Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Three Word Wednesday - Sidewalk - 3/5/08

The words this week were rest, sidewalk, and twice. This is what came to mind:

I had a dream, a day dream, but it was every bit as vivid and detailed as any dream that has entered my sleep in the middle of the night. I had just laid down for a brief rest after a round of golf. I do enjoy those afternoon naps. No sooner had I closed my eyes than the dream began. I have had this particular dream twice before and recognized it immediately. Each time I have experienced this vision it has been a continuation of a previous dream, like the next chapter of a book. Each time I venture further into the illusion:



I am on a sidewalk. Initially it is a wide walkway in a forest which gradually gives way to beautiful flowering grasslands lining it on both sides on a beautiful summer day. As I walk along this paved pathway, it gradually becomes narrower. The terrain on both sides changes from the lush vegetation to a vast marshland and then an even more barren and lifeless desert topography. The bright sky became ominously overcast and the sun eclipsed by clouds. I was walking with a sense of purpose, towards what, I do not know. All I know is I felt the journey was not in the direction I would have consciously chosen and though I could not see the sidewalk ahead I did not sense being afraid.



That was the end of the first dream. I don't know if I was awakened from the dream or if that was all the first chapter contained. The second dream began as the first ended, with me power walking on down the pavement. As the path narrowed, there was another distinct change in the adjoining land. It dropped off to a deep chasm on both sides. I sensed the vastness of the nothingness but I did not stop or confirm. In the same way I know it is dark outside at night without looking out the window, I instinctively knew there was an abyss underneath me without having to see it. The overcast of the sky turned darker and a light haze was forming all around me. I could hear the wind but could not feel it. Again, a bookmark was placed at this point as I awoke.



The current dream begins with the unmistakable scent of the sea. I don't recall a pervasive sense of smell in previous dreams, rather a distinct absence of aroma. I realize in the first dream there was no sound. It appears that with each installment I obtain another sensory ability. I can now not only smell the ocean, I can hear the soothing rhythm of waves breaking. Just as with the expanse of nothing in the previous dream, I know I am surrounded by water and I can feel the mist of the ocean spray. I am not sure why I have no ability or desire to stop and look. I am normally a very inquisitive person, but I am driven by a force much stronger than my free will. It is also obvious that the track beneath me has once again narrowed considerably. I have to pay close attention to put one foot in front of the other to avoid stepping off the sidewalk. I found myself hoping I did not meet anyone coming the other way as there would not be room to pass. Perhaps my intuition told me that is exactly what would happen in a subsequent dream. As I awoke, I wondered where the path was taking me. Though I was very calm in my dream, I was very frightened and trembling when I returned to this world. I also felt a salty wetness on my face. It was not salty tears or sweat, it appeared to be sea mist. It was also on my arms and legs.


10 comments:

Mia Celeste said...

Cool dream. Cool pictures. I'm going to ponder your pictures and dream for a while.

Anonymous said...

I loved the walkways very much. I too have detailed day dreams.

walking the sidewalk

Tumblewords: said...

Wow! I love this - the photographs and the increasingly complex dream. It makes me breathless with anxiety as well as calm with pre-knowing. Interesting and well-written, as always.

anthonynorth said...

You always put words and images together so perfectly.

Lucy said...

this was so vivid and interesting! I love the addition of photos to all your posts.
I wish I knew what this dream is telling you. Maybe you are anxious about a path you are considering taking? The sea is there maybe to calm you since you love the water? I wish I could help :))

myrtle beached whale said...

I am thinking that at the end of the sidewalk there is a Chuck E Cheese.

TC said...

OK, where are the photos from? Most of the first ones remind me of the Everglades - or what used to be there anyway, with the walking paths.

Do recurring dreams freak you out or do you actually enjoy them?

Bone said...

Well, I'm no dream interpreter, but you describe them very well and vividly.

paisley said...

physical evidence that you were actually there... what a trip..... i wanna dream like that!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Great fairy tale. Write. Write. Write. How many pages do make up a first book?
Miss Rose