dreaming tragic beauty
I had a dream that I was in a massive department store for Chinese New Year, and I had a little girl who was about seven, who was very ill, but who wanted the holiday fun. We danced through the aisles with a dragon procession, and had a long, deeply philosophical conversation about the nature of the universe, life, and death. It's amazing how well children grasp these huge concepts, and help comfort the adults who have lost that joyful acceptance of things.
She had long, straight brown hair and brown eyes and a round face, with dimples when she smiled. She was wearing a pink t-shirt with an animal on it, but I don't remember what kind. Her face was very clear, which is unusual in my dreams. Or perhaps it was really just her eyes.
We couldn't dance for long, she hadn't the strength for it, but there were fireworks and lots of red ribbons and a comfortable little chair for her to sit in to catch her breath. She held my hand and told me not to worry too much about things. We talked about atoms and suns and stars. She told me the dragon knew all about stars. Certainly the dragon seemed to know about firecrackers. Her fingers were so thin, but I held on to them for a long time, and she smiled, and breathed, and her other hand reached over her head to pop the bubbles that streamed around the chair.
She looked around as she lay there, eyes wide open to take in everything, the colors and noise and celebration. It was fitting that there was a party, somehow. When she began to melt away, it didn't even seem wrong, or odd. She was smiling, and I held her hand until it disappeared from between my fingers. Her eyes never closed. Then the chair was empty, and I felt like crying, and the dragon danced around me.
She had long, straight brown hair and brown eyes and a round face, with dimples when she smiled. She was wearing a pink t-shirt with an animal on it, but I don't remember what kind. Her face was very clear, which is unusual in my dreams. Or perhaps it was really just her eyes.
We couldn't dance for long, she hadn't the strength for it, but there were fireworks and lots of red ribbons and a comfortable little chair for her to sit in to catch her breath. She held my hand and told me not to worry too much about things. We talked about atoms and suns and stars. She told me the dragon knew all about stars. Certainly the dragon seemed to know about firecrackers. Her fingers were so thin, but I held on to them for a long time, and she smiled, and breathed, and her other hand reached over her head to pop the bubbles that streamed around the chair.
She looked around as she lay there, eyes wide open to take in everything, the colors and noise and celebration. It was fitting that there was a party, somehow. When she began to melt away, it didn't even seem wrong, or odd. She was smiling, and I held her hand until it disappeared from between my fingers. Her eyes never closed. Then the chair was empty, and I felt like crying, and the dragon danced around me.