Is it a Dream?

by Ingrid Prohaska

I was very tired;
I fell asleep.
I slept too long;
I woke up, my eyes still closed, a smile on my face.
My dreams had brought me good feelings,
I enjoyed them.
I felt the wind on my face.
Where did the wind come from?
My worry overcame my pleasure.
I opened my eyes and saw – the sea!

"Ship's Deck" - Edouard Manet

"Who the hell brought me on this ship?"
I stood up, walked around the deck,
nobody to see, the ship still sailing.

"Who's piloting this ship?"
I heard voices and I followed them.
I got to the bridge.

Two faces were looking at me.
“Good morning, did you have a good night?”
“Yes,” I answered, “but why am I on this ship?”
“Sorry, may I introduce myself. I’m Captain Heart, commander on this ship. And this“, pointing to the other person, “is Chief Engineer Belly. He makes sure that everything is working in the right way. We both lead you through your life. We know the sea, we know the route, we know every iceberg. But we really need a reliable sailor. If you want that job you can get it.”

Suddenly a bell was ringing.

“I’m a sailor, just a sailor, …” I murmured,
when my hand reached the alarm clock to stop the bell.
I woke up, my eyes still closed, a smile on my face.
My dreams had brought me good feelings,
I enjoyed them.
I felt the wind on my face.
Where did the wind come from?
My worry overcame my pleasure.

I opened my eyes and saw - my bedroom, the window still open.

Copyright © 2008 Ingrid Prohaska

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The Plum Story

by Ingrid Prohaska

She went into the kitchen and opened a glass of stewed plums.
“I think none of these plums has ever thought about the possibility of ending in this glass,” she said holding the glass in front of her and looking at the opened glass.
She really was in a very strange mood that day.
“Actually a sad destiny,” she continued while she took a spoon to eat the plums.
“First they bloomed beautiful and innocent on the plum tree. They enjoy the sun and the life, they are also glad about the rain because they know that their tree needs the water.”
She led the spoon to her mouth, looked at the plum on the spoon and put it into her mouth.
Still eating she continued, “One day after the flowering time they lose their petals and it is time to grow up to a plum. First very small and insignificant, later bigger and green. And every ray of sunshine helps the plum to become a violet-blue and sweet fruit. Could be that the plum enjoys its life.”

A break followed.
After eating a few plums she continued, “But the ripeness goes together with the decision of the further destiny. The plum could be picked from the tree and eaten – life is over. Or the plum could be picked and transported – there is still hope of a further living. But it will be – like these plums in the glass – that the plum comes into a fruit-fabric. There it will be stoned and will be put together with other its unknown plums in one of these glasses.”

Still eating the plums one after another she continued, “But it could also be that the plum is lucky, is overlooked and is let on the tree. Perhaps the plum has leaves as friends and they have hidden it. So the plum has the chance to ripe completely until it doesn’t like to keep on the tree anymore. Then the plum falls to the ground and with good luck it rolls towards a place, where it can not be found. In time its friends the leaves will follow and they will cover the plum.”
She put the empty glass on the table and ended “That plum I think is one of very few plums that has its real destiny fulfilled. It has the chance to grow up to new life, to become a tree and to give a lot of plums their lives.”

Copyright © 2007 Ingrid Prohaska

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Four Roses

by Ingrid Prohaska

Four roses in a bottle
treiben über's Meer;
a little world, empty enough
to hold my humble head above.

Four roses in a bottle
treiben über's Meer;
no wind, no weather
can destroy them;
the little world grows up, gets more.

Four roses in a bottle
treiben über's Meer;
they smell so sweet,
the music's playing
this world is full of harmony.

Four roses in a bottle
float over the sea;
the bottle will be full one day,
my life will go down into the sea.

Four roses in a bottle
sink further to the ground;
my little world is lost for me,
gets part of a whole one now.

Four roses in a bottle
sink deep enough, the glass can break;
good feelings will possess me,
a great world will be mine - one day.

Special thanks to love, hope, joy and humor.
Copyright © 2007 Ingrid Prohaska

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The Dark Side of the Wall

by Ingrid Prohaska

I felt very bad that day and so I decided to have a walk into the nature to get out of my bad mood. I didn’t think about where I should go and ran around just following my nose. I reached a wall and walked along it. It was shady on this side of the wall and so it was cold. I longed for sun and warmth and the desire of getting to the other side of the wall grew up.

I walked along the dark side of the wall, hoping that I could find a way to get to the other side of the wall, the light side. I looked for a door or a hole to get though or a suitable place to climb over the wall. But I wasn’t successful.

In time I felt tired and cold; that not enough it had started raining and the rain got worse. I found a dry place under a tree. I sat down, snuggled myself into the coat to warm myself, listened to the raindrops falling on the leaves and closed my eyes.

I saw me walking along the dark side of the wall, hoping that I could find a way to get to the other side of the wall, the light side. Suddenly I found the door. It was easy to open and I got into a very beautiful garden.

The garden was very big, I couldn’t see an end. I saw large blooming trees and a seemingly endless meadow full of flowers; one flower more beautiful than the others; birds were singing; the sun was shining and warming me. I took off my coat. I enjoyed what I saw and what I heard. I felt that everything was alright.

"Meadow in the Forest" - Hans Thoma

“You’re welcome;” I heard a female voice speaking ,“I’ve expected you.”

I turned around and saw a Lady. She was very beautiful and she had these bright eyes, eyes full of life and full of love.

“Me?” I answered surprised.

“You followed your dream, didn’t you?” she replied.

“What a beautiful garden,” were the only words I could find.

“You did a step into your dream,” she explained and continued, “You can stay as long as you like. But before you leave the garden again please pick one of these flowers and take it with you.”

“Isn’t the flower dying when it is picked?” I asked her sorrowful.

She smiled and answered, “The flower is living as long as your dream is living.”

Although there were flowers everywhere it was an easy choice for me which of all these flowers I’d like to take with me. I stepped into the meadow and picked one flower. I felt that this one belonged to me. I held it near my chest and smelled its sweetness.

“So take care of your dream flower,” she said and repeated, “Live your dream and the flower lives too.”

I opened my eyes and I felt warm. I had a smile on my face. I looked around and saw my coat beside me. The rain had stopped, the birds were singing again. My right hand lay on my heart and my fingers were still holding the imagined flower.

I stood up, still smiling. The dark side of the wall wasn’t as dark as before. This imagined flower seemed to lighten the darkness. I continued my way easily and full of hope.

Copyright © 2008 Ingrid Prohaska

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