Turtle

I’m treading beautiful blue and turquoise water. There are small islands, each with perfect fine white sand and droopy palms, not far in different directions. I see movement in the water and fear hits. I franticly start swimming toward the closest island but soon I find myself floating next to a large turtle, swimming, no, floating slowly. He eases my panic but I decide to finish my swim to the island. The sand is soft like clouds; the turtle has taken the lead and I follow. Not far ahead there is a unfamiliar face, he is lighting fire crackers and dropping them on the sand where they silently explode creating light craters. We talk incoherently, but at the time I understand. Another person spawned from my imagination walks by like an extra in a movie and is gone. My stomach hurts and I think of how inconvenient this place is for a stomach ach. The turtle has stopped and neatly tucked away his arms, legs, and head. With my belly in pain, I follow suit and rest my head on his soft shell.

I wake with stomach pains.

The Pagoda

A silent spring runs gently over perfectly smooth and rounded rocks. A grassy hill curves neatly up and away from the water. I'm looking at my bare feet, which are slightly submerged by the long grass. And just at my toes there lays the intricate pattern of a well matched ‘go’ game. The green grass feels cool and moist on my feet. Near the top of the hill there is a three level pagoda, painted red with yellow trim. I start walking toward it and as I get near I notice my feet aren’t moving. There is no need for a door, not here. Inside is a well lit space with hard wood floors and high ceilings. In the center of the room are two women and a man, wearing kimonos. They sit on white pillows, in a triangle, drinking tea. As I approach, a woman stands to meet me and offers me a filled cup. I accept and we both sit with the others and drink tea in comfortable silence. When my cup is near empty the man leaves and shortly returns with a hookah witch he places in the center of our circle. We smoke in meditative peace as I look through the threshold. Lean trees and fat mushrooms are scattered upon the hill side; the spring bends into view then out again; the border around the entrance is a frame for the surreal landscape. When the smoke has all but dissipated the other woman produces a deck of cards. She bends the deck in her hand, they leap into the air; fall, and lay suspended and scattered in the air. With an effortless motion she glides from card to card. Her graceful movements lull’s me back to sleep.