Someone To Watch Over Me

I'm standin' on the bridge
I'm waitin' in the dark
I thought that you'd be here by now
There's nothing but the rain
No footsteps on the ground
I'm listening but there's no sound

I once had this really vivid dream. It was the night before Christmas Eve and as expected I was overwhelmed by a feeling of great longing. What was I longing for exactly? Something or rather someone. This happens to me every year; I suppose the holiday blues can get the best of me sometimes. It was three in the morning and I was bundled up in bed. I hugged my pillow tight as a feeling crept up in my heart squeezing it like a vice. I closed my eyes and willed the feeling away, and as I slowly drifted off to sleep little did I know that, that feeling would permeate into the inner recesses of my unconscious mind to bring forth the very presence that I longed to see.

I was lying in the middle of a garden that was blanketed with snow; clad in a white ball gown (weird, I know), but the thing was, regardless of my flimsy clothing, I was impervious to the cold. I felt nothing, and I did not question that anomaly. I was just placidly staring at the sky unaware of the icicles forming on my skin. As I was lying there on the snow, surrounded by a barren garden that was once bursting with life, somehow, it was fitting to be a part of it, for I too was devoid of life. To my breast I clutched a black rose, impervious to my silent heart.

Isn't anyone tryin' to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home?
It's a damn cold night
I'm tryin' to figure out this life
Won't you take me by the hand?

Take me somewhere new

I don't know who you are
But I'm, I'm with you
I'm with you

As I stared at the sky, unblinking, unfeeling, a figure slowly approached me. As it neared me it cast a shadow and blocked my view of the sky. I directed my eyes at the stranger, not feeling anything, not fear, annoyance, nothing. We locked eyes and then he spoke in a voice that echoed in a heavenly way: “Why are you lying in the snow?” I shrugged and answered simply, “I don’t know”. Then I looked away. The figure crouched “Take my hand”. I stared at the hand that he extended to me and wondered if it was wise to take it, I was perfectly content lying in my bed of snow, “Just take my hand” he implored, “This is no place for you”.

It's a damn cold night
Tryin' to figure out this life
Won't you take me by the hand?
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I'm, I'm with you

I hesitated, who was this stranger who somehow appeared out of nowhere? What business did he have intruding on my peace? As these thoughts churned in my head, he never withdrew his hand.

“Just take my hand” he says again, “No one should be here out in the cold”.

“I don’t feel anything” I told him, “I don’t feel cold at all”.

“Please take my hand” he beseeched me in that sing-song voice of his.

I don’t know what it was that compelled me, his voice or perhaps how his eyes somehow had the ability to look into my soul, I took his hand, which made him smile. “Don’t let go okay? Do not let go” I nodded and he pulled me up.

His hand was warm, and like some jolt of magic, I felt warm as well. from the very tips of my toes to my head. I looked down and questioned my vision as the rose that I was clutching turned red; that same color dripped to my gown and infused it with color. I gasped as the snow seemed to thaw around us bringing sunshine, the sound of birds chirping, and the full bloom of spring. I took all of this in feeling that strange warmth that was blazing from the hand that I was holding, I gazed at the stranger beside me and blinked. It was as if I was seeing him for the first time. He had eyes that reminded me of hot chocolate and a smile that warmed me to the core and brought a magical thump to my heart. Twas then I realized that he was the source of all this unexplainable warmth.

“Who are you?” I asked him.
He smiled, “Don’t you know?”
I shook my head, “No, who are you?”
His eyes glowed in silent mischief, he leaned forward and whispered. “My name is the one you whisper in your sleep…”
I stared at him, willing him to claim it was a jest. “You can’t be”
He grinned, “Yeah I am, I’m just taking a human form at the moment…”

In my shock I l forgot my promise and let go of his hand. I heard him gasp as the rush of the bitter cold of winter enveloped us and the garden was bled out of color and life.

“What’s happening?” I stared in horror as the last traces of blooms turned black and was blanketed once again by the snow. I turned to ask him to bring it back but I lost all coherent thought as I watched him fading along with the garden.

“NO!” I screamed, and reached out only to feel nothing.

“I’ll watch over you” He said, his eyes conveyed his sadness, and as his ghostlike body slowly dissolved into the wind, the last thing I saw was him in his true form.

The image broke my heart. Once again I was left in the cold, but not feeling the cold. I sagged to my knees staring out at the barren land of white that surrounded me feeling so utterly empty and alone.

I'm looking for a place
I'm searching for a face
Is anybody here I know?
'Cause nothing's going right
And everything's a mess
And no one likes to be alone

As Christmas rolled by rather quickly, fireworks boomed in the background and I was in my room sitting on the floor trying to comfort five little puppies that were frightened by all the commotion. I played songs t o drown out the noise, I held each one of them hoping to calm them. The feeling that crept up the day before came back with a vengeance, I suppressed the urge to laugh or cry at how hapless I was, but before I could do that, the song changed… I froze.

There's a somebody I'm longin' to see
I hope that he, turns out to be
Someone who'll watch over me

I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood
I know I could, always be good
To one who'll watch over me

I stared at the speakers and hugged my knees, something let out a little yelp in between my legs, In my bewilderment, I had all but forgotten the little ball of fur that sat there. I picked him up and gave him a little kiss. He then looked up at me with the same brown eyes as the man in my dream, and at that very moment what ever feeling that held me prisoner suddenly released me. I hugged my puppy close, and in some way even if I was alone, I knew that someone was watching over me...