Epic Dream

Did you ever dream an epic dream? You know, the stories where you and others are in mortal danger, and through long odds and even longer dark and deadly chases, you emerge victorious. I am a fan of fantasy and science fiction stories, so my epic dreams can range from space opera to mythic fantasy stories.

One such dream involves the defeat of dark and shadowy hounds by the application of secret knowledge and the power of light. The story is a complete fantasy, powered by the Ambien I took while being treated with high dose steroids. For some reason, Ambien dreams are in technicolor and surround sound. I hope you enjoy my epic fantasy, my epic dream...

Mick


Epic Dream

Soft forest bracken brushed me as I ran.
Twigs snapped, and leaves were crushed beneath my feet.
My heart was pounding, quick as my heart can,
As on I labored, neither fast nor fleet.
Dark and brooding shadows closely followed;
The swift and deadly darts of fear they cast,
Left their victims empty-eyed and hollowed.
So many fallen, now I was the last,
To face the hounds, and their evil battle,
With every fibre of my being;
And avenge the others, led like cattle,
To their deaths, unfeeling and unseeing.

Scraping, clawing, quickly up I scrabbled,
Now desperate to top the nearest tor.
Gathered there, the other's spirits babbled,
Clamoring for revenge and so much more.
As I breached the rim, I turned to measure,
The number of the hounds confronting me,
And determing if my precious treasure,
Could capture or destroy my enemy.
Silently, their darkness flowed toward me,
Dividing to surround my high redoubt;
Soon I'd be an island in a black sea,
Dark seething at the shore with no way out.

I put aside the fear, calmed my spirit,
And touched my inner core, where lies my strength.
Power surged so loud the hounds could hear it,
And paused their advance, watching me at length.
Down my spirit reached to touch the Earth's core,
And up my mind embraced the wan starlight.
I opened up my heart just a bit more,
Inviting other's spirits to the fight.
As a lens I focused all this power,
And flooding all below with brightest light, 
Watched the shadows vanish, the hounds cower,
And flee the battleground without a fight.

Silently the other's spirits left me,
And leaving only gratitude and peace.
One might think I'd lonely and bereft be,
And lost, when I felt all that power cease.
There upon the tor I stood and shivered,
And listened for the normal forest sounds,
Please about the judgement I delivered,
Without destroying any of the hounds.
Knowledge is the treasure that I carry,
So deep within the inner core of me,
Using it for good and also chary,
To cherish it and use it sparingly.

Contented that I would not end up dead,
I shifted and turned over in my bed...

Mick McKellar
June 2011