I HAVE OFTEN DREAMED

OF FARAWAY PLACES:

EXOTIC ISLANDS,

WHITE BEACHES

AND MAJESTIC PALMS.

 

SOOTHING NATURAL RHYTHMS

OF AZURE WAVES

LICK THE MOSAIC OF SAND

AND DRIFTWOOD.

 

PARROTS

AND MACAWS

TRILL HAPPILY

WHILE MONKEYS CHATTER

AMIDST THE ISLAND CANOPY.

 

VIBRATING SWATHS

OF BRIGHT PASTEL BLOSSOMS,

HOSTING A TRAVELING CARAVANSARY

OF DELIGHTFUL FLORAL SCENTS,

 

FRECKLED FAR AND WIDE,

TICKLE THE WINDS ABOVE THE TALL,

JADE-SKINNED,

SOFTLY UNDULATING ISLAND GRASS.

 

FOAM CRESTED WATER FALLS,

SPILLING ICILY

DOWN THE MOUNTAINSIDE,

THUNDER

LIKE PERPETUAL

21 GUN SALUTES.

 

PLUMMETING

INTO A MOSS ENCIRCLED POND,

THE SCINTILLATING WATERS

SPRAY A FINE WET MIST

 

WHICH RAINS GENTLY

ON AN EMERALD LILY PAD FLOTILLA,

EACH WITH ITS OWN WHITE PETAL SAILS

THAT WINK AND BOW

AT THE BECK OF THE BREEZES.

 

RAINBOW SONATAS OF FROGS,

FLYING INSECTS

AND FLOWERS

SING AND DANCE

IN THE DAZZLING SUN

ATOP THE ENCHANTED POOL.

 

I HAVE DREAMED

AS WELL OF ALTERNATE DIMENSIONS

WHERE I WOULD HAVE MY OWN

PRIVATE MALL OF AMERICA

AND A FEW BLADE RUNNER ANDROIDS

TO MAINTAIN IT LIKE A PALACE.

 

A PLACE SO SECRET

THAT POSSIBLY

I WOULD HAVE

BUT ONE HUMAN FRIEND,

OF THE OPPOSITE GENDER,

WITH WHOM TO SHARE

MY KINGDOM.

 

I HAVE DREAMED

OF HAVING MY OWN HOLODECK

WHERE I COULD ADVENTURE

JUST LIKE THE CREWS OF STAR TREK

AND HOBNOB

WITH X-MEN,

TARZAN AND SHERLOCK HOLMES

OR TRAVEL THE STAR GATES WITH SG-1.

 

NEXT I’D CHAT

WITH ADAM AND EVE

OR NOAH ON THE ARK

AND ASK THE LORD HIMSELF

WHAT HE MEANT

ABOUT A FEW THINGS

HE SAID.

 

WHETHER THE DREAMS OCCUR

IN THE LAND OF NOD

OR MERELY AS DAYDREAMS,

WHILE I’M AWAKE,

THEY SOUND

THE ADVENTURER’S HORN.

 

YET,

I FIND IT BEST

IF I VISIT THERE INFREQUENTLY

AND SHUT THEM AWAY

IN MY OWN PANDORA’S BOX.

 

I’D ENJOY MY VISITS

AND THEN RETURN TO REALITY.

 

AS MUCH AS I WISH

THAT I COULD VISIT

THE LAND OF MAKE-BELIEVE,

 

I KNOW FULL WELL

THAT I AM BETTER OFF HERE

IN MY OWN WORLD.

 

WHY DO I SAY THAT?

 

IF I HAD ACCESS

TO MY OWN PRIVATE COSMOS

LIKE JADAWIN

OF THE WORLD OF TIERS,

COMPLEMENTS OF THE LATE

PHILIP JOSÉ FARMER,

 

I COULD BECOME SO ABSORBED

IN THAT FANTASY

THAT MY REALITY

MIGHT DIMINISH FROM NEGLECT.

 

I MIGHT FIND AS WELL

THAT MY FANTASY WORLD

IS MORE DANGEROUS

THAN MY OWN.

 

JUICY SUCCULENT

EYE-CANDY FRUIT

FROM ALTERNATE REALITY TREES

 

OR AN ALIEN BUFFET LINE

MIGHT LOOK DELECTABLE

BUT COLOR MY SKIN

IN SMURF BLUE TONES

LIKE AN OVERDOSE OF COLLOIDAL SILVER,

 

KILL ME

OR TRANSFORM

ME INTO AN EBONY STATUE.

 

THE AIR MIGHT SEEM PLEASANT

BUT BURN MY LUNGS

OR CAUSE ME TO THINK

I CAN SAVE THE WORLD

FROM IMMINENT DESTRUCTION

 

BY TRAINING 7

PINK FLAMINGO LAWN ORNAMENTS

TO FEED BOYSENBERRY FLAP-JACKS

TO PILLSBURY DOUGHBOY PARKING METERS.

 

HORRIFIC CREATURES

THAT ARE EASILY BATTLED

BY MY FAVORITE BOOK

AND MOVIE HEROES

WOULD PROBABLY BE MORE

THAN A MATCH FOR ME.

 

OR I MIGHT KILL ONE

AND FIND

THAT IT ONLY LOOKED UGLY,

BUT WAS CORDIAL,

ATE ONLY ROTTEN FRUIT,

ANTS, WASPS AND MOSQUITOS,

THEN DEFECATED GOLD COINS.

 

TEMPTATIONS THAT I ELUDE

WHILE WANDERING MY OWN WORLD

WOULD PROBABLY OVERTAKE ME

IN THAT REALM.

 

SO I WILL CONTINUE TO DREAM

AND BE THANKFUL

THAT I ONLY HAVE VIRTUAL ACCESS

TO THOSE OFT DREAMED

FARAWAY PLACES.

 

9.12.11