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The Boat
The book of dreams is divided into many chapters. It was once placed on a boat that wanted to sail to an island. During the journey, it has endured many a storm. Although the boat kept its course, most of the leaves of the book were old and faded. Only a few paragraphs survived in their entirety.
… The boat sails slowly into the sunset…
… On the soft green cover of a roomy bed, rests a concealed figure. The sun behind the curtains has just set, leaving the sky in its magic blue colour. A breath of soft wind floats in and postpones its travel to observe the figure. It looks into the figure’s eyes and deep into its soul, trying to see the reason for this weakness. It is surprised to see neither a rain pouring down the black towers of a tall castle, nor the eye of a terrifying hurricane rummaging through the lands. Instead, there is a house in the middle of a mountain. Fresh, glistening snow reflects the last bright rays of warming sun. Snow slowly covers the roof, the windows, and the staircases of a fortress. Darkness descends, and suddenly, high above the clouds, illuminated by two moons, appears a peaceful village. Serenity and perfection fill the cool night air. There, permeating all things is a sense of love and belonging, a sense of adventure and hope, a sense of excitement and peace. But with a gust of the wind, all images become blurry and obscure, and the concealed figure returns to being just a shape…
… Light has left the day, and dark clouds surround the house. Beautiful night’s melody is heard in a dimly lit room. It is accompanied by a pleasant sound of embers cracking in the fireplace, and by the happy dancing of energetic bursts of light, reflected through the holes in the grating. In the corner, using a candle as the only source of light, a poet dips a feather into a bottle of ink and continues to scribble careful words on paper, expressing his innermost dreams through beautifully composed stanzas. He turns his head and looks at her divine picture, knowing that when she returns, happiness and warmth will fill the secure dim room of the isolated towering house…
… White foam of caressing waves fizzles and sinks into the dark sand. The moon and the stars barely illuminate the old wooden bench. Two souls are sitting closely together, letting the warm ocean breeze blow through their hair. They have entrusted each other with their innermost thoughts and emotions, realizing that they are alike, two soul mates, created for each other. They are aware of every thing around them, not requiring any light to sense the slightest rustling of a leaf or a drop of night’s dew on the soft ground. They have overcome all obstacles, including themselves, and now their happiness is undisturbed by any small barrier that appears in sight. Their spirits dance in sheer joy, filled with complete respect and appreciation for everything that exists. They have discovered the purpose of life, and, lovingly, they sit together on a wooden bench by the vast glowing ocean…
… The Book of Dreams was returned to the boat, as the boat continues to sail peacefully into the glowing sunset…
The sailors who found the old boat flipped through most of the book, and seeing only the remaining paragraphs, put it back and let the boat resume its journey. Young children would often hear the story of two boats, docked in the harbor of a beautiful island of paradise. When they wanted to go to the island, they were told that the island did not exist, and that the story was but a legend. As they grew up, most of them forgot about the boats; but some continued to pass the tale to their children and grandchildren. Some even claimed that they had seen the island, or that the island sank and dragged the boats behind it to the great depths below. However, only a handful of sailors have found the island, keeping its location a secret for others to discover.
May 2001
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