Up

"Up, Child," said The Prophet.

The Child had been sleeping soundly on the lily pad.

"Why do I have to get up, Prophet?"

"You need to see something beautiful."

So, The Child rose, drank a glass of seawater that miraculously tasted like tea and looked out on the horizon. It was dawn.

"What do you want me to see, Prophet?"

"It's a surprise.  So come now, we have to leave the lily pad for you to see it."

"But I haven't walked on the ocean for days. I think I've forgotten how to," The Child said.

"Good reason to walk. Walking the ocean ought to become a routine."

"Prophet, I don't think I'll care for this adventure without my lily pad."

"You'll love it. So, stand up and let's go, before you miss it."

The first steps on the ocean were tricky. One of The Child's feet went  beneath the water.

"Prophet, I'm slipping under."

"Keep your eyes on me, and don't look at the ocean. We're almost in the right spot."

The Child turned her head and looked at The Prophet as he held one of her hands.

"Strange, Prophet. Why are you looking straight ahead?"

"If you turn your head and look straight ahead, you'll see why. We've reached our destination."

The Child turned her head and saw the most beautiful sun rising on the horizon.

"Oh, Prophet, it's beautiful," The Child murmured.

Suddenly, she saw someone before the sun dancing with joy.

"That's my dream, Prophet!  That's my dream up there in the sun.

The Prophet laughed. "Yes, Child, that is."

"Prophet, can everyone see my dream?"

"Child, no one can see your dream but you."

Shalom,

Pat Garcia

Don't

"Do be do be bop, do be do be yeah, do be do be da! Da, da duh da, do be do be da," The Child sang. "This is so much fun Prophet."

"Do be do be da, do be do da yeah," The Child shouted and did a double axel landing on the lily pad directly on the beat do be do be da.

 The Child sang and a sound rich and deep came up out of the depth of her soul.

"Why don't you dance, Prophet?"

"I'm dancing."

"No, you're not. You're sitting there watching me," the Child replied.

"No, I am dancing, Child, to my own beats."

"If you say so," said the Child and continued to sang do be do be da twirl around the lily pad singing do be do be da.

"Eeeeeeeek!" The Child cried out looking into the horizon.

"Don't look at the wave. Keep on singing and dancing."

"But that's a big one coming my way," the Child said.

"I love to hear you sing do be do be da."

"But what about the wave, Prophet?"

"The wave is not significant. Keep singing."

"Do be do be da," the Child barely whispered as the wave approached. It lifted the lily pad high off the ocean floor.

"Eeeeeeeek do be do be da," the Child sang with a tremulous voice.

"Don't dwell on the wave," the Prophet said. "It's directly under you. You're dancing on it."

Suddenly, the ocean calmed, and the lily pad was floating peacefully.

"Prophet, where is the wave?"

"It's behind you, Child."

Shalom

Pat Garcia