elsewhere, I have full copyright on these, and of course given here freely.

4/ Magazines and Articles

Small snippets and articles that may or may not have appeared elsewhere, and information not included in Journal of shadows.

5/ Poetry

A small selection of poetry. Like song, I create as a means to an artistic diary.

6/ WordPress Challenges

Wordpress (where this website is hosted) offer up a daily prompt for people to answer, sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t.



I do not accept donations or offers, bribes etc, and do not advertise or am paid to promote anything either. All donations should be sent to either of the following ;-

Zarach ~ Helping Children living in poverty

Street Talk ~ Helping women trapped in prostitution and trafficking



Email at the following ;-