The after words

I walk into a room and see a man I know laying lifeless on a bed. I look around the room and see the beginnings of life, which I remove, for what purpose do they hold? I let him be. Each morning I go in to check on him and find a man stronger, younger and more energised. My grief, now displaced, floats around the room like an old companion who stirs memories of the past.

I am working in a kitchen and the floor fills up with water. I watch it fill to a point and then scramble to find the drain. The water is murky and I hesitate. The threat of it overflowing forces my hand. Each time the water drains out, it fills up again. The water is less murky each time and by the third draining it sparkles like crystal and pulsates with energy. I look out the window to the car park and see someone I recognise. I go downstairs to talk to them and the person does not recognise me. I am confused by their presence. Feeling detached, I go inside to find the water has stopped flowing and I can go back to work.

Walking through a house that feels familiar. I see a woman I know and we stop and talk in the hallway. I go into one of the rooms and see an old man sitting on the edge of the bed. He tells me he cannot sleep and I tell him not to worry. I show him a moment of peace to remind him what comfort feels like.

I am walking around a space with a woman who walks just inches behind me. I know she is there. I sense her presence and her strength is breathtaking. I walk through a spacious house and see a man I know trying to park his car. There are all these obstacles around him and I move two of them. I keep walking and see a well known face. The woman is surrounding herself with items that people want in the hope they will continue to want her.

I am walking down a familiar street that seems dark. With each step I take a tree on the side of the road lights up with soft white lights. I feel comforted by the glow. Afterwards I am visiting a place just outside my home town. I am there to swim in an event. My competitors and I dive into the pool and prepare for the race. The starter’s gun fires and I launch off the wall into the water. As I surface I see a person diving over the top of me and into my lane. I have enough momentum to overtake them and power towards the finish. I cannot remember the length of pool, was it 50 metres or 100? I look up at the blue of the sky for guidance and keep powering my strokes until I see the flags above the pool. With all of my strength I stretch out to touch the back of the wall. Waves of water rush up to greet me and I realise I am the first one home. I cannot believe I am finally home.

Standing out the front of a house and watching the gables fall from the roof. I notice the gables on the house next door are also falling. I go over and pick the pieces up and place them next to the pathway. I think to myself I am really lucky because I picked up the pieces, which means I know where they go and how to put them back together again. Afterwards I am talking to a woman and we are eating something I have never seen before. She tells me she is related to the monarch and explains how that is so. It is fascinating but I am distracted because I have someone who I love in the study. I go and ask them if they would like a coffee. I walk into the lounge room and a tree has been pruned and separated. Both are looking healthy and vibrant, ready to thrive.

Standing in a room in my house and getting ready to go diving. There is a hole in the floor and I can see the ocean underneath. I am preparing to collect samples from a reef that I will use for science. Afterwards I’m standing on a busy shopping strip when a woman asks me if I have any sporting equipment she could borrow for her children. I say I do not have anything with me but can go buy her some. Afterwards I am walking through a park with a woman I know. She is giving me advice about my studies and career. Afterwards I am standing out the front of my house and I can see a woman with her baby being harassed by another woman walking to her car. I go over to help them. I ask her why didn’t she defend herself and her baby. She shrugs. I walk back to my house and see thousands upon thousands of children filing into my home. I overhear a child saying there are thirty thousand of them. I am left wondering how they’re all going to fit.