Sometimes I work with dreams by color-coding places, actions, things, who, feelings, animals, adjectives. I usually mark quotes as their own thing. It’s one way to spend time with a dream but I usually feel like I’d like to do more. I’ve listed all the words in those categories in a month before. It’s all processing, spending time with the soul’s language.

I print out my dreams and put them into a big blank book, in case I want to collage one. I do notice when an image or idea shows up often. One theme that has come up a lot over the years is having no shoes. Suddenly I notice I have none and go in search of some. I sometimes find only flimsy sandals, or kids’ shoes. Or there are lots and lots of shoes, but none are mine.

Recently I dreamed of socks: they’re soft, thick ones, with a sort of fleece lining. They remind me of something my daughter, Piper, who’s making her way through Europe right now, would choose. Maybe it’s the style, the colors. Maybe I want to give her comfort. What is it, to give our feet comfort, in a dream?

Here it is: my dream, broken into those categories I listed above, as a sort of poem:

It’ll Be Okay to Just Wear Socks

Reception desk, dark glasses, tripping hazards

Little labels, clean clothes, socks

Two women, Dena, society lady

Falling, request, make my way,

arrange, climb, keep track

Room 2, event hall

Realize, can’t be bothered

Too dark, cluttered,

Draped, breathless, barefoot

Like a cat

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I think one benefit of doing this is to get things out of order. Then we can see them less with the logic imposed by our waking life – our typical sense-making – and glimpse of something else.