Rules

I've been dreaming about rules.

In the past week, I've had the same dream three times. It's about living in some kind of 18th century village where there are rules about everything. In order to conform, I carry a matchbook sized notebook with a tiny, nub of a yellow pencil attached. I try and write down each rule as I learn it and record every infraction as it happens but it's impossible to keep up with and at the end of the day, I can't make sense of the notes I've made. I turn out to be a miserable failure and end up hopelessly crying myself to sleep at night while waking each morning convinced it will be the day I'm evicted for my dismally flawed performance.

It's an odd dream, odder still that it keeps repeating and with such clarity.

I throw off the covers wishing I could throw off the dream as easily.