Shamanic Dream

I knew it had to be a dream When I found myself at a Family reunion of sorts. Many faces were familiar. Although only a few Were known to me As blood relatives. I even recognized A few famous Historical figures. Though all of them Were long dead. What began As a beautiful Sunny and clear day Quickly shifted to Darkest night. Thunder and lightning Escorting the clouds. Rolling in Like the clouds A murky specter Approaches weightless Floating on air. Long, dark hair Flowing down To her ankles. So black it turns blue When the light Hits it just right. Contrasting with her Marbled, ivory skin; Each eye an infinite Dusky abyss all its own. Suddenly shes behind me Whispering in my ear. Sultry and tempting She attempts flattery. Oh great and Powerful sorcerer; With my guidance, Greater still You will become. With a wave of her hand She continues Witness, As I reveal to you, The future. These three Will be next to die. Three silhouetted bodies Appear before me Youve shown me

Nothing!, I complain. Their faces remain Unclear to me. She places An icy-cold hand On my shoulder And assures me. All will be revealed Once Ive pledged My commitment And my loyalty. By taking An oath of fealty To her and her alone. I balked, and told her, I am sovereign, and Bow to no man, woman, or Whatever it is you are. Her sugary smile Melted instantly. She shattered the silence With a frustrated screech. Once again I found myself Face to face With this Abomination. This time The illusion of beauty Was gone. Replaced by A grotesque Caricature of rage. I felt her icy grip Around my neck Slightly before I saw her hands move. Grabbing her wrists I quickly realized That she was Just too strong. Panic setting in Vision fading to black. Before it fades completely I catch a glimpse of A large, Bengal tiger. Hair bristling, muscles twitching Poised to pounce. A wave of relief Washes over me. And as my vision Finally fades I blink, and suddenly I can see again. This time,

Through the eyes of The tiger; my spirit guide. We lunge, growling at the Shrilly screaming harpy. Taking her by surprise Pinning her to the ground. Tearing and shredding With tooth and claw. She struggles free And begins to flee. We give chase But she escapes From the dream Altogether. Into my bedroom And out again Through the wall. I awake to find My human hand Scratching at the wall. Still growling, Heart pounding, Dripping with Sweat, And practically panting.

-Matthew 2013