charles imagines

in a land of endless dreams
and clear imaginations
where brave wooden horses
stand tall against a moonlit sky
waiting to prance about at midnight
where rocket ships soar higher
than even the farthest stars of night
young charles imagines

clowns and shadows
do not fill his dreams and visions
but flowered meadows bright
under sunlit skies of perfect deepest blue
where here and there a mountainous cloud
or occasional shining eagle
glides high

i wish i could remember it all
the things and places
and smiling laughing faces
the music and laughter and battles
and races and endless celebration that
charles imagines

train rides along high mountain passes
ladies and old men rocking
from side to side
in seats made of shining brass
with red leather cushions
while little girls dance merrily
in the aisles
with dolls held aloft
their golden curls or blue black locks
flying high then swooping low
as though the wind
were playing inside the cars

boys of course are not dancing
but dueling
or fighting off wild animals
bandits and things from outer space
fighting to keep the train
and all passengers safe

meanwhile
bright purple leopards leap about
and enormous whales peek out
from under the seats
alligators eat cotton candy
and ice cream from sugary
crunchy cones

in such a land as that
i laugh and shout
walking running playing
along the shores of undiscovered seas
fighting hordes of pirates
or leading the same in attacks
against wealthy evil men
who steal widowed mothers blind

in that land of never-ending joy
we never rest or sit or stand still
our legs are strong
and never weary of running
faster than the wind we race about
that's how it is
when charles imagines

we journey far
we journey far

crossing deserts and hills
mountains and plains
bounding rivers in single leaps
to rescue villages
or whole realms
from dragons and giants
or rulers cruel
we ride great tigers across ocean bottoms
and arm wrestle with giant octopi

how endlessly
how tirelessly
we play both day and night
never sleeping or wanting to go home
always feasting on fried chicken
and apple pie
eating pork chops and pizza
with wild berries for dessert

in such a place as that
i have no fear

we walk and run and play
leaping high as the mountains
when the need or mood arises
lifting city buses filled with elephants
and using only one hand at that
laughing at every fearsome thing
fearing nothing at all

except maybe
the tyrannosaurus rex
that roams the forests thick and dark
along the outer fringes
of all the stories and adventures
that charles imagines

we build long wooden boats
topped with flapping sails
and ride them up into the skies
sweeping out past seas of stars
beyond blue moons and bright green suns
past planets of every size and hue
and galaxies spiraling outward forever
even beyond the universe itself
or so charles imagines

my good friend charles
my only friend charles
charles, the face in the mirror
across the room
from my great iron bed
where always i lie under heavy blankets
while nurses and doctors
come and go
bringing medicines and meals and shots
and more tests

the endless shaking of heads
and deepening frowns
while i wait for end results

i rest and dream
reaching to grasp the day
when at last i fly away
on real white horses
one day soon

i'll go to stay forever
in that land of life
and endless play
where dancing trees
and singing mountains
welcome every child

that cheerful land
that happy land
that charles so easily imagines.


©2008 jim sutton