by Joey Puskedra                       “Th’art alive.Thou livest”  (Neil Gaiman)

Angel’s sleep where there is no darkness. I think we’re finally ready to travel into the mind. Connecting the subconscious with consciousness, linking reality with the myth of actuality, becoming one, unique genius… “The Art of Living is a rite of passage- in finding the true path, we’re moving toward the center of the spirit, body and mind- (where there is TRANQUILITY). Breath in the Wind. Wave in the Water reflecting mirrors. Burn with a Fire on the sunset mirage where the white dove and the crimson crane fly together in the beauty of nothingness. –Into the temple at the break of dawn. That is forever.” Dr. G kept on but his wife Evi had heard enough of his sleep talking and decided to go for a Sunday morning jog in the quiet hills of El Dorado.
Rekindled by a long forgotten feeling behind the smoke of a thousand candles Dr. G awoke. If it were any other day he would have felt normal, but something today ignited a wildfire spreading rapidly all the ashes of his hopes and dreams.
Dr. G found himself feeling serendipitous, young and jovial- full of life. The birds were chirping as he opened the blinds the lucrative sun almost immediately warmed the room. His alarm had gone off but he must not have noticed it; taking a deep breath the scented clock radio filled the room with frankincense and a musk of roses that reminded him of his mother.
Walking down the stairs Dr. G’s dream was slowly returning to him. “Who is Lola,” he thought out loud to himself. Her silhouette illusion still lingered in the back of his mind. It was good to finally remember a dream even though it was coming back in waves and patterns.
“I still want to be in my dreamland,” Dr. G said aloud, “I’m not quite ready to breach the gap between this world and the next, but I know the cosmos will line up again and when night falls hopefully, thinking optimistically, I will fall into that same trance yet again.”
The door knocked 3 times and when Dr. G opened his front door Tom Zipporah stood half awake. Dr. G. motioned Tom to come in and sluggishly Tom crawled through the doorway.
“Where the money goes,” said Tom,” is where the people go,” entering Dr. G’s apartment like it was his own.
Yelling across the room, “The Great American past-time is picking your nose while driving. It has been seen and documented.. Coming from Temple to your house I must have seen at least 4 people with their fingers up their noses.” Dr. G laughed, he had been up for the last hour and the time was around 9 in the AM. It was the weekend right before Thanksgiving.
Tom kept egging on, ”The Great American Dream is dead. It was dead generations ago, precisely two decades ago if you want to be technical here Dr. G. Where are we today? We are the sucker fish for some of the old’ money,” Tom’s voice arose in a raspy crescendo.
“Tom, last night I had the dream of all dreams…I’m just trying to remember it. So no interruptions please,” Dr. G said in a firm but soothing tone.
“Was I in you dream?” excitedly asked Tom.
“Now that’s what I’m trying to figure out,” Dr. G said with underlying frustration. “If I remembered the dream then I’d be able to tell you if you were in it.” Feeling bad for raising his voice, he thought he’d have Tom help with remember his dream. “Tom lets track back to the beginning of what I remember of the dream then we’ll go from there.
“Alright,” said Tom taking a seat on the kitchen chair.
“I remember in the dream,” Dr. G went on, “there was a young boy the age of 6 or 7 and he was knocking on my front door. Answering the door in my pajamas the child said he was lost and he needed help finding dreamland. I could not make out his face; the boy was more a shadow then a person.”
“Oh,” said Tom, “By the way where’s Evi?
“I’m not sure,” Dr. G replied, “when I woke up this morning she wasn’t there. She must be out for a morning jog or something. I have to add Tom your invention of that ‘Scented Clock Radio has to be one of the best inventions the world is yet to see. Why haven’t you put it out on the market yet? It’s ingenious. Really an alarm that when it goes off sprays a mist of whatever scent you can humanly imagine, the possibilities are endless! You could wake up and smell citrus oranges, tropical rain forests, vanilla and strawberries and you could even make a vial with the scent of bacon and eggs! Why haven’t you put it out on the market yet Tom?”
“Do you know how hard the process is, not to mention the headache? Rigorous test it must go though so it’s ‘safe’ for the average everyday American. It’s almost not even worth the hassle, but believe me I’m working on it. It’s just going to take a lot of time, money and effort to put this thing on to the shelves but once it’s up, I’m going to make a killing!” said Tom.
“Glad to hear you’re not going to keep this thing a secret any longer,” Dr. G said to Tom. “It’s priceless, so simple, so amazing, I personally love the thing! –Now help me figure out this dream. Ok, the kid held out his hand and I grabbed it. We walked out of my house and he said “we’re going to the moon past the rainbow that is where we will find dreamland.” I remember repeating in the back of my mind,

One Breath at a Time,
One Step Down the Line,
Waiting, Watching, Wondering for a Sign.”
“That has a catchy tune to it,” added Tom.
“Indeed,” Dr. G said thinking twice about the word he just used. Indeed? It was still morning and Evi would be back from her jog soon, putting the story on hold Dr. G walked over and started a pot of coffee.
A few minutes went by and Evi walked in the door.
“Hey Guys,” said Evi still catching her breath.
After saying their hellos’ Dr G. poured Evi a cup of coffee. Evi smiled and gently grabbed the cup of coffee from him and placed it on the counter pouring in cream and sugar.
Dr. G started thinking out loud about his dream. “The kid and I we’re walking out of my house but the scenery was different. There was a yellowish-gold brick road surrounded by dreamy purple mountains with hillsides and ridges filled with flowers of all colors. There were luscious creamy white fluffy clouds covering the ceiling of the sky, in the distance was a glowing light entrancing closer. Whispering in the wind, her name was Lola. She was beautiful. I looked to my side and the child had vanished and now it was just her and I in the dream. She extended her welcoming hands with warmth and I grabbed them with serenity. She was my soul-mate on the otherside. She was perfect. Her silhouette still lingers in the back of my mind.”
“That’s weird you mention that,” Evi said, “in ancient times there was a belief that when you die and go to the afterlife you’re soul-mate is awaiting you. All the relationships and personal encounters you have here on this life are to prepare you for your true love, in your case Lola.”
“I still want to be in my dreamland,“ Dr. G said taking a sip of his coffee. Just one more time he would love to fall into that trance. “She kissed my heart. She made me feel whole. Alive, butterflies still flutter fiercely in my stomach. A Sunshine Lollipop Dreamland, endless emotions, abstract attraction, pure and true love. The Doors on floors perpetuating memories of the past…like Hemmingway searching for his clean, well lit place. Beethoven’s Moonlit Sonata playing in the background of Van Goth’s Starry Night. Do you think I will ever feel this way again?”
“Not in this life time,” realistically replied Tom, “but enjoy what you have now because the future will come, in due time but you’ll never know what you missed out on unless you always live life to the fullest. So sit back and enjoy the life you have now.
“How do you dream like that?” Questioned Evi, “When listening to you sleep talk this morning it was like you were in another world. So vivid, beautiful, and interesting, then it started to become repetitive so I left and went for a jog.”
“How do you do it,” Went on Evi. “I would love to have a motion picture of your brain so when you dreamt I could see the movie’s of your dreams.”
Dr. G told Evi to close her eyes. “Imagine a world where anything is possible. Another dimension deep beyond the realm of what you believe in this world. Another plane, galaxy, universe where you realize you are dreaming, and when this happens anything you set your mind to will come true.”
Evi opened her eyes, looked at Dr. G lifting her finger from her head and said, “What do you mean, like how?”
Gazing into her hazel green eyes, to portray a message Dr. G replied. “First you must let go. Let go of everything you think you believe in. Once this is accomplished you are able to truly dream.”
Evi interrupted, stating, “I cannot let go, I’m afraid. There are too many things I have to hold on to.”
Dr. G grabbed Evi’s hand and explained that she did not have to let go in the sense that once she did let go everything would vanish forever, “no,” said Dr. G, it’s only for a short time do you let go, then are you truly free to do anything.”
“I’m sorry,” said Evi. “I still do not fully understand what you are saying, or what you are asking me to do?”
“My dear, Dr. G stated, “I’m not asking anything of you, I am simply trying to open a new door.”
Dr. G shrugged his shoulders and all three friends began to laugh. Finishing off their cups of coffee Dr. G asked if they remembered their dreams often.
Tom stated, “I used to remember my dreams all the time as a child, but not as much anymore.”
Evi nodded saying, “not at much either, it almost seems I am too busy for dreaming these days.“
“What do you mean by that,” Dr. G intriguingly asked.
“Well it almost seems like in this fast paced society there is barely anytime for dreaming,” Evi said, “Don’t get me wrong I love to dream it’s just how do I put this…I’m trying to turn my dream-world into reality, if that sounds right. To me dreams are childish and a thing of the past. What I dream now is for this life. For my future, here on this plane.”
“I have to disagree with you there Evi,“  Tom stated in a voice of anger. “I believe that dreams are a need for us, they help us, they warn us, they keep us in-check. I have this theory that when you fall asleep your soul and mind leave your body- astral projecting yourself somewhere out into the universe. And what you remember from these spots in space when you wake up is what you understand. Astronomers call it ‘Entanglement. That would explain re-occurring dreams, something or someone trying to pass a message to you. In laymen terms there is something bigger than all of us, connecting us so we are ready for the next part in our journey.”
The day passed with simplicity. The sun was shining and the three friends were discussing life.
“Everyday’s a holiday. Everyday’s a celebration!”