Friday, December 5, 2008

Day 15: Berlin

I dreamt I was in Berlin. Standing at the kitchen sink, rinsing dirty dishes and scrubbing dried on applesauce off the counter--I wondered, "Why Berlin?" It isn't one of the top choices of my Cities I'm Craving to See mental list. Prague, Venice, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Vienna, Rome. All of these I could understand. Of course, Zurich or Luzern would've been more obvious choices because they would've been memories. But it wasn't any of those places I dreamed about. It was Berlin.

A Berlin that had magnificent museums and parks. I was in raptures over a Michelangelo. I stood for hours in front of a Vermeer. I meandered along gold and green paths, and stopped to sit next to fountains as old as the Roman Empire. I could see the cobblestone under my feet as I crossed side alleys, and hear the whirring of trams as they passed in larger streets behind me. The smell of a street vendor making hot cinnamon sugar crepes. And libraries. In my dream, there was a library. Shelves of books, in every language, standing proudly on ornate shelves made from deep, rich woods that were polished and worn to a buttery sheen. People sat in stiff leather chairs, and at tables. Dignified reference librarians with stacks of papers and Special Collections editions in their arms. I hadn't taken a single book from the shelves, but walked slowly through the aisles, running my fingers over the gold leafed spines and covered bindings.

I wonder, standing here in my kitchen, with the light pouring in the east windows if the real Berlin bears any semblance to the vivid, brilliant life that my imagination bestowed on it last night. I wonder if I would be disappointed to visit it, now. If I would find the reality stale, in comparison. I would give much, just for the chance to find out.

4 comments:

dave said...

my brain doesn't know where to go with this from here.

Jana said...

Becca,

Congratulations on winning the sweater! You are very deserving...and are going to be one hot mom in this bad boy. Send me an email with your mailing address and it will be on it's way on Monday...plenty in time for Christmas!

themeanestmom@gmail.com

Jana

Jana said...

One more thing: I put your blog address up on my blog. I hope this is ok?! If you want it down, I'll remove it pronto! Just let me know.

Anonymous said...

I liked this one. I can almost see you standing at the sink, dreamily washing a cup far beyond clean. Good voice- it took me a sec to catch that you were day dreaming however. Congratulations on your keeping your commitment to daily writing, and on winning that cute little sweater.