Day 234: What Do Animals Dream Of?

What Do Animals Dream Of?
by
Matt Zurbo

 

There’s Yukoon, running in her sleep.
(Husky, paws moving in its sleep. Kid clasping own hands, lovingly admiring cuteness.)

I wonder what she’s dreaming of?
(Husky, fangs showing, barking/biting bum of big polar bear. Other polar bears running in terror.)

Wow! A whale’s song! They say it’s so loud if it called into a room, the walls and ceiling would be blown away! 
(Two kids in dark by ocean, one has hand cupped over ear, listening to sea.)

What could the words be?
Do they hear each other’s songs when they dream?
(Two whales waltzing.)

If you look real, real close, that wren’s eyes flicker when it sleeps.

Does it dream it’s an eagle?

The fastest bird in the bush?

That it has it’s own little plane?
(Wren in helmet and mini WWII biplane.)

Or that it’s the proud parent of an entire flock!?

Or simply that it’s full and safe?

I have no idea what cats dream of.
I’m not sure I want to know.
(Cat sitting with dead lizard in its mouth.)

A lion, though…
(Loin, leaping, roaring, in air over top of heard of frightened gazelles.)

I wonder which animals dream of having wings?

A koala?
(Koala with wings eating leaves from top of tree.)

A water buffalo? A oran gutan? A snake?
(All three flying.)

A croc?
There’s a scary thought.

I wonder if monkeys ever dream of being human?
(Monkey in suit, dancing/doing the twist.)

I once dreamed I was a gorilla. That was fun!
(Gorilla hanging out with other kids outside the milk bar.)

They say dogs often think they’re human.
Do they dream of a place at the table?

To be playing half back in the footy team?

Or maybe netball’s their go?

They can hear 20 times better than humans.
Maybe they heard the whale sing, and dream of that?
(Dog standing proud on back of a whale.)

Or of eating flying fish!
(Dog leaping up, mouth open, as school of flying fish pass all around.)

Do crows dream they can sing beautiful songs?

Does an endangered species know it’s endangered?
Does it dream their numbers are strong?

I wonder if I’m in the dreams of the billygoat down the road?
Geez, it stares And eat things. A lot!!
(Billy goat with big horns bucking. Kid bouncing above it in the air.)

Do hippos dream they’re skinny? Or that they are the biggest hippo of all?
Maybe their dreams are small.

How small is an animal before it can’t dream?
(Sleeping bat.)

Or do they all dream?
(Lots of animals sleeping. Kid standing in middle of them, watching.)

I don’t know what animals dream, but knowing they do makes me wonder about all sorts of stuff.
(Kid staring at a possum with a baby on it’s back, that is staring at him.)

And look at them in a whole new way!
(Cow licking kid, who is laughing, holding hands up in unsuccessful defence.)

 
The End