The lion dreams tonight

There are three recurring dreams that I've had during different periods of my life — specific enough that I recognise them as the same dream (occasionally even within the dream itself) and persistent enough that there are small niches in my mind where they've sat, like grooves in rock worn smooth by a lifetime of water. They've settled into place like a stone in the palm of a hand, not quite reassuring, but present and solid, something that can be restlessly turned over in a pocket without losing its wholeness. Because of this familiarity I've got to resist the temptation to elaborate when I'm telling them; their simplicity is part of their shape.

( three dreams )