The One True Dream

I was sitting under an oak tree in a vast, trackless forest, alone, until I saw a hooded figure stride passed me. I said, 'Are you, too, a searcher through the abyss? ' There was no response from him. I touched his shoulder, merely to make him faced me with his denial. Suddenly - my hand, my arm, my shoulder - every nerve ending within - glowed and tingled, brightened beyond expectation. As he turned stiffly to face me, I saw he was a luminous creature... I awoke, still heightened in every nerve, and HE WAS THERE in his radiant gold-body, with his incandescent face, just across the bed from me. I blinked again and again, but he remained still and silent, in the same place, and the shining strength of his presence calmed me. My fear should have been a paroxysm of terror, my sleep invaded, my house invaded... but I slept, twice I awoke, the second time he was gone... For three days, I mediated all disputes, brought composure to troubled friends, helped strangers find their way, had ample time for joy.