Our dream world.

September 8, 2015

Here’s a quote by H.P. Lovecraft: “I have frequently wondered if the majority of mankind ever pause to reflect upon the occasionally titanic significance of dreams, and of the obscure world to which they belong.”
We think we know something about dreams. Examples: Some of them are bad. All of them are just in our heads. (Thanks to Bob Dylan.) I realize we are getting into the obscure world that H.P. L. mentioned.
My problem with dreams is I cannot find anyone who wants to listen when I have an interesting one to share. I mean some are damned great dreams.
What to do about that? Well, sometimes I can blurt a short synopsis. Not satisfying. Nor does it suit all the dreams. For example, what about the long, feature-length dream? The one in full color with the inevitable house on the hill? (No, it’s not on a hill, really, it’s just that the lot is on a slope that has the alley at the bottom. The big boulders. The vacant rooms.)
In such cases, my listener’s eyes are apt to dart so I have to stop the narrative. I switch tactic. I simply lie and say that I dreamt about the person I’m talking to.
They know I am sort of a liar. And I know they are sort of foolish. Again, there are exceptions.
I start out, “Say…” No. I don’t begin like that.
“You know I dreamed about you,” I begin.
“Shut up!” says the other.
“You are right!” I continue. “I didn’t.
“But I did dream about the long house on the alley.”
In that way I found a way to tell about the long house. The one in my dream that I keep trying to sell. That if I can move it I will get enough money to move off the slope. Probably just a couple of blocks away. Dream blocks. With the inevitable boulders and a slope.