Don't Let Me Wake Up from This Dream

____ ∞ Paradise ∞ is Warmth ____

The bath thaws me.

The suds swirl

the bubbles silently popping

like old ideas in my mind dissolving

while cleaner conceptions

churn beneath the surface

I just lie there

basking in the glorious heat

forever the freezing Hoosier

always the contemplative Aquarius

the yearning Water Bearer

coaxing creative juices to flow

grateful for wa🌊v🌊es of innovation

eternally thankful for 🎼music🎶

time wafts away with the steam

after lazing through six lo❤️ve songs

I drain the tub

expelling not just stink & dead cells

but all unwanted mindsets & motives

all judgement, opinion & assumption

all doubt, fear & shame

all blame, ignorance & dark energy

cleansing body and soul

I empty myself

and then I stand up

for one final rinse

I turn on the shower.....

Every shock to my system is always cold

The spray hits me like sleet

a Chilly Collision

In the past, I would recoil

from this kind of assault

I'd jump backwards

I'd push the attacker down

so the frigidity would hit my feet

instead of full-on splashing

my naked chest

every scramble I could do

I would do

to dodge the deluge

Normally, I'd huddle in the back

barely beyond its reach

waiting for the emission to warm

before I pulled the showerhead back up

to step under the spray

That was then

This is now

I lean into the chill

I shove my face into it

into everyone's opinions

crashing into them

I would grit my teeth if I had any

and

slowly,

the cold gets warmer

and warmer

and warmer still~

until its _~hot~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I don't hear him come through the back door

the music is too loud

Our dog is in the hallway

I can hear Goldie's tail wagging

thumping on the wall

like it does every night

when she sees him arrive home from work.

I turn off the shower.

I grab my phone.

I pause Spotify.

the house goes silent

I ask, "Is that a human?"

From around the corner in the hall, I hear, "No."

____ I laugh long & loud

the best purification saved for last ____

He says, "You don't have to turn off your music."

As I reach for my towel

I turn it back on.

__________________Bolt⚡