Friend of Dreams

 Last week I spent 4 days with friends from my childhood. Five of us started elementary school in the same first grade class 73 years ago.  We will soon celebrate our 80^th birthdays. The group started meeting annually 20 years ago.  We all went our separate ways after childhood and youth.  We followed different dreams that led down different paths.  Some of our dreams were realized, some were not, and many of our journeys took unforeseen twists and turns. 

 Dreams are common to the young.  The group started when we were all coming to the close of our careers anticipating retirement.  What holds the group together, I think, is not so much the memories that we shared, but the dreams that we encourage each other to dream.  In a way it is a fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy, “It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters will prophesy, Your old men will have dreams …” (Joel 2:28). This year I shared a poem with the group that, I hope, captures our experience.

 We flew away to the housetops in our youth,

a view from the precipice,

overlooking those below,

catching glimpses of the rim,

the edge of the beyond,

where we dreamed together,

your dreams and my dreams,

feeding and fueling each other,

till we were carried away

in magical flights where bodies cannot fly

viewing visions we could not see alone,

visions viewed in our burning brains,

leaving behind solid earth,

where we would be held

tethered by the monotony of minds

 conformed to a monochrome

and monotone existence.

 

We saw colors not seen by human eye,

We heard sounds not heard by human ear,

scenes and sounds springing from our friendship

by which we were inspired and by which we inspired each other.

 

And then we left.

 

Years have passed, and we have grown old,

the dark hair on our heads turned gray,

and our shoulders stoop.

Deep furrows form upon our brow

where the cares of solid earth

sliced and scarred our skin.

 

But in your eye I see a glimmer growing to a gleam,

and in my own a flicker of the flame

as we draw each other to the roof

where once we sat

and we dream again, and we are young

as long as dreams remain

 ... my friend.

 

Whatever your age, whatever your circumstance, may the Lord give you a dream for tomorrow.