Dream of Grace

I am a vivid dreamer and I’m stopping one of two

Don’t judge my frank demeanor yet until you’ve heard me, son

I’ve got a dream to tell you and it’s wilder than you know

Your friend just left, that scaredy cat—I guess I’m telling you

It was last June as I recall, and please try not to run

I ate an onion whole that day; it may have caused the dream

Unless it was that futon, for it made me sleep quite low

It started with an ancient sage, well dressed in clothing cool

He was from Ancient Egypt and he bid me welcome fair

Great teacher he, so naturally, I signed up for his school

A fine idea, practical, it did to me first seem

Just then I sensed a tingling, a shaking in the moving air

2

A keening, warm vibration, and a trembling in the air

“Twas coming from a fluor ship that was a school bus too

I said I’d get on board then, but I did not have the fare

He said it was my ride to class however it might seem

He called it my first lesson and I said “I guess thank you”

The crew were all Venutians, so the doorway was quite low

I asked “Is this a lesson?” and the crew said “Yes, my son”

They showed me to my cabin, and I said well this is cool

I asked, “So what’s your mission?” and they told me “Need to Know”

I said that I must need to know; I’m going to a school

I said "You’re crazy aliens and this is just a dream"

There was an honest crewman and he said that I should run

3

They closed my sliding cabin door; it was too late to run

I felt the whirring of the ship, a trembling in the air

They shot me into space, and I was glad it was a dream

I chanted ev’ry word I know and I said “I love You!”

My cabin started slowing down and then it went quite low

I landed somewhere strange for sure, but where’d I gotten to?

That Captain Kirk was there, and he said “Welcome, long lost son.”

I asked him where I was, but he just told me “Need to Know”

I said “I need to know some things if this place is a school”

He told me I was curious and said that that was fair

He said “We’re on another plane however it my seem”

I said I found that plausible and told him it was cool

4

He showed me how to fly and I told him “This is cool”

He asked me was I settled; I said “It’s too late to run”

I learned to fly a shuttlecraft; I kept the speed on low

He asked me was I shocked? and I said “No, this is a dream”

Some talking Klingon horses came and one asked “Who are you?”

I said “Look out for puddles, for I see some in the air”

I looked my Captain in the eye and said “It’s quite a school”

“Water, water everywhere, and will you drink, my son?”

“If this dream’s got an albatross my answer’s clearly ‘NO’”

He gave me something in a glass and said “Here’s what you seek”

It tasted just like water and it went down like that too

I thanked him for that drink, although I thought ‘twas humble fare

5

At once the scene did change to my childhood county fair

The horses were lined up to race; the day was crisp and cool

I saw my dear departed aunt—a dream within a dream

And also there was Grace, the closest friend she had at school

My aunt prepared to start the race. “One,” she said, then “Two!”

“Oh Grace, will you please tell my aunt I am her sister’s son?

“She knows that you are here,” said Grace, “you need not say hello”

Just then James Kirk was at my side, “This understand do you?”

“Why do you talk like Yoda? I’m sure I do not know”

“You spoke just now to Grace,” he said, “unless I greatly err.”

“Three!” and my aunt fired her gun; the horses they did run

I asked him what is Grace? and he answered “What’s it seem?”

6

Another shift, and in Pacific Islands I did seem

A dugout craft, the ocean drift, my skin no longer fair

I dropped my paddle, missed the current, panicked in this dream

But gladly I remembered fast that all this was a school

You’ll go, I said at once, to where the currents will take you

“I’m pleased to see you understand this simple lesson, son”

James T was back; he’d been scarce gone and now he said hello

“We all do go where inner currents gently take us to

They glide along like water and they flow as smooth as air

“But where is Mr. Spock?” I asked. “I think he’d be quite cool

Or else some shapely crewomen—with them I’d gladly run”

“There’s very much,” the Captain sighed, “that you don’t seem to know”

7

“Let’s find some spacey beauties, Cap. I’m sure there’s some you know”

“My goodness my young student, slow, "you’re coarser, than you seem”

“You’ve had your five-year mission, so you think I’m slow and low

Well what about that salt monster? She was so very cool

Or else that comely Yeoman Rand who has such pretty hair?

Oh just a little stop, James T, a pleasant hour or two…:”

“You’ve lots to learn young traveler, my silly sulking son

You don’t know you are fortunate to be let into school

Plus there’s the prime directive, and you know how it does run”

“Oh screw the prime directive, Jim, you know this is a dream

You’ve brought me here so you owe me; I think that’s only fair”

“An insolent young man,” he said. “That’s what I think of you!”

8

“You think you’re tired of me?” I yelled, “well I am tired of you!”

Some giant hand whisked me away to where I did not know

I landed in a pleasant copse inside a forest, fair

A leprechaun looked up at me, appearing in my dream

We stared each other down a while and neither chose to run

I asked “So are you working at this strange, unusual school?

I messed things up with Captain Kirk—are you teaching me too?”

He motioned me to listen close; I bent my ear down low

There was a tingling and a jingling all in th’ethereal air

A creature fixed in frozen time this leprechaun did seem

The sun was hot as hot could be, the air was rather cool

He cleared his throat, “Beware,” he said, “The Jabberwock, my son”

9

“You quoted that to me? 'Beware the Jabberwock, my son?'

I’ve had enough of fantasy, I’ve had enough of you!

If I were you, I’d beat it, and if I were you I’d run

Just one of you was bad enough, I have no time for two”

“The Jabberwock,” he gravely said, is more real than you know”

“There’s danger, little leprechaun? That really is not cool

I’m shocked you’ve set this up for me; you’ve really stooped quite low

And is this for my learning? Is this really all a school?

And where’s my sword to fight the beast? I don’t think that it’s fair”

“It’s all to teach you,” he did say, “however it may seem”

He said adieu and straightaway he vanished in thin air

I need a weapon now, I thought, for this is quite a dream!

10

I thought and calculated, for I had time in this dream

I strategized and waited for the setting of the sun

I tried to find a vorpal sword to make the fighting fair

I cogitated hard on just how my foe to know

The sun began to lower and the day became quite cool

I chose a lance and made a club, I'd fight him with the two

I planned to bring him down hard and I thought to hit him low

I'd have to hit him fast, I knew, I'd catch him on the run

It still seemed unbelievable that all this was a school

A voice did speak in quiet tones, 'He's coming now, mark you!'

His face was mine, his look was blank he unaware did seem

He hurtled quickly past me making currents in the air

11

Just then there was a tingling and a trembling in the air

My ship touched down, thus heralding the last part of my dream

Venutian craft and crew transported me through twilight cool

The sage was there to meet me and he said "I welcome you

Pray tell me what it is you've learned tell me what now you know

And did you bravely stand and fight or did you turn and run?

Most who try my test tell me that it's just unfair

Yet still I do persist in maintaining this small school

Tell me just what you thought and did, and tell me true, my son"

"When I saw my visage I was holding weapons two

Grace had not deserted me however it might seem

Grace for hard conditions that I must face below

12

All unaware my double was, his countenance so low

I borrowed courage from fair Grace, I found it in the air

I needed more awareness to see me through this lucid dream

I had to find a way the full truth of him to know

Grace lent me understanding, the lesson of the fair

With it I gained awareness, as it now to me does seem

I watched him as all unaware and bluntly he did run

I knew him to be me, and my boiling blood did cool

The need for my awareness is the lesson learned from you"

"I knew you were full capable when I called you, my son

It is for souls like you that we have this dreaming school

Return whene'er you wish to discuss a thing or two"

Tornada

Much grace is in the air this morn; I found it in the school

The day is cool, the pearly early light is passing fair

Hello, my outer world, you’re part of me, I’m part of you

I know it for I learnt it well, albeit in a dream

The sun makes haste to rise; I sense that I am coming to

And all's connected close, however it does seem to run