Over the precipice I crouch, ready to fly,
far from nature’s firm embrace,
my familiar; wondering now
what remains, how to regain ground
if the choice is to stay;
I have been here before many times;
only jump, I counsel, and you will rise
like the phoenix, sail through basalt
ethers, soaring up and up
into azure heavens where the view
fans out clearly before me; then,
and only then can I return refreshed,
renewed in spite of edging darkness
threatening to engulf me in confusion;
Black birds dart obscenely as shadows
lengthen, drawing me forward and out
beyond the delicate framework
of existence and soon my choices
will evaporate like mist; favoring action
over indecision hastens transmutation;
Jump. The word echoes in the rushing
reverberations of wind, a whirling vortex
of ecstatic wonder, freedom of flight,
liberation from the dull pique of gravity,
unimpeded vistas of emerald and chestnut
and umber; snow-capped mountain peaks,
their jagged edges framed starkly against
smooth shoulder of river and glade,
oceanic indigo and turquoise hues
punctuating torn cotton shreds of clouds,
golden beams of light scattered through;
Without effort I light softly now, no bone-
crushing landing in this dreamscape,
weightless and cleansed and struck through
with illumination I awaken, newly birthed
into a world filled with marvels yet to behold.
Kohala double rainbow 
Waimea canyon overlook, Kauai
Red cardinal, Pololu Valley
Mauna Kea beach sands
Kilauea tidepool, Kauaias always, all photos ©Bela Johnson
Sounds like an amazing lucid dream, Bela. What gorgeous images, both in words and photos once again! 💕
Thanks, Betty! Between reading Murakami who writes very dreamily and a lucid dream that I actually did have about flying- one of a few, actually – I thought how perfect, a kind of spooky offering this time of year!
But I had hardly any response to the post, which seemed a bit odd. I think maybe some might have thought, on first take, that I was actually contemplating jumping over a cliff! Oh my God, we do live in such strange times. I’m a Gemini, and we are very random people. And I didn’t feel the need to explain that this was from an actual dream, because if someone took the time to read the poem, they would have understood this by its ending. Sigh. On we go, Betty, on we go! Aloha 💕
I recognized it as a dream from the beginning and am surprised no one else understood it. But then we’re two of a kind that way. 😊 (I’ve had a lot of lucid flying dreams – exhilarating!)
It sure is! wish I could call that dream in at will, but alas, I have to wait until it comes to me. 🤗
Same here…. such dreams only happen spontaneously, unplanned. 😊
In our next life then! 🙏
Dear Bela,
Reading this verse, those famous lines come to mind. ” I had a dream……”
You write, “……….. weightless and cleansed and struck through
with illumination I awaken, newly birthed……”
So what is it that can awaken us, cleansed thus?
I believe our cleansing dreams need to sort out our life’s priorities.
Could we dream where we succeed in marking down the value of competition, position, titles, fame , promotion, show-off , money and power ……?
.Could we dream in which we truly mark up the value of *Happiness , Family , Relationships, Peace of mind , Contentment , Love , Knowledge , Kindness , Friendships*………..?
Could we then continue living in this Matrix like dream…………
Would we then be willing to wake up?
Shakti Ghosal
Aloha Shakti: this poem was a plunge into the surreal. I’ve had flying dreams throughout my life but not ‘often.’ So I mulled together that amazing feeling with a contemporary quandary, for many: which is, in essence, what you’ve teased from it. Fabulous. Can we take that leap? Even if it feels like dying, do we dare to take the plunge into possibilities? To activate our full potential?
We live in times that demand change on a sweeping level if humans are to survive on this planet. Waiting for some corrupt politician or other parent figure to make needed decisions and changes means we might be waiting the rest of our precious lives. Instead, I offer, Jump! Take the leap! And during that supposed brief time before we hit the ground and break into pieces, priorities shift and they shift rapidly. Jump! For heaven’s sake, Jump! What do we have to lose in the mire of misery that has been another’s dream and which seems our fate ::: And, once the leap is taken, the ‘marked-up’ values you mention come into focus pretty darned quickly! And then, exceeding all expectations, we do not collapse in a crash landing, but instead arrive, unharmed, on another shore. In another dream in which we do, indeed, awaken to ourselves.
Many thanks for taking the time to read and consider this offering. It’s funny, a good musician friend just posted another artist’s thoughtful rant on social media about how people survive on a diet of adrenalin/ego rushes from the ‘likes’ that result by posting inane, meaningless drivel to that same social media simply to get positive feedback (‘likes’). About how it takes courage to be true to one’s art, to one’s vision. Because in the end, we can be assured that we have been true to ourselves, to, perhaps, our purpose. It’s my desire that we awaken more fully so that we may indeed experience the collective awakening many of us have dreamed possible. Blessings, Shakti – have a peaceful, enriching weekend! 🙏🏽🌺❤️
Wonderful poem and photos. I absolutely love rainbows and your cardinal is fetching. Aloha!
Thanks, Renee. Always appreciate hearing from you. 🙏❣️💕🌺🌈❤️
Absolutely loved this poem Bela.. Oh to Jump and lift off my friend.. ( one of my own flying dreams, to escape danger I would often fly in dreams especially when younger ) perhaps a past memory 😉
Such a vivid description ” freedom of flight,liberation from the dull pique of gravity,
unimpeded vistas of emerald and chestnut and umber; snow-capped mountain peaks,
their jagged edges framed starkly against smooth shoulder of river and glade,
oceanic indigo and turquoise hues punctuating torn cotton shreds of clouds,golden beams of light scattered through; ”
Loved it Bela… And the rainbow and views… double wow… 🙂
💕🌈💕😘
Thanks, Sue! I lovelovelove flying dreams. Wish I could summon them at will! I don’t recall flying dreams when I was younger, though I would have been perfectly justified to have had them. I wanted nothing so much as to escape that situation. Never thought i’d make it to independence. But yes, so much was learned.
Bless you, and hope you are enjoying your day (when it comes!). Love <3
As a child I would often dream of just tucking up my knees and floating knee high around our home garden..
Later in dream state I would escape bad chase dreams by wishing myself to fly and I would escape who was ever chasing me.. And later still I would dream of lifting myself higher still..
Then there were the experiences which were not dreams, but OBE of flying up and out of myself to at first float above the roof tops of my present home , Later came flying up out into space to look back at Earth,, These were more scary, for they were more revealing of the future… And to be honest I wished these particular experiences I had were not still etched so vividly Bela within my memory, for these are yet to come.. They involved the symbolism of the Dragon.. I will say no more..
I hope more of us learn to fly by lifting our vibrations!… 🙂
Today is raining and I have my acupuncturist coming later today…
Sending LOVE and Huge HUGS.. <3
Yes, didn’t have OBE’s as a child that I remember, but did later in my 20’s when I began feeling safe enough to open up.
As for predictive dreams of the future, I had these as well, though not in OBE form 😉 It was distressing as a child to view these things repeatedly and is one reason I got as far from the west coast of the mainland US as I could, early on. Who knows if and when these occurances will happen, but in fact they have already begun.
If you want to email me your Dragon revelations, I’d be most interested and would keep them close to my chest, as you know – and I can share a bit more than in this comment.
Had acupuncture yesterday after voting 😉 Then mowed wet lawns for 2 hours! It’s been nigh on impossible to catch up in this rainy year, but we do manage somehow.
Good news is Democrats took the House in Congress, so at least this administration can’t totally eclipse checks and balances. Though Trump has summarily retaliated by firing more key people in Muller’s investigation. Which I do hope continues, with the ecouragement of the House. Here’s hoping!
LoveLoveLove <3
Thanks Bela.. I swear by my Acupuncture 🙂 And it seems you have had a very rainy season all year..
I will send you an email tomorrow… Sending LOVE and more love.. <3
Sounds good, Sue. Whenever you get to it. Love to you! ❣️💕❤️