345. Poem by Jaden Knight

The old man told me not to swim in the lonely lake
with its golden lilies and crumbling jetty
warned that I could lose myself
I didn't pay attention to his words
and dismissed them as rubbish
what could he possibly know about me

As soon as I dived into the water
the visions started to appear
twisted fragments of long forgotten memories
danced with possible futures before my eyes
mixing and blending together
until I could not tell one from the other

Claws of fear gripped my mind
and dragged me to the centre of the deep
not willing to let me go
suffocating me as I fight to escape

Eventually I am snared by a hook
and pulled to the surface again
the old man helps me out of the water
wrapping a towel round me as I shiver

I look in to the old man's eyes
and see the tears forming in his blue grey eyes
before I can ask him why
he speaks out in my voice

'Many years ago I swam in this lake
and lost myself in the depths of fear
have lost count of the years I've been looking
but finally I have found who I was
and the one I was is you'

I looked into his eyes and saw myself staring back
could it be that this is a warning for what the future holds
as I wake up with a violent start
and realise it was all just a dream