For my friends who experience ‘flying dreams’, there may just be a touch of synergy on reading this story; the final chapter featuring Her Regal Majesty Queen of Swans. She graces the River Itchen, presenting her visible glory to all who stroll along the banks of Poet Keats’ favorite riverside walk.
Most walkers will admit being mesmerized by the sheer beauty and variety of trees; their reflections seemingly deep in water and of course, upside down. Late Spring. Bright green colors of myriad trees. So fresh, so enchanting. There is a distinct feeling of being at one with Nature. A closeness that graces all senses. Sounds of birds, the scent of river and views, a light breeze. Literally taking a journey of pristine grace; Divine light shining upon such peace and harmony.
Strolling further along the riverside, Her Majesty can be seen glancing at passers-by, a gentle bow of the head, acknowledging their presence. An unusual sight. A blackbird is guiding a robin towards Her Highness. A formal introduction, and a brief exchange with blackbird, swan, and robin. The blackbird flies to a nearby branch of a weeping willow to observe what has previously been witnessed.
To see a swan extending its wing, inviting a robin to walk along it and sit on her back is indeed surreal. Her Majesty turns her head suggesting to the Robin to hold on to one of her feathers, affording safety when flying. Within a split second, wings so wide her Regal Highness takes off into sky so blue before the eyes.
Suddenly, a round curtain opens, not unlike a whirlpool, where her Majesty flies through disappearing. To those on earth, viewing a slight shimmering. A parallel Universe? Upwards through infinity, stars gracing her presence and ultimately returning to Earth’s atmosphere. But not yet to the river.
From a different perspective, a flying dream facilitates a truly surreal experience, for flying with her majesty, staring in awe at surroundings, flying over ‘Castel Neuschwanstein’ Bavaria, enormous towers reaching for the sky. Picking a unique blossom from a forest tree so high.
What does Her Majesty think? A dream? Reality? She finds it quite normal for a person to be sitting on her back holding a feather. However, such an experience can only be facilitated by the blackbird who previously introduced the robin.
Everything feels so real; tangible, as if actually happening.
A flying dream? In the past having flown aside swans; they did not view a person flying beside them as unusual. A nod of politeness exchanged, wings wide, neck long; Beautiful. Flying dream or reality?
“What think you of your experience?” Her Majesty asks. “How would you describe your dream….or indeed reality?” “Your Highness, such was my experience I will never forget the pure joy of observing another spectrum of a Universe or parallel Universe. Hours spent observing a magical existence. A dream of reality.”
As suddenly as we took flight to the heavens above, we were beside the Itchen River bank, blackbird waiving its wings in welcome. Strangely, everything was exactly the same as on leaving Earth’s confinement.
My watch the same time as departure to a different space-time continuum.
Having bowed to Her Regal Highness Queen of Swans on my departure, continuing my walk along the river bank, I began to wonder if my experience was indeed real or fantasy; or a flying dream. I decided it was a dream. However, looking at my hands, they were grasping a white feather and in addition, so high and unreachable, a unique blossom. The blackbird bid farewell, followed by the robin also grasping a white feather and blossom. Was I the robin flying into infinity, where time is still, or was it a flying dream?
The story of a flying dream with swans can be seen in Chapter One of my Ebook:
