I dreamed of lion cubs 

that I full-frolicked with upon flagstone floor, 

in a square, under striped canopy, somewhere warm  

and zephyred. 

They cavorted with me  

as if I were a natural part of their considerable pride,  

just another larger, clumsier cub, one 

that needed reassurance. Oh, 

they did love me, 

fondly rubbed plush muzzles all over 

my adoring face, exposing needle-milk-teeth 

yet I did not fear. 

I felt only love. 

There was only love and irrepressible delight.

.....

Next did I dream  

of twin,  

miniature brown-black heifers, 

kept in a kitchen by Hindu lady  

wearing jade and swirling rose patterned sari. 

She had invited me,  

decorously in 

because I was lost, had lost everything, 

I'd been left behind, abandoned, 

a stranger 

but her chosen guest. 

Besides, she needed my help 

for the kine could not be encouraged 

to rise to splay-hoofed feet, 

so could not be milked or properly fed - 

they had been waiting, 

you see. 

So up, I lifted both, gently  

by holding tail up firmly  

and with other hand under chin, they rose up  

willing, joy spilling from liquid-lashes 

and then,  

they kiss-blessed me.

.....

Finally,  

I witnessed an accident,  

a terrible tragedy 

or rather  

the paramedics' attempts 

to reach the injured parties. 

There were ice-pick eye-stabbing blue lights 

and garish, slash-flashing reds  

and I, 

perhaps unwisely, 

decided to weave way through confusion  

and park 

self  

in a nondescript alcove. 

I thought it sensible - get right out of the way, 

for I was in a manoeuvrable contrivance, 

a gurney-like apparatus, 

under a cotton blanket but what I  

thought practical,  

level-headed, well-calculated solution  

was taken as outrageous contravention 

and the sightseeing crowd 

and the antagonised uniforms 

and those who passed the story back 

to those who could not  

quite see - Tell me! Tell me!  

all agreed,  

I had flagrantly transgressed 

that damnable societal code of conduct -

Thou shalt  

NOT 

put Others before Me. 

How crowd howled for my heretical head.

And how I quailed, convinced that I deserved it.

.....

The other dreams  

were shape-shifting, kaleidoscoping, telescopic dreams.

Meaningful, no doubt.

But not as meaningful

as these three.