Bill Roper's Journal

Early in the morning, long before the sunrise,
I woke and looked through the bathroom door.
A shaft of moonlight poured down through the skylight
Exactly and brightly illuminating the floor of the shower.
And I thought that I might step in and turn on the tap
And that the moonbeams and the water
Would transport me like Adam Strange
To some strange, faraway world.
Perhaps, being moonbeams, to the Blue Area of the Moon
Where I would walk among the ruins of a lost civilization,
Find the house of the Watcher,
And learn secrets beyond human imagination.
Or alternatively,
Find myself transported to some fantastic land
Where magic is real
And impossible is just a word.
But in such a journey
There is no promise of a ticket home,
No guarantee of a convenient pair of ruby shoes
To solve the intractable problem of return.
And that would leave my wife and children alone,
Not knowing where I had gone
And growing old without me.
Or worse yet,
Trying to follow,
But finding themselves on the wrong path
To a Wonderland of their own
Populated by Dora and Diego and Wonder Pets,
But never, never, by Daddy Lost.
And that would break my heart.
Better then to stay here
In my warm bed
Next to my loving wife
And return to sleep
Until the temptress moon is gone
And the sun has risen.
Until little girls come climbing onto our bed
To announce that morning has come
And that it is time
For Mommy and Daddy to be awake
And time for hugs and kisses
All around.