Every christmas their family got together into the mansion spending the christmas time.
They ate christmas dinner around the table in the large hall, plates kling and humble of the talk filled the hall when they told what was happened to them during the year. They lived away from home allready, but in christmas time they returned in there spending few peacefull days and joining themselves.
Dinner was continueing and they moved to another course. It was christmaseve and all the time they glanced at presents those were piled in the big stack on front of the huge fireplace where fire was burning on long logs.
Before they started to share presents father allways told them a story. It was different every christmas and changed a little bit year after year when children grow. Now they were young adults allready and they allways were hurry.
Only Sheila, the oldest of them liven in mansion anymore. Her fionce was in frontlines and she still waited him. The others Paul, Marty, Sarah and Maureen lived away part of the year joining their lives unmarried, indepentend on their ways. Only John, the middle of them was missing. It was war and he was in the frontlines where battles were racing violent and it was not knowlige when he would return to holiday.
Night started to darkened allready outside in the park when father ended the dinner by saying
"Now listen carefully!"
"The one of you, who will give a birth to a first child will got the whole property"
It frightened them, raised fear. They stared eachother not believing what they had heard. They beg and ask but father didn't change his mind. It would be happening allready in next christmas they realized terrified. Then allready would be known who got the property. Again and again they beg and ask but father kept his decision. But they were still so helplesly young...
"For that has been builded a cottage in to the park so married couples can go in there spending their wedding night."
Discussion ended to that. Little by little they moved to the front of the huge fireplace in the light of the flames, sharing their presents.
Then race started.
There wasn't no more than a week left to the new year, but when it came was two of them, Paul and Marty allready got married and weddings had been spend.
From somewhere raise a rumour then telling Sheila had slept with a married man and it could'nt kept secrect anymore. Sheila had to left out of the land then and later she gave up the competition. In first days of the new year Sarah and Maureen
also both found fionces to themselves and weddings were spend in the mansion.
So the race was continueing equally matched.
February and March went away nervously waiting John and Derek to come home but they did'nt arrive.
April came and the first marks of the pregnencies started to be seen in all of them four women and the self-confidence started shine out of them.
Of Sarah and his husband Erik, of Maureen and Edgar, Paul and Laura and Marty and his wife Minna. They all thought that they will be those who got the first child and the property, allthought the winner candinate changed all the time.
Then June came hectic and John came back from the war. He bring with him a young beautiful woman named Mary and that was when The John of the Mansion got married.
They spend in the chapel and when the night came they went in to the cottage spending their wedding night.
It was new then and smelled fresh logs.
People felt for them. They were allready helplesly late but when morning came, hundreds of people has got together in there park hurraying and giving applauses when they step out of the cottage on to the porch smiling happy.
Slowly they walked in to the park and people followed them and servants carried food on to the tables on the grass. We spend party in that day in there summer park for their glory. We sat down on to the grass and ate and drink and John and Mary were in there with us. After we had ate people insist John to keep a speak. They hurray and yell until John agree and sat then down. They stood up there in middle of us and John was handsome and Mary oh my god but that woman was beautiful! Kind of a beauty by her nature to whom was to be delighted immeadiatly from first look and couldnt stop stearing at anymore.
John speak with loud voice that they loved each other and they hope their first child was to be born in it's own time, when it feels right to come to this world. There were hurraying and yelling. Men who were fight with John in the same company were asking if they could use the cottage also in their wedding night.
People quiet down. There were lot of wedding quests but John was stearing at them ernest and laughed and promised that anyone who want can use the cottage in their wedding night. Let it be named Lovers Cot from this moment!
And all the first born childs! Mary spoked, who will born nine months from that night will got their land to their own as a borning present!
People humble and then stood up. Then they started to yell wildly and throw their hats.
That was madnes allready! You see in that time most of the working people lived in rentfarms. They were lands owned by Mansion. They allways had been.
After that the rush in there was so great that there was'nt nights allmost enough. People got married in record speed. All got married, everyone wanted to go in there spending their wedding night. It was POPULAR, spend a wedding night in there. People were sitting in the park tens of them otherwise also and in weekends they spend party's in there. We went also in there when our time came,
Helja and I. It was a beautiful summer. Erkki was born...
Oh I still cant talk about those people...

In the night
Young and sweet
people dancing in the street
It's a time harvest fest
no one's having got the rest

In the night young and sweet
people arquing between
who's the best who's to win
who's this summers harvester

I said no I let you
I said no I let you
I said no I let you
no I let you
Take my hand and come with me!

I said no I let you
I said no I let you
I said no I let you
no I let you

In the night young and sweet
people dancing by the trees
it's a time harvesting
and the gorgeaus cathering

In the night rose and vine
Battle continues between
who's the best, who's to win
who's tonight is beaty queen

And I'am standing in shadows and frightening the light
Leafs of trees are hiding to me be insight.

" I GOT THE FIRST CHILD! "

You understand. People lived like in the last day.
Party's were spend every weekend. John and Mary were in there also.
Drunk's hurt eatch other and who to whom. People owned more and more allready beforehand. It made them crazy.
I didn't went in there anymore.
I only watched from hide what was going on in there.
Huge fire's burned in the park and people danced around them.
In the middle of those hellish party's Mary gave a birth to a bloody litlle weakling who died soon after it was born. But she raised that weakling in the
air marking her victory and yelled she had had the first child and people joined to that yell and they yelled and yelled, it was like a born of some monster.
It was august then.
Other women were still waiting pregnant their babys to be born.
It was monsterous.
Then rain started to falling down and all the party's were ended.
Autumn came and went. Women gave a birth to their whealthy baby's but...
October came and November went by and again it was christmas.
They sat in the mansion's large hall around the long table eating and drinking.
John was in the other end of the table and Mary in the other end and all the others in middle on their own places. After they had ate they moved on the front of the huge fireplace sharing their presents. "To Mary" Someone said giving the first present to her. Mary took it and opened it. It was a boxfull of tails, father allways told them in christmas time. On top of them was that tail which was saying the one who give a birth to a first child will got the whole property.

If you travel this road on your way some day,
if it takes to the same direction you also are travelling,
sooner or later you'll come under the great oaks.
On the road there are lights and shadows and birds are singing high in the branches.
Laughter rings happily and people seem to be walking further away in the park.
There is a house.
It is big and build out of strong logs.
It has windows that reflect light deep and clean
It is dark and high.
Do you feel its attraction?
Walk closer, that's how I also did once

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Follow this off branching sandy bath, which travels in the middle of the woods towards it.
Here there are lights and shadows.
You can walk in peace, nobody will bother you here.
The yard opens and flowers are around it.
You can walk to the door of the house and knock on it, greet and smile to the one who opens it.
Without any cause you can enter and stay here for a while, rest.
Walk in these wide rooms and feel that too, think.
What is it? What do you feel?
There has lived a lot of people in this house.
In the kitchen there has been smell of food, voices in the rooms, atmospheres.
In these rooms love has been made. Children have being born here.
And just now, when everything is still at its strongest, the house has being build just a little while ago, in the summer early in the morning, a woman walks by the house on the road.
She has left already early and walked a long way.
Summer is at its bloomest. Trees smell and roses glow blooming around the house and everywhere.
In the sprigs of the great oaks there are lights and shadows. Under the high branches bright voices laughing can be heard.
She just walks on the road passing the house, but that something immediately attracts her anyway.
Anyway it is the man by the road, what finally takes her to the house.
”Morning” he greets the woman who walks on the road towards him.
”Morning” she answers and keeps on going.
”Have you being walking for long already?” He asks.
”Please come to the shadows to rest. I'll get you something to drink.”
She does not say a thing, just smiles.
She looks into the park, where further away she sees like white skirts glimmering from light and shadow. Sun is shining already risen high. That's when she assents and when he stretches out his hand, she graphs it while jumping in the grass over the ditch.
Closer to the house. To the shadow of the great oaks.
She sits down close to the black trunk on the grass and he goes into the house to get some water.
She'll never find out how it happens.
A child runs up to her, graphs from the knees looking for support and for a while the child is standing there wondering her face, surprised eyes, then the voices of others start be heard getting closer and strengthening quickly.
And the birds are singing high in the branches. High, High and when he comes with the glass of water, she listens his voice, talking and even then when she stays for the night, just a few hours away from the village, she does not remember, what it has been?
What made her stay into the house, just for tonight.
…to listen, to watch… Because he asked… If she wants… Just for a few days…
There is no hurry… after all it is summer (stay for a moment)

Woman comes in the dark from her rooms door to the corridor.
She shuts the door behind her and forward in the corridor. Starts to go down the stairs to the dark lobby.
The house is silent. Only outside can be heard the drops dripping on the leaves of the trees, as the rain slowly continues. Woman steps to the kitchen and her eyes widen when she looks towards. She come closer slowly, to walk by to the cupboards, when her hair is suddenly being squeezed to a grip. She fights hard against when the skirt rises of the hips.
Silent, everything happens with no sound, when hand presses head down, forcing her on the table on her stomach.
Exposed organ is moving in the air from one side to another and then is being lead between buttocks.
…and from there slowly…tightly straight inside, starting to move more slippery back and forth.
And it is right in here. It is right in these silent halls, in the sleepy, warm dims of the rooms. Buttocks are shaking from the pushes and semen starts sorely erupt into her, projecting hot into deep. Woman lays silent waiting for it to happen.
Body trembles, movements slow and end totally.
Organ slips out.
Slowly a shadow walks over her, gets off her and stops to the wall opposite freezing there.
In the sunshine they are walking in the park with the other women.
She watches and listens to them. She has bit by bit learned to know them. She smiles back and sees how the eyes glitter back and she laughs with them.
She starts to like them.
That day and the day after, and anymore she can't remember why?
Why did she stay?
Maybe it was one of them, them women she made friends with… In the beautiful park, it seems to go on endlessly, she walks with her red-haired friend.
Far away, further than ever before. Even the house can't be seen anymore, and nobody goes that far away.
Cemetery is on the slope and the whole place looks like old-fashioned cemetery, even though it is very beautiful and small.
Graves are mounds and rocks neatly on the slope of the hill in the middle of the woods.
They come to the lawn and sit down on that watching the park and the forest.
The valley blooming and rippling glowing around, dark green and rose red.
Delicate sweeter smell of nectar and pollen is signalling about something deeper meaning of life, its continuance. It agitates, creates sudden thoughts and invites to see more. There is a new world here that grows into the old. Flies, insects, their buzz when they fly in the air. Birds that are flying in the sky, flying from tree to tree and the animals in the plants, unknown species evolving and growing under the peaceful looks.
Weak breeze of the wind loosens some pollen from the flowers and flies it in the air higher, higher to the wide world and the sun is burning glowing white if you look at it even for a moment directly. Sun is moving in the sky reflecting it beams over them through the branches on the trees and they undress themselves naked, it is such a warm day natural to be freely, naked without clothes. Big enormous breasts are shivering when the red-haired woman unfastens her skirt and lets it fall down from her hips.
Woman is staring at the deep dimensions, that are exposed then, continuing wide, shivering surfaces endlessly, leading deep into the shadows, to the thick hair. Breasts and nipples have swollen, extended enormous hanging heavy, when the woman sits naked in front of her on the grass.
And something really attracts her under the bare blue sky when she bends down and womans hips rise up from the grass a bit, when she leans herself so that she could get it closer to her mouth.
Huge swollen teat and the nipple in the middle. Light small drop of liquid is flowing from it.
She looks the red-haired directly into eyes and the woman, her friend is radiating warmth. It can be felt in the air and she feels hand stroking her hair and how the other woman is shaking all over for the pleasure of getting lighter while she is sucking.
They watch her own without milk glowing breasts and the other woman is feeling her lips gently touching with her finger.
And tells her that soon.
Now it's just summer.
Next spring, maybe then she would give birth to a baby and it would be born easy and healthy.
And they talk about everything for a long time, delighted about each others company sitting on the grass, and neither of them feel a shame of themselves.
Later, when one woman is giving birth.
You can hear it all over the house, when she screams.
Oh it has lasted already so long, is it never going to end?
That woman gives birth to her third child and every time for her it has taken a long time.
At last in the dark night later
Everything is quiet.
She listens to the house.
That deep silence in the dark, sensing it while being awake by herself.
Until the morning gleam slowly starts to light up the room.
Only then she lays her head on the pillow and finally falls asleep. That woman is free now, in the kitchen, next morning when the men are sitting close to her and she is naked.
Red skin glowing, when men stroke her buttocks , drinking from her breasts one after another.
Carefully at first because they are still so sensitive, and she is watching from the shadows by the door how the woman by the table can't help but grunting for pleasure while mouth is sucking. The birth went well, the woman is already in her strength. No love making yet, but soon when the worst time has passed.
Staring from the door furtively, she is watching agitated, but not knowing why she is crying.
Her stomach is starting to grow. They are looking at her.
She can feel all men walking closer when meeting her.
In the house or out there and she starts to know why.
It's the milk.
Those men want her milk!
She thinks about that for long.
Yes?
Why not? There is plenty of it, after all her breasts are big naturally, and when they fill up with milk…

Not by taking from the growing nature
Not by killing other animals
Not by destroying the life of others, neither plants nor animals.
And that I'd think first, much before that that I do becomes real
Those everyday things that has an effect on the atmosphere of the house.
Somehow here it has become real and even without yet knowing for sure why?
she quesses.

Child is screaming when it's being born.
Easily finally in the end.
Violent contractions and hard pain for a moment and then the head is out and a shoulder and soon another too and it comes out totally.
Alive ! Healthy !
Her children in her arms and breasts open. They start dripping milk and it is seen on those who are watching them.
It has become into their eyes.
It is her milk.
The child is groping after the breast and she gives it into its little mouth and it starts sucking.
And with its birth the days start to pass by inadvertently.
Spring turns into summer and everything starts to bloom again. A beautiful sunshine is warming outside in the park and bird singing can be heard all the way inside.
And slowly this most beautiful summer goes by sultry, until it finally changes to fall.
Clouds cover the sky grey and the raining starts.
Black earth froze all around and days shorten to dim moments of light.
Then white snow covers the ground and the cold arrives.
And when the time goes by, so long that even the memory of the summer is gone, the earth starts to warm up again., new spring starts and new summer and that's the way it keeps on going further on. Children grow up and new children are being born and everything gets its own track of life.
The woman is standing in the kitchen early in the morning , long skirt pulled up and shirt open, breasts exposed while they are being drank out of.
She waits patient, stroking hair while mouths suck. Lips press against the nipple… and the milk is flowing warm into the mouths.
And after all have finished drinking, when even the last one has raised its head, hands have loosened from the waist, breasts and buttocks, she closes her shirt and buttons it up, turns to look out of the window to the lawn.
There they run, children, hers too…
The wind brings fresh air swinging curtains lazily
A woman is walking on the street, a stranger just walking by the house. She is watching with curiosity for a long time…
And still she can recognise something similar in that stranger than in herself
But it still isn't her either, it is just a memory of what she once used to be, early in the morning walking towards the village.

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It's night
In a dark field it's windy
Sky is star bright and open above
She is standing beside watching it
Blond hair, familiar beautiful fine features
Eyes are glimmering watching up
(And this moment should never end)
Sky above curves full of stars and his hand engages warm to own.

”They are much closer now
I can see a lot new figures
Over there as well, like a big ship…”
Billions spots of light answer glimmering back small and alive.

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It is quiet for a long time
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”I love you…”
He turns pressing tightly
against chest.

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Whilst her being in her ninth month, expecting her third child, she leaves the house at night and walks with nobody noticing or having time to prevent her to park and away from the house garden.
She walks forward until the park also ends and the forest starts. There she keeps on going in the forest between trees crying out loud. No, no she is not a runaway no, maybe she has something in her relationship that could be better , but that is not the reason. From somewhere she gets power to walk throughout the night, until in the brake of the dawn she arrives to a small open in the woods.


There she gives birth alone to a healthy child in the forest brook.
When the morning mist is rising it comes out and then the afters running into the water.
She cuts the umbilical cord with her teeth and then ties it firmly.
Then she pours water upon it and dries it off, sits with it in her arms watching the forest waking up to morning
She waits until the baby has eaten and is asleep.
Then she wraps the baby inside her shirt and lays it gently on the lawn..
She goes into the stream and washes herself…
…dries up and gets dressed…
Then she takes her baby and her bundle and starts to walk slowly towards the field.
In the moist grass walking, away from the house.

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Arto Nieminen

www.myspace.com/art0