THE RUINED POET

One night he fell asleep earlier than usual
and dreamed that he left his body
and walked around the street on which he lived
wearing the shadow of his usual clothes.
And he stopped at the houses of friends
and told them that he knew that he was dreaming
and wanted them to know that they were dreaming too.
And he asked them to stop by tomorrow morning
to wake him up, and tell him that they had seen him
in their dreams. He asked them all
to leave their bodies every night
and go into the dreams of their neighbors
and tell them that they were dreaming too,
and that it was time to wake up for a great event.
He himself did not know what the event was.
But this is what he would be doing for the rest of his life.