Dark Dreams

Photo credit:  Mike Oblinski

 

 

Howdy Friends and Neighbors.  The Reverend Squeaky-Eye here, coming at you in a troubled state of mind.  "What is it that is troubling your mind, Rev?"  I thank you for asking good people, I surely do, because I need to share this thing.  You see, last night I had a dream.  Not a positive dream, not a dream of peace and harmony, but a dark and troubling dream.  In my dream, I saw things gone all awry, with the dark clouds of a storm gathering.  It was that kind of a dream.  It brought to mind the lyrics of that old song by Randy Newman:

Last night I had a dream
You were in it, and I was in it with you
And everyone that I know
And everyone that you know was in my dream

 

In this here dream, there was a man.  Now this man, all he wanted was power.  He didn't care how he got it and he wasn't particular about how he used it.  We know about these kinds of folks, don't we Sisters and Brothers?  Well, this fella, he was one of those kinds of men.  He just had to have power, not to do good with, you understand, just to have it over other folks.  He was a Downpressor, through and through.  Anyway, this man, he already had him a pile of money, and a heap of power, and he liked hearing a lot of things said about him on the television and in the newspapers.  He already had him a lot of power, but he wants more, see?  So he figures to get himself elected to a high office so he can lord it over even more folks.  The trouble is, this fella ain't suited for governing folks.  He just doesn't have the temperament or skills for it.  That was the start of the dream, and Brethren, it was frightening to me.

So this greedy fella, he needs a scheme to get himself elected to a high place.  It has to be a clever scheme, and a secret scheme.  This Downpressor Man finally hits on what he figures is a fool-proof idea:  He makes him a deal with the Devil.

Now in my dream, this Devil, it's not Ole Slewfoot himself.  No, Sisters, but for all intents and purposes it might as well be.  In this dream, the Devil is a real-life man, a man that lords it over a different country.  

 

Now, the way this dream unfolds, the Devil says to this greedy fella "Hey, lookey here, I can help you get this high seat your after.  It's not as hard as you think.  What we do, see, is we spread a lot of lies and tall tales around, lies and tall tales that will throw the dirt on the folks running against you.  We spread around a bunch of salty lies at just the right time, and to just the right people.  If we can scare them, sell them some of that good old fear, we might can get them to change their votes, change those votes in your favor, see?"

This greedy fella in my dream, he likes this idea.  So he says to the Devil "That sounds great, that could work.  But say, just a minute now, what do you want in return for helping me?"  

Now the Devil, he just smiles that slow sly smile of his.  "I just want one thing from you.  When the time comes, I want you to say some nice things about me.  Seems like folks in your country have the wrong idea about me.  I just want you to set them straight now and then.  That's all."

Our greedy Downpressor Man, he thinks this is a good deal.  He gets what he wants and all he has to do is say a few nice things about the Devil.  Heck, it's as simple as pie.  But of course, it weren't as simple as that.

As the darkness of the dream swirls about, it happens just the way the fella wants it to.  He gets elected to the highest office in the land, making him one of the most powerful men that there is on the whole planet.  He's just giddy with all that power.  But there's something that he didn't count on.  Sisters and Brothers, we all know how tricky and deceitful the Devil is, and this here dream is no exception to that.  When a man makes a deal with the Devil, the Devil always gets his due and more. 

 

This Devil, he was as smart as a whip and sneaky as a snake, just like the Devil always is.  Whilst he was making this deal, he kept a record of all of the goings on, real careful and secret like.  He even kept it a secret from the fella he was helping.  The Devil, he figured this secret might be leverage that would come in handy later on, might be a way for him to sweeten an already sweet deal. 

 

Storm clouds were gathering in my dream, blackening the sky.  The good people all over the world were in turmoil over this Downpressor grabbing all of this new power.  The greedy fella starts right off saying these folks are bad, those folks are bad, starts making proclamations about how things are going to be from now on.  For him, what's the fun of having a big pile of power unless he gets to use it?  So the good folks in his country are appalled and perplexed.  Like I said, this fella begins to cause consternation around the good green globe.  

 

Well, in the midst of this hill of trouble, what do you think happened next?  I'll tell you, Friends and neighbors, but it is a troubling thing.  Quick as a rabbit comes the time when the newly-elected Downpressor Man gets called on to say something about the Devil who runs the other country.  Now, instead of saying he's the Devil, which has been the traditional response for decades, he starts saying how the Devil is actually his friend, someone he has respect for.  These are just the sort of words the Devil was looking for.  The Downpressor, he's okay with this.  After all, a deal is a deal, that's how this fella sees it.  He has always called himself a deal-maker, and this particular deal is no different than all the other deals he's made.  That's how this Downpressor figures it.

 

Here is where the storm just opens up all over everything.  Thunder is crashing and lightning is flashing.  The Devil, he's mighty pleased with all the mischief that he is causing, but he's not done yet, not by a damn sight.  No Sir, he is not.  The Devil figures now is the time to play the trick that he was planning all along, planning from the first time he set his baleful eyes on this greedy Downpressor.  Now he's going to play his real cards.

 

The Devil lets slip to the world the details of the sordid deal that was made, lets slip the very proofs that tie the Downpressor to the Devil.  Now the storm breaks in earnest.  The good folks band together and throw the greedy Downpressor fella out on his ear, throw him right out of the office he was elected to.  But the Devil, that was surely his plan, because we all know how much the Devil enjoys causing fear and hurt.  The Devil was the enemy all along, of course.  Always is.  That's one leopard that never changes his spots.  He only smiles that oily smile and waits.  

 

As the end of the dream came on, the Devil was sitting back in his chair, laughing his greasy laugh.  He was relishing all of the commotion that he had wrought in the world.  While all of the good folks were busy trying to clean up the mess that the poor foolish greedy Downpressor had made of things, the Devil had lots of time to get about his own business.  Then the storm became darkness and the dream was over.

I don't need to tell you good Brethren and Sistern, I woke in a cold sweat.  It was a profound relief to see the humble walls of my own room round about me.  I wish I could say that the shadow of that dream has passed from me, but that would not be the truth.  Even now, as I'm talking to you, I can feel the dread of it.  But it will pass, won't it?  What I mean to say is, Friends and Neighbors, it was just a dream, wasn't it?

Credits:

Photo -- Mike Oblinski

Song Lyrics -- Randy Newman "Last Night I had a Dream" from Sail Away