Hindu God Body Hammocks; a strange dream.

Dreams can be strange, sometimes dark, sometimes light. I have some odd dreams, probably from smoking too much weed, drinking too much wine and filling myself with pain killers. I’m also a very anxious fellow and that means restless sleep.

My flat is full of statues and wall hangings of Hindu gods and that gives me comfort. It may also be why they keep visiting me in my dreams.

Its not been easy since my accident; sleepless nights, pain, depression and discomfort.

Its been two months now since I came off my bike and I have good days and bad.

My five week trip to Goa is only less than a week away now and I have been concerned at my level of pain, so long after the crash.

On Sunday this week I woke up in terrible pain. Unbearable stabbing pain that had me wandering around my flat weeping and unable to rest.

On Monday it was so bad and the arm was so swollen I decided I would go to A & E at Kingston hospital. But before that I had to wait in for a plummer to come fix a bad leak in my bathroom; I couldn’t leave it like that when I was away for five weeks.

He didn’t turn up until 2.30 and he was a right wing intolerable man who told me he would never go to India; too many wogs! He also told me I should cut my hair; what a tosser. Leak finished he finally left at 4.30pm.

A nasty winters storm had started by then so I gave up on going to A & E and settled into a painful evening of restlessness.

When I finally climbed into bed, so tired after a couple of nights of insomnia, I fell straight to sleep.

Then the dream began, I was aware of a tugging at my side, at my arm sling. “Oy!” I said, “dont do that!”

It was Ganesha, the elephant god, only he was himself as a child and only a few inches tall. “What are you doing?” I asked, quite pleased to see him now. Then I noticed a tiny Lakshmi at his side; in her arms several tiny hammocks. Lakshmi is the consort of the god Vishnu. She is one of the most popular goddesses of Hindu mythology and is known as the goddess of wealth and purity.

“We felt you needed us as you travel into India, mortals will not see us here but we will place our hammocks around your body and keep you safe and well”. Said Lakshmi. And with this they fastened their tiny hammocks under my arm and settled in for a rest.

Then I was aware of many others appearing under my duvet. Krishna, Shiva, Durga, Brahma, Saraswati, Hanuman the monkey god and Parvati. They all took the tiny hammocks from Lakshmi and bedded down in different parts of my body to keep me well and safe.

Finally Vishnu, my deity, appeared. He was bigger and looked a little cross. “what are you all doing here?” he asked sternly, feeling he needed to protect me from them.

When they explained how bad my pain had been and my fears for my trip to India, he smiled, shrunk down to their size and joined his fellow gods, placing his hammock between my toes so he could keep an eye on the mischievous others.

Then I suddenly woke up, it was 6.30am and I felt really refreshed, free of the terrible pain and the swelling in my arm was gone. I felt the most with it I had in ages and I smiled; “thank you”.

I knew it had just been a dream but I got up, grabbed a piece of paper and drew this clumsy drawing of my dream.

What does it mean? I dont know, maybe just a silly feverish dream. But today I have not needed to take my pain killers because I simply do not have any pain, I feel rested and clear headed;

Dreams are funny things; who really understands their magic.