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Dreamer's Lake

You are about to enter another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A wondrous land whose boundaries are those of imagination; Your next step- The Twi-Light Zone. Sometime in the year 2024, in a small town called "Dreamer's Lake" an old man sat on a bench that rest on the corner of the lake that gave the town its name. It was a beautiful sunny spring afternoon; the sun was bright, and the lake was mirrored and still. It was the old man's favorite place to go, and he went there every day because it brought him back great memories of his childhood. He and his pals would fish there all day from dawn to dusk or until the lights went out. I see the old man always there with his can of worms and his antique style bamboo fishing pole, the kind that had no reel just fishing line attached to the tip and a bobber and a hook. He was very old and there were times when I passed him by that I noticed the bobber going down, but his sight was so poor he never knew it. Besides having poor sight, he usually fell asleep and had no idea he had a fish on his line. I watched him every day, but on this particular beautiful sunny spring afternoon, with the sun shining bright and the lake mirrored and still, the old man saw his bobber go down. As I watched him with his huge smile- I shouted, "Bring him in Old Man, bring him in" But the old man must have been as deaf as he was blind because he never acknowledged me. In fact, he just sat there with his eyes open holding his fishing pole looking like he was daydreaming and asleep with his eyes open. He dreamt a dream with eyes awake As he sat alone 'round Dreamer's Lake He dreamt that he was in the crowds Of white-winged angels above the clouds Watching himself, near his death Gasping, panting for his last breath Watching, waiting for his eyes to close To get his wings when his heart slows Above the clouds he went to be But when he died, who died...was me Dreamer's Lake, a place of thought and mind. A place where old men go. A place to dream a dream. A place where only dreams like this take place. A place called- "The Twi-Light Zone"

Copyright © | Year Posted 2024




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Date: 4/4/2024 11:04:00 AM
Chilling Charlie. Out-of-body...hmmm. At least he was fishing (a sport I love)! Congratulations dear friend! :)
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Date: 4/3/2024 4:11:00 AM
Fabulous, this piece is my personal favourite of the ones I have read. Congratulations on your win. I wrote a piece for the contest titled “Being Bob”. If you have time, please give it a read.
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Date: 4/2/2024 2:27:00 PM
Back to congratulate you on your win dear charlie! Well deserved! You really are a seamless writer! And ofcourse i love reading your work! Happy to see this in winners list.
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Date: 4/2/2024 9:41:00 AM
Charles, Yours is a fascinating narrative so apt for this contest. It sustains the reader to the very end with meticulous background detail leading to a cleverly constructed denouement. This piece would fit the vintage twilight zone mould to a tee. Congratulations on your win. I appreciate your very generous reflections on my entry. They are truly valued Howard
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Date: 4/1/2024 4:56:00 PM
Nice placement Charles. At first I wasn't seeing it until I read it a second time. He's living in another world while still in this one. At least in his mind if not in another dimension. Very clever
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Tom Woody
Date: 4/2/2024 5:57:00 AM
I don't have it posted here currently
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Charles Messina
Date: 4/2/2024 3:48:00 AM
Thank you so much, Tom. So, in actuality what was going on was the narrator was actually watching himself. "But when he died, who died- was me" I appreciate the placement. I will check out Elan World. :)
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Tom Woody
Date: 4/1/2024 4:57:00 PM
PS. I wrote an 8 part epic titled Elan World that explored a similar theme
Date: 3/29/2024 5:37:00 AM
Very powerful depiction, Charlie--A place where old men go-a place to dream a dream-- you take the reader into the twilight zone, brilliantly, my friend. A FAVE for me!
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Date: 3/28/2024 10:46:00 PM
A beautiful story well told.... dear Charlie. I felt I too saw this old man with his crude contraption of a fishing road, dreaming with eyes wide open. How I wish to go to that Dreamer's Lake.
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Charles Messina
Date: 3/29/2024 5:24:00 AM
Thank you, dear Valsa. Perhaps one day we will all go there. I appreciate your thoughts and comments!
Date: 3/28/2024 4:20:00 PM
you have fabulous storytelling skills, Charles! Wow! Your poem was indeed dreamy in every way--beautiful images, rhythm, and rhyme. I especially liked: Of white-winged angels above the clouds Watching himself, near his death Best wishes for the contest & have a splendid evening, Sara
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Charles Messina
Date: 3/29/2024 5:27:00 AM
Dear Sara, thank you so much for your kind words. Your comments are much appreciated. Have a wonderful weekend. Charlie
Date: 3/28/2024 12:41:00 PM
A place to dream a dream! How beautiful is that ending. You are very good at storytelling dear charles, and im happy to see you back and posting, and youv really written a meaningful write with so much depth and the ending really stood out for me, the rhythm and rhymes creating a very captivating cadence! “Above the clouds he went to be But when he died, who died...was me “ what a powerful and soul hitting line. Pleasure reading this. Best wishes for the contest too
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Charles Messina
Date: 3/29/2024 5:30:00 AM
Hi Ink, You are too kind with your wonderful comments. Thank you so much! I'm trying to get back into the groove, slowly but surely, I will. Always a pleasure to hear from you. Thanks also for the GL wishes :) Hugs
Date: 3/28/2024 11:22:00 AM
Hey Charlie great to see you posting, beautifully captures the essence of nostalgia, dreams, and the passage of time, transporting the reader to the serene setting of Dreamer's Lake.. The closing lines, with their subtle nod to 'The Twilight Zone,' lend a touch of whimsy and ambiguity to the poem, inviting readers to ponder the boundaries between reality and imagination. Ultimately, 'Sometime in the year 2024' is a poignant meditation on memory, mortality, and the power of dreams to transcend the limitations of the physical world.
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Charles Messina
Date: 3/28/2024 12:35:00 PM
WOW! S.O., you described it way better than I wrote it (lol) Thank you my friend for the awesome comments...I really appreciate your insights and feedbacks. :) CM

Book: Shattered Sighs