Dreams From An Unfinished Mind

Written for dVerse Prosery – “Tribute to
Gordon Downie”. Our host, Mish, asks us
to write a piece of prose using this line
from Downie’s poem, “Starpainters”:

“The Starpainters are taking over now.”

The light through the curtains had gone soft and gold, the way it does just before sleep pulls you under. I lay there wishing on nothing in particular…. just wishing, the way children do, believing the wanting itself might be enough.

And maybe it was because somewhere behind my eyes the ceiling dissolved into a hush of indigo, and small quiet figures began climbing down invisible ladders, dipping their brushes into jars of scattered light. They moved without hurry, touching color to the corners of the room, to the edges of thoughts I hadn’t finished having.

I didn’t ask who they were; I already knew, the way you know things in dreams.

The Starpainters are taking over now, I thought, and let my eyes close all the way.

They’d have the whole sky repainted by morning. I only had to keep wishing until then.

NAR©2026

This is “Bobcaygeon” by Tragically Hip (Gordon Downie, lead vocalist)

Prosery: Tribute to Gordon Downie

^{Everything on the elephant trunk was created by me, unless otherwise indicate, and may not be used without permission. Thanks for your consideration. NAR©2017-present.}