"Dream of the Sandman"

Hello little ones of body and soul.
You seem suppressed to be called that considering some of you are very old
For you see when you were little I have existed for years untold
You have never meet me when you have walked upon both feet
For to find me you must be very much asleep

My residence is sometimes a mansion built strong with stone
Or sometimes it is box that is very much torn
I am always with you whether in the warm or the cold
Because to me you are special until the day you are nevermore

We all dream of fame
We all dream of glory
But what of those who only dream is to hear a story?
Those are the few who truly deserve to hear my tale in all its glory

The story with which I wish to tell is one that I know very well
For it is the very first dream of which I ever did dwell
Most surprising of all is that this story starts at a well
When one of the first of your kind sat down for a spell

This man looked into the well dishevel and cold
Wondering if this was to be his life until he was very old
But the fate of this man was anything but foretold
The well held a reflection of the stars above in the sky
Such pretty things even though they are so very high

The man looked at the well with a heart full of sorrow
Wondering if there would every be a time where there are no tomorrows
And soon, a dream would follow
He rested his weary head by the well
Thinking of nothing more which to dwell

What this man didn't know is that this well had a mind of its own
And it gave him a dream that took him far from anything he might call home
It took him to a place where he was alone
The man opened his eyes and before him was a most magical of all sights
The earth, from outer space glowing in a radiant light

The man was astounded this was quite bizarre
There was no way in a hundred lifetimes he could ever come this far.
To which a voice asked, where exactly do you think you are?
The man was stunned by this voice which had no face
He cried out asking how did I get to this place?

This place which you find yourself now
Is a place that can never be touched by horse nor plow
For this is a place far away from the here and now
The man cried out, why have you brought me to this place?
Quite simple, said the voice without a face, to show you the destiny of the human race

Watch the earth now, for you see it unchanged
But watch what happens when the ideals of men narrow their range
As the words were spoken the earth did change
Into something that was quite deranged
The sky turned black
The sea turned yellow
Then without warning the entire world began to tremble

Red started appear on the surface causing the man much fear
Because of how evident the end was near
And with a thunderous roar
The pillars of fire did soar
Until the earth was nevermore

The man was surprised to see a tear had formed on his face
For while not the most social he did not wish for the end of his race
He shouted to the darkness to the voice with no face and pleaded his case
Voice with no face here my call
What can I do to stop this all?

The voice was silent for a very long time
And then it spoke again directly into the man's mind
The events you have just seen
Is what the future will bring
If man is allowed to foster his hate

This is a future without hope
A future without dreams
Where everything is exactly how it seems
If nothing is done creativity will be shunned
In hopes of a more profitable path

The man sighed and replied, this future can not come to pass
But as a man I can not last
How can I change the future from the past?
The stars in the sky did then fly and make haste
Until finally the voice now had a face.

The face made of stars looked tired and worn
Even the brightness of the stars couldn't hide how he looked battered and torn
Much like a man who had just walked through a storm
The well by which you lay
Is a most extraordinary place to stay

The well is magical much like the earth when it was young
And it will allow you to change that which mankind hasn't yet done
But it will come at a price for to change the future your past and present must be undone
The man replied with a heavy heart, but how will I know what to do?
That, said the voice made of stars, is for you to choose.

As suddenly as the dream began is was gone
And the man awoke under pale opposite of the sun
As he paced in the moonlight thinking of what had to be done
He dwelled on the vision he'd seen
And the price he would have to pay to wipe the future clean

But what could he do to save all that is true
He couldn't leave it to chance of that he knew
Then he had the inspiration of what he needed to do
He walked to the well
With purpose and grace and determination on his face

The well throbbed with power like a relic of old
Eager to give one last wish and do as its told
So that it may help one with a wish so bold
I can't change the world as a person so I shall watch them in their dreams
I will make sure that their minds flow free

With the wish spoken the well turned a shade of gold
Beckoning the man who was destined to never grow old
To which the man fell into its fold
The man gave his life to watch over your dreams
Which even I admit is as strange as it seems

But as I faded away from the mortal toil
I was given this new task of which I never spoil
So that the world will never boil
For as long as people dream your imaginations will soar
And you will never be bored.

But the reason I shared the tale of how I came to be
Is that I wanted you all to see how important you are to me
And how important it is for your imagination to be free
Ah but the hour grows early
And I must return you most hurriedly

So with the end of my story
And with the coming of morning
I must bid you a fond adieu
But have no fear for I'll always be here
Whenever your dreams take flight