The Worm

                                                  The Worm

                               

                                                   ( A Dream: when i was 14 years old )
                                             
                                                             *
                                
                               I am holding a glass filled with clear water.

                               Inside it, at the bottom of the glass 
                               there is a light, baby pink, small worm 
                               trying to come up to the surface.

                                     

                                 When it comes up i push it back down
                                 to the bottom of the glass with my index finger
                                 and as i do so it starts to cry like a sulking helpless little baby

                                        "woaaaa!....wooaaaaa!....wooaaaa!..."

                               After a few moments it stops crying and starts trying again
                                                      and again, and again...

                                          The process is repeated several times:

                               It comes up to the surface and i push it down
                               It cries and then it tries again and again...
                               and every time, i keep pushing it back down.

                                                                   .....

         
                              When awake i find the whole thing quite curious...

                               A helpless little worm that cries like a baby
                               urged by a blind impulse to come up to the surface
                               as it tries repeatedly. 

                              There are no feelings of malice, fear or deliberation on my part

                              as i push it down - just an equally blind impulse to do so

                              while from some neutral part of myself
                               I am observing both 'it' and ‘myself’ impassively.
                                                                   .....

                             Time went by and the worm came to the surface
                             and brought with it consciousness, knowledge and pain

                             and wisdom and self-knowledge grew.
                             Knowledge in some instances is not enough to overcome pain
                             so the worm was pushed back down again.

                              I can still hear it sulking from time to time...