On a garish, orange and pink comforter he lays down to take a nap before watching playoff football. His head rests on a fluffy white pillow. As if on cue his cats, Quiet Rustle and Felix, jump up on the bed to join him. Felix curls up under his arm, and Quiet Rustle settles on his stomach. Besides a snooze before football, they are practicing as a three-man sleeping team for the Slumber Olympics.
Together, they drift off to sleep and dream the same dream. Quiet Rustle and Felix are tigers playing in the pounding, blue surf on a dazzling white beach. The Human dreams he is standing in the shade of banyan tree, watching the tigers play. Suddenly, he looks down in astonishment to realize he is a tiger now too. With joy, he runs onto the beach to play with his trusty friends in the breaking waves.
Because we are all tigers in our dreams.
copyright 2017 Christopher Donahue