The Dreams Keeper

by Paola Elena Ferri

  THE

  DREAMS KEEPER

  Paola Elena Ferri

  Translation by Teresa Gnasso

  THE TIME HAS COME

  Welcome Wanderers. Welcome to you who have accepted to carry your burden on your shoulders, on top of your beliefs, your values, your mental schemes, that perhaps until now, haven’t rewarded you with what you’re looking for: peace of mind.

  You are at the beginning of a journey that will require you to do a bit of soul searching, to knock down your false beliefs and strengthen others, but no-one will ever tell you what to think because mutual respect is the first step to reach the Eternal Present.

  You are women, men, maybe even youngsters… whoever you are and whatever you’re looking for… you are welcome.

  I am the Dream keeper but the dreams belong only to you. I protect and treasure them as tightly as a mother embraces her baby. No dream of yours will be wasted. No dream of yours will be treaded on. No dream of yours will be considered ridiculous, impossible, or sinful. It’s part of you. You have a soul and that soul of yours is nourished by sparks of life that allow you to create your Destiny, your Life.

  You will learn how to recognize and understand the signs that can really help you and discover, in the end, that all of these signs lead to your achievement.

  Even my own journey started from here. I once was a woman sunken in silence, swamped by the apathy of everyday life that was killing me, day after day. I was aware of every little thing I could no longer do… all those little things that I once loved so much had become so oppressive to make me regret ever having tried them. Just as a rose plant cannot prevent its buds from blooming, unless you stop caring for it, taking care of yourselves is the way to reach the Eternal Present.

  Do you know why they call me “The Dream keeper”? I was given this task whilst riding the wave of sleepless nights, travelling from one world to the other, to prevent Human Beings from stopping to believe in what they want.

  I have been granted a task that offers no guarantee. Human Beings are practical. They believe just in what can be touched. They are not aware that the worm of apathy can be more ferocious than the act of suicide. They are not aware, but deep inside themselves they don’t even want to know, how satisfying the fulfillment of a strongly desired wish can be. Nor do they want others to feel that fulfillment. Most of the times they are afraid to feel it themselves because knowledge implies the assumption of responsibility, both when it comes to the pleasing situations of success just as the darkest despair of failure.

  The world’s governments crush minds, bringing them to the direction imposed on them by a superior power that comes from the deepest darkness. Human Beings absorb the subliminal messages contained in what’s easier to understand. They don’t ask questions and merely want what is imposed on them against their will. They don’t know that all this is fleeting and will come to an end one day. On that day Human Beings will find themselves with their backs against the wall. They will have no further choice having refused them all.

  I too, did not choose my mission. I too, had lost all hope, the ability to dream, the desire to lead a fulfilling life. When I reached the age when a woman takes stock of her life, I surrendered to the unbearable pace of everyday life as I no longer had the strength to fight against it. Until that day when I finally opened up my eyes to discover the existence of another reality besides the one we are living, every single day of our everyday life. A reality that pulls down the thin veil that separates us from the dreams that only we can harbor. A reality, like the tangible one, that can condemn us to eternal misery, though still allowing us to look into the deeper intimacy of our soul to recognize it and make it bloom even where the soil seemed to be dry and barren.

  From the moment I was given this task, I have had no choice but to follow my destiny. My battle is ongoing and the burden is heavy. You have to get lost to find yourself, but to lose yourself, you need to know yourself. To know yourself, you have to struggle and to struggle, you need to be motivated. And motivation is the ultimate goal, the Eternal Present. To reach it, you have to start from a single point.

  The starting point is always from here. It all starts from the beginning.

  There are people amongst you driven by curiosity. Other people instead are utterly destroyed and no longer trust anyone, not even themselves. Others yet are incredulous, already held back by the prejudice that all this will lead nowhere, whereas others perhaps will find the spark to lighten up their soul again, making it shine with new life…

  You are all free to express your own opinions and no-one will judge you. Your thoughts belong to you, just like your emotions. The soul is born free and will die just as free. The Heart lives on its’ own beats and not even the Mind can prevail. When this happens, it means that the Heart has not been filled up enough. It has not been nourished. A hungry Heart from years of waiting needs more time to heal.

  But time has no importance here.

  Put down what you have brought with you. Put down your burdens, the past that returns, the obsessions, the grief, the bad moods, the despair, the loneliness…….Put down everything that has always been part of your lives, because you are setting off on your journey from here.

  Don’t be afraid. No-one here will rob you of anything. Everything will be returned to you at the end of this journey, if you still want it. What year is this…..how are we dressed….what’s the scenery like…. You need not worry about all of that. This is the Land of Dreams and in dreams, just as in desires, everything is possible. No-one will judge you for what you are or for what you think. You are free. Free to do and say whatever you want.

  This is the starting point, the border between reality and the Land of Dreams that you are about to cross...

  You are standing in front of an enormous mirror that reflects your image but you must not linger: it’s time to set off. He-Who-Waits was there and will still be there because Waiting is his duty. His mission is to wait, patiently, at every hour, every minute, every second.

  I will lead you to him once we cross the threshold.

  Be confident: you can turn back at any time and even stop if you don’t feel ready or simply no longer want to go on. Not everyone arrives at destination. You will not be condemned for this and if, one day, you decide to come back, you can do so; no-one will stop you.

  You will meet people who, apparently, may look strange or humble. Shabby. Abandoned. But, as I said, it’s only their appearance. You will understand, what they mean to you, at the end of your journey.

  Now, follow me through this big mirror. This is the mirror that leads to the Land of Dreams and it is easy to cross. Just stop to think, to reason, to find a logic, and be carried away by the desire to exist, with a contented heart.

  Close your eyes and allow yourselves to be guided by the magnetic attraction that the Dream has on every one of us. Live this moment like the beginning of your freedom. Cross the border with me. You will feel no pain, no fear, no discomfort……..the door of the mirror will not close behind you. You may turn back whenever you want. There are no chains in the Land of Dreams: Human Beings chain themselves, when life overwhelms them, to seek refuge in the parallel world. In the end, you must return to where you came from, the mind enriched with new knowledge and without a thought in the world. Freedom is a state of mind and is deeply rooted in the Human Beings’ hearts. Wherever there is the most indomitable slavery, inner space will be the salvation.

  Thus, the time has come…

  HE-WHO-WAITS

  Welcome, Wanderers. Welcome to those of you who have crossed the border to enter the Land of Dreams. Welcome to the beginning of your new journey. I am He-Who-Waits. I am here since the beginning of time and my duty is to wait for whoever cro
sses the threshold of the mirror of time.

  Forgive my humble appearance… I am old, emaciated and my beard is ever so white and long, just like my hair… I am dressed poorly with a tunic made of jute, fastened at the hips by a hand woven rope. I stand upright with difficulty, gripping my walking stick without which I would no longer be able to walk barefoot on the meadow amongst pebbles, stones and grass…

  Follow me to my abode and don’t be amazed by what you will see: all this exists thanks to you.

  We are surrounded by a great valley and the grass smells fresh, right from the first rays of dawn. Here the birds sing their song every day, yet never disturbing the peace of this place. Not many people have reached my abode across the Mirror of Dreams. Many of them refuse to enter for fear of getting lost.

  They are afraid of their feelings. Maybe the child that is in them still has open the wounds of the past… thus they stop hoping and go on with their lives, concentrating themselves on the concrete things, to avoid hearing what their hearts are screaming.

  But now, you are here, and I will lead you in this degrading valley, scented with grass and flowers, with my unsteady yet determinate pace, to show you my abode… it’s right there, where you can see that majestic tree, similar to an oak.

  What you are unable to see is already there.

  Now I will open the door and show you the way…

  Look at how the tree branches curl up on themselves, as if to form a roof... look at how the bark widens and lowers itself, taking on a squat, almost square shape, but with rounded corners… look at how the holes in the tree grow to become portholes… look at what can be seen in this place. This is my home. Come in with me. The door may seem narrow, but if you come closer… right, just like that… you will see that you can pass without having to bend down.

  Now that you are all here with me, you can see how humble my abode is. Everything seems to be sculptured in the wood of the tree, and indeed, it is. The little table clings to the roots, as well as the rough simple seats. Here is also my little bed, which, during my lonely days, becomes a comfortable resting place on which to read. You know, I read a lot …even though my books are not here: they are in another place, that will be shown to you in due time… perhaps by me, perhaps by someone else… who can tell, right now.

  I have lived alone, ever since I can remember, and loneliness is my dearest company. My eyes are worn for the long reading, and my heart is tired for the long waiting, yet my strength remains because the air here is clean, fresh… this is the virginal stage of a dream which is still a seed, that has not yet grown to be a plant but is already full of life.

  Look over there. Can you see that small shelf over the entry? There’s a tiny box, that’s also made of wood. Go now… you can open it. Can you see what’s inside it? Many small seeds, so small, that they seem to get lost in a world so vast. These seeds have been waiting with me for who will come to take them to make them bloom. They are the seeds of Hope that can never be missing in the World of Dreams. Just as you can never do without in your realities! Without a seed of Hope dreams are destined to fall apart and life can be miserable. So, since you were kind enough to come here, please take one and keep it with you. Don’t worry, I will not stay without. He-Who-Sows will give me more. He too is continuing his mission thanks to you, thanks to your wishes. Every wish is a seed that gets planted here. You will reap the fruits.

  Take your time. I am not in a hurry. I am waiting for other Human Beings, as this is my mission, until the end of my days. When I will be gone, someone else will take my place. It will be the first creature you will meet once you cross the threshold of the Mirror of Dreams. There will not be any others. There is only one of us, because who waits lives in silence, in reflection, trying to understand how to attract to itself those who need to arrive here.

  Along your journey, if you fear for your seeds, give them to The Dream keeper: she will treasure them for you, until the end of your journey. Then she will return them to you so that you can germinate them to the best of your manner. In the “deepest” way possible.

  Forgive me, if I sit down, but I am old and tired. I have sung all my songs, playing along with my zither… I have handed down traditions, counted the phases of the moon, studied nature, for what it actually is, and struggled hard to keep, this first place you will see, uncontaminated.

  I would like to see a multitude of Human Beings crowd this meadow… but I see fewer and fewer. The world has given up hope because hunger for the ephemeral has taken root, like a weed does, and it cannot be easily eradicated. However, if you have one of the seeds of Hope with you, even one tiny seed, and you care for it, like a mother does with her child, its feeble light will start to shine as bright as the sun. That light will kill all the weeds and bring hope back into the hearts of those who vegetate, just like the essence of tender grass that gets destroyed when left at the mercy of bad weather.

  You are live plants, colorful and fragranced flowers, strong and weather-beaten trees, grass that quenches the thirst of those in need of just one tiny drop of water…

  Be alive.

  Now, if you have taken your seeds, as many as you think you may need, give them to The Dream keeper. You still have a long way to go and many things to learn. The Dream keeper will entrust other creatures of the Land of Dreams with the knowledge that you will bring back with you to your life. When back in your everyday life you will look at those seeds that you received as a gift from this Land, don’t allow them to dry out or go rotten before allowing them to produce fruits. Don’t allow them to die before ever having given birth to them.

  This is the first lesson you have received from the Land of Dreams.

  Now I will see you out. You will be led to another place, and perhaps, you will come back to me again. But this is not the time to think about it now.

  I welcomed you with pleasure and you have been the architects of new dreams that will take root, like flowers, in the minds of who no longer hopes, who no longer dreams, because they see only the shadows of life. But they, themselves, put their hands before their eyes, not to see the sun. The sun is shining like every day. Everyone is free to live in the light or in darkness, but you will also come to know the darkness, and you will understand why the Human Being needs to want with all his heart. The marsh of not believing in anything is insidious and often, intimately lethal.

  Thank you for coming. As soon as you will leave my humble abode, the door will close behind you and you will see this house turn into a tree again. You will ask yourselves where I have ended up, but this is not allowed to be revealed.

  Here, everything is possible.

  Farewell, Wanderers.

  THE TEST

  Follow me now, Wanderers. Follow The Dream keeper. Follow me as I, in turn, a short time ago, followed the woman who was ahead of me. Follow me, but do not obey me. I am not here to show you the way. I am here to help you find the traces that will lead you to the Eternal Present.

  The first time I arrived here, after crossing the Mirror, I found myself completely naked. He-Who-Waits offered me this vest of raw jute, similar to his, because there is nothing else here. Colors fade, to make place for the greyness of who never dares, who never takes risks, for fear of being judged, condemned, left alone. So, he adapts to others, to those who, for a quiet life, never listen to the needs of their heart, but accept the compromise of conforming themselves to the group that seems stronger, which has no need to desire, because it already has everything. But, indeed, they have nothing.

  Only those who have dared to break the frames of mind have remained in history. These enterprising individuals have fought for an ideal, often at the expense of their own lives. They did not care about the profit, if others would easily understand, the trends, the personal pride: they just thought that, perhaps, what was throbbing in their souls, could work. And it did.

  Unfortunately though, life was not kind to many of them. Brilliant minds misunderstood, considered too annoying for a running system
, were labeled as heretical. Men were exiled, women sent to the stake… Left to their fate, these warriors of Hope faced all kinds of consequences caused by their great intuitive ability, usually alone, since it is not easy for those who strongly affirm what they believe in, and more so going against the current.

  Who dares is often alone. He fights his battle alone for love of what he believes in. For love of an ideal.

  What are your values? What are your ideals? What do you believe in? What do you desire? What do you dream?

  Inner freedom knows no boundaries, despite the appearances.

  You see me wearing jute here, in the Land of Dreams. I could have introduced myself to you attired in another manner, but I am not different from you. We are all alike. We are Human Beings who need to believe in something; otherwise we would be manipulated so easily to disrupt our lives.

  Perhaps, many of you have arrived here because you have nothing left to hold onto. You are in the Land of Dreams, in the valley, where the voice of the heart echoes with a relentless pace. Thus, shout, in this valley that we are crossing. Shout what you would like, shout your most hidden needs, and don’t be afraid to be laughed at: here, every desire is sacred and will never be underestimated. Whoever dares to laugh at the needs of your souls would attract to him the dark forces, coming from the Darkness of no return, and his own soul, piece by piece, would crumble. What would, thus, he or she bring in afterlife? Dry flowers, rotten seeds, unfinished talents… nothing. None would have served to anything.