Vision.

What better moment to pursue a dream than in a dumpster of rubbish? The world is simply crumbling around you, crunching and slimy. There is something sharp stabbing your thigh, the soft sensitive inner part, and every movement brings forth a shooting pain and the promise of injury. It smells disgusting and you should be hungry, but the thirst overpowers the need for nourishment, and your stomach is sour regardless. And the sound, it’s scurrying, loud and overpowering. It’s confusing and the promise of sleep is both desperately needed and unavailable. The worst of it, you are alone. Alone, without even a rat paying you notice.

A vision has the power to lift the heavy lid of confinement. Kick it open. Breath. The air becomes clearer. You are still in the trash, and that god forsaken weapon on your flesh holds you hostage. And yet, you can see outside now. Keep looking, make out the shapes above you. Also, shut the fuck up and stop whining, because the soul is attemping speech, and the sound of it is drowned out by your moans.

It becomes quieter, and the noise around you less ominous. Lacking the drone of sobs, you can make out squeaks of communication from the rodents. By god, you suspect that some it is.. laughing. How can such joy be found in a vile place such as this?

You still feel alone, but you note the fallacy in this idea and conclude that although the rats don’t interact with you, the presence of their interaction is soothing, and you begin to look forward to the routine of daily rat shenanigans. Careful friend, for the vision, although tearing off the roof of your entrapment, only holds power in focus. Do not get comfortable. Comfort is the antithesis of dreams. Remind yourself. Move your leg.

Pain has the curious ability to redirect the mind to the present. Surging back into yourself and ignoring the world of other critters, you again look up, and at least now, you have freed your appendage and the resulting cut is but a superficial scratch. So be it, but before you lies the greatest challenge. You are in fact, still in a pit of waste that requires great effort to emerge. Your muscles are weak from misuse, and your mind has been assimilated to ease.

There is something more powerful than a vision. Affirmation of the soul. You can hear it now. The recognition of purpose is rain, washing the stickiness of longing away. The hole of your stagnant existence fills with water. You are moving, along with all the trash around you, floating, weightless, and clean.

Don’t panic, and don’t try to swim. If you do the dog paddle in the confines of a metal rectangle, you’ll wear yourself out and drown. Take it easy. Let it happen. Time is on your side now, because unlike before, the vision keeps the sky in view, and the water keeps you inching toward freedom. Patience is vital to achievement.

Wait for the time to strike. Wait until you are in reach of a handhold.

Behold, there it is! The lip of the dumpster, defiant in its presentation of an unscalable wall. Grab it now, punch the inside of the wall if you’d like. Hear that? The adorable rats are swimming, cheering for you. All the universe celebrates your escape, and you are surrounded by the rays of a warm sun. Pull yourself out, and drop to the hard ground below. Ah yes, there are obstacles out here as well. Suffering is inherent in existence. Accept it, and limp your happy ass to the patch of soft blue lawn flowers and proud buttercups.

There is a path before you, and it twists and turns with many others. Yet, it is no bother to you. You learned a hard lesson in your dumpster life. Vision will lead you, reflection will quiet distraction, affirmation lifts you, and action will ultimately free you. Hold steady mate, as you may fall again, and you may retreat, and you may burn for all I know. Hold steady, because vision can never be taken from you, it can never be trapped or tortured, and vision is the first step.

I love you all.

-Mandy.