As Through the Snow I Strolled

Once before, not long ago, as I strolled through a winter snow to glimpse a sight of winter's chill cast upon the trees and hills, I came upon a vivid sight where once I looked found a delight, an ancient lamp, made of gold hid slightly in the fallen snow, betwixt a rock where it was lodged and fallen leaves mingled with moss, frozen to the rock which hid the lamp I saw indeed I did. And as I did I wandered closer in search of what I was beholding and found it there glittering bright I tell you now, oh what a sight. A hand width broad, a full foot long with red and golden handled prongs to top of lamp where it was capped with a plug within its mouth. My mind did start to race with thought, “oh what is this I’ve happened to caught,” I brushed the snow from off the vase of lamp revealing a foreign face, that was embossed with gold around bright wide eyes so large and round and nose and mouth and turban head and words engraved that thusly read: Life is lived in dreamers mind where dreamer lives their entire life to see the wondrous to appear where normal was year after year. To my beholder, simply speak if a wonder you would seek. “A wonder yes,” my mind did say then aloud my words replayed, “oh yes a wonder surely I would, love to see if only I could.”

Then, if you can imagine this, the lamp I held let forth a hiss and vapors from the top did seep from under where the plug did peep. I dropped the lamp as I stood back and watched from where the vapors lapped, into the air in sudden fog where did appear a figured god. My body stilled as still as stone realizing that I wasn't alone my eyes stretched wide, my blood felt warm as I beheld this figure's form. “Who are you,” a voice did ask from deep within the vapor mass. I could not speak. I could not say. I was amazed. I was afraid. I only heard my voice reply, “I am myself,” before my eyes watched the figure reshape into a person whom I would liken to, a Persian woman so richly wrapped in colorful silks that flowed around, within the air without sure form who reassured me, “I mean no harm. I only woke to your touch, upon my lamp where I spend much of my existence among the sphere's of human imagination’s cares. Be not afraid dear wanderer, I'm only here as just you were but since we're here both you and me tell me a wonder you wish to see.”

“A wonder,” I asked in my amazement still unsure of what I was seeing “Yes, a wonder, if you will, what occurrence could I instill, into your life to ever remind our meeting here, yours and mine and what would you most wish to see if ever a wish was granted thee.”

I took my time to enjoy the vision that the lamp deployed. I studied her hair, I studied her face, I studied her robes, I studied her graces. As patiently she waited there, among a mist that showed her clear, with eyes that seemed to glow with light, gleaming with colors both dim and bright, of violets, green, orange and yellow, I was entranced within her oriole, of visual wonder which ebbed and flowed, and seemed to sparkle with frost of gold, with tinkling winds about her hair, that flowed in ribbons amidst the air. “Think carefully, no time to rush, I'm sure there's plenty of time for us, to share a wonder together, you me, when you decide what you would see. I'll leave you now but never fear, I'll be inside my lamp just here,” she pointed to where lamp did lay then dissipated for the day, into the vase shaped lamp I found beside the rock on snowy ground.

I thought about what I'd just seen, wondering if in sleep I'd dreamed what had transpired before my eyes then pinched myself where to no surprise, I found that I was well awake, the lamp still lain within the place, where I watched it carefully to see what had befallen me. The lamp was still, the figure gone, the winter wind blew further on around the forest where I stood as I decided that I would leave the lamp there where it was safely hidden there because the awesome visage of the form gave my senses such a storm. A test of sanity if you will, was what just happened truly real or was the cold of winter’s touch too cold for my mind’s total trust. I hurried away from where I stood back to my house out of the woods, removed my gloves, removed my coat, removed my scarf from around my throat. Placed my hat upon the shelf then wrapped myself inside a quilt, set my thoughts free to return to the vision from where I had run.

Once warm and calm my mind decided, indeed I’d seen what had delighted every facet of my being and left reality completely reeling, in a quandary of confusion where in fact the magnificent illusion had replaced a normal day with divinity, I would say. In quantum possibilities of all the wonders I could see and what if any miracle could be obtained into my world by the figure in the vase whose image I could not erase nor could forget the celestial sounds that sprinkled in the air around.

For days and days and passing weeks I studied on what I would seek to see unfurl from a wish carefully pondering every stitch of happiness and will to hold a splendid thing entire whole into my world where it could live and from it all the happiness give that I would want for me and mine within our lives to make sublime forever after thru and thru of the miraculous tried and true. I wondered long and thoughtfully often going out to see if the lamp within the snow was in its place well kept and whole undisturbed by any one who might decide to filch it from where I had left it to decide what miracle I’d see abide. Then one day as on my way to that place where lamp did stay a glinting thought occurred to me what I would wish and want to see. My steps did quicken with the thought of what would be from what was not and where and when and which of all my many a thought had won the draw.

I found the lamp there once again and held it once more in my hands then said a loud what once before had unleashed what I had saw and just like that the lamp of vapors hissed and spewed into the atmosphere forming vibrant golden cloud of female draped in glistening shroud. “Be not afraid oh wanderer I’m only here as just you were and since we’re here both you and me tell me a wonder you’d wish to see.” I braced my feet I stilled my mind completely entranced by her divine appearance in this place so plain then found my voice and thus explained, “you’re quite a sight there in the air of this I’m sure you’re well aware and I a simple human soul am much amazed by your betrothing of my presence here with you where we are only here us two and since you asked what I would see as a wonder to set free into my life to well behold I tell you now that you should know I spent a many day and night thinking on what wonder might fulfill my life in such a way to ever remind me of the day I found you here inside this place that I would never need erase from my life and memory where you appeared to gift to me the miraculous wonder you propose I could now here see unfold. I thought about myself you see then thought of friends and family whom I love and hold so dear to me throughout my living years wanting to include them in this wondrous moment to begin on this day by your doing then found myself somewhat eluding all the fancy trivial things that boast of grandeur on display realizing that to me the wondrous was mine all along you see. I thought about our lives together. I thought about the trials we’ve weathered. I thought about how love did grow from day to year as we grew old. So hear me well and hear me clear on this day while we are here I have decided what I would see become if you should give to me a wish so true a wondered sight the wish I would the wish I might would be made on my behalf I wish for life for all us last in days together without turmoils to spoil our bonds that make us whole as we are both here on this day I wish my life to live this way.”

The figure form began to glow more bright than what I could behold beaming brightly all around above, below, both sky and ground where I stood there on that day in the presence of her display as her celestial being grew surrounding all the world I knew until her majesty subsided and the sounds around us slighted into the sight and sound again of where I stood once more amended to its normal terra earth where trees and rocks and leaves and dirt decorated still with snow no more emitted her ethereal glow. “It’s as you wished,” she said to me, “be not afraid simply believe that all the ways you want to live is now within the wanderers gift I give to those who just like you search their lives for what is true and what will truly bring to pass the wish they wish when they are asked. Be well dear sojourn, go in peace, let your mind and soul be eased as you go forth from this place into your own world, time and space. For my deed for you is done and now I too must now return into the realm where I abide where dreamers live in dreaming life to make seen what only grows inside the mind only dreamers know.”

I said farewell and thanked her kindly, “I won’t forget you or the memory of our meeting in this place that we have shared here on this day. But before you leave from here tell me one more thing if you care what should I do with your lamp am I to leave it at this camp or do I take you home with me where safely I can rightly keep your vessel from the spoils of loss where weather changes often harsh within the elements here around where nothing but the earthen ground is available for your keep, tell me now what would you seek.”

“What I would seek,” she seemed surprised and once again her round bright eyes began to glow with vibrant light, “I’d wish to be placed in plain sight. In a place where all could see but only dreamers who believe would dare to take me in their hands where wonder’s liberty has the chance to become itself once more within the realm of all it is for. So if you would be ever so kind please keep that well in your mind as you ponder to decide what you will do with where I abide.” Then again her form did fade from the place where I was stayed, shrinking once again in size into the lamp before my eyes and as she left me there that day I never once did hesitate to embark on her request to think about what would be best to honor what she said to me and leave the lamp where others would see then made my way back down the path where I knew my dreams were at well protected in my mind where all I dreamed a million times lived and needed life to be all I willed and longed to see. Then later on that very night as I tucked myself in right beneath my quilt to rest my head upon my pillows on my bed I realized once again the wonder I had truly gained was the sight of the being who amazed but took nothing away from me but became more than thought or a dream in my reality there that day where her image did display the splendor of the never seen that only lives in dreamers dreams. A magnificent vision, a sensational sight, a resplendent occurrence that became part of life.

Jade Jaspers