Thursday 14 June 2012

The Haunted House Dream

For years, probably since my early twenties, my dreams have featured a recurring motif - that of the haunted house. There's a main house that's nice enough but one of the doors inside always leads to a secret wing that's both scary and neglected.  Sometimes these can go on for miles. Many of the doors in the wing are closed and on no account do I want to open them. I rarely venture very far and try to make sure I know my escape route if I do go more than a few steps inside. Sometimes there are voices that taunt me or call to me, other times there are sinister noises from overhead, but always there is a weight in the air, a weight so heavy and laden with ominous portent that I'm almost certain I'm going to be smothered by it. These can be gut clenchingly frightening, wake-up-gasping, chest-clutching dreams. 


And I know what they're about.


Fear.


Fear of opportunities, of possibilities, of living my life. 


Well, the haunted house featured again last night - only this time all but one of the doors were open and the rooms had been decorated nicely. They were all airy and light, with nice bed linen and fresh flowers in vases. The closed door was a very tiny one in the ceiling. Mum and I didn't go up there because we wouldn't have fitted. We somehow knew there wasn't much up there of consequence. So we went down to the kitchen and made a nice cup of tea. 


It was a good dream.


Today, I feel as free of fear as I have done for ... well, for most of my life. It's funny what one small step, something you think at the time is inconsequential and might mean nothing, can do for you. So, yes, I have written more poems today. Onwards!



4 comments:

  1. Always wonder if dreams are really metaphors for life or possibly due to watching too many of the wrong sort of movies.

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    1. You really shouldn't watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang right before bed ;)

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  2. And the small step was?
    Oh Chloë, the dreams I've had - recurring themes etc and scarily vivid too. Science has shown dreams to be meaningless, just random images and sequences. But given science by its very nature doesn't know everything, and always developing, I'm inclined to be a little cynical of that theory. I don't believe them to be entirely random, and certainly increased by anxiety.
    But, whatever you believe, I'm glad it was good last night though. It certainly makes a better start to the day hey? xx

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  3. I sent some poems off to magazines/websites - and two were published :) My first published work.

    I have no idea whether dreams are sciencey fact or fiction - but the same basic dream has been with me for nearly 20 years. I keep an eye on my dreams (mainly for story ideas!) and I'm positive that this is the first time the dream has ever changed its tenor.

    I used to have a recurring dream when I was a kid too - I had a big brilliant smile that would kill people when I wielded it. Something to do with me being a people pleaser ;)

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