A short meditation: The Oarsman
When I opened my eyes, I saw a cedar boat ahead, a craft of sleek and patinated wood; I was ashore, looking, watching without knowing why, standing on the verge with the clear salt sea touching my feet and on its cold breath casting up an offering of tide-polished stones and shells moved into patterns like a prayer shawl.
The cedar boat drew near, and in the boat, a man whose solemn joy preceded him and made my thoughts lie still.
Only the scent of cedar broke the salty air. I waded out to catch the prow and saw the oarsman watching me, and I was humbled but not afraid. He said nothing. I didn’t think to say a word, myself, but caught the boat and slowly pulled it ashore.
The oarsman wore a long superlative braid that rose and fell on his breast; I made fast the boat to a spike of driftwood at the verge, tying the painter in a braid as like his own as I could make it.
When he stepped from the boat, the oarsman put his broad hand on my head, wordlessly, and I felt, too, his solemn joy.
Art-Colored Glasses 
“Solemn joy.” To read your reflection on it – a lyrical mystical comforting joy, Kathryn. Just lovely. XO
Thank you, Beautiful. I should know you’d be one who’d ‘get it’—of course. In this instance, it really is virtually a transcription of a very sweetly comforting dream I had once. I have no idea what was going on in my life at the time, anymore, but I know I woke up contented and feeling safe and watched over, somehow. Just one of life’s tiny mysteries. 🙂
xoxo
Beautiful introductory description and stunning contrast of colors, K. Love the lush green and the red. Great ending, too.
Xxx
D.
Thank you. This is one of those extremely rare circumstances (for me, anyway) in which the whole thing was handed to me in an actual dream. I just wrote it down, because it pleased and moved me when I dreamt it. Not my usual thing! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed the visuals, too, of course. Those came from real life. 😉
xoxo
Dream: cool!! (Wish gorgeous things were handed ME in a dream LOL.) But you still transcribed it with due justice. =)
Even when I am given such yummy dreams, it’s incredibly rare that I can remember any of the content that made them seem so delicious by the time I’m really awake. 😀 Glad you enjoyed it, all the same.
xoxo
This is beautiful and deep. You have such a gift.
As you can see from my previous comments, it was gifted *to* me in this case. But I’m delighted you enjoyed it all the same. 🙂
xo
I sure did 🙂