Four Becoming One

I found myself riding a bicycle through Central Park in New York. The roads divided and rejoined, some paved and some gravel, climbing gently uphill. As I continued, I noticed an older man on a bicycle behind me. He was well dressed and had a European appearance. I became strangely competitive and did not want him to overtake me. I maneuvered around people and obstacles, hoping to leave him behind, but he remained close.

Eventually I realized that I had no destination. I was only trying to stay ahead. So I slowed down and allowed the man to pass me. He took the lead, and I followed.

Together we arrived at a wooden gate and entered an old building. It felt like an abandoned hotel, with large brown doors and long corridors. Riding slowly through the interior, I came upon a beautiful dark-brown golden retriever resting with her puppy. The dog lifted her head and looked at me, and I felt an unexpected warmth and peace.

Further inside, I encountered an elderly black woman with short silver-white curls and an oversized black shirt. She seemed to be the guardian of the place. There, on the floor, I discovered my Nike shoes, which had been stolen from me in waking life. Delighted, I put them on again.

The woman asked me where I was from. I told her that I lived in Sweden, though originally I was Armenian. She dismissed my answer with a gesture, as if to say, "Forget Armenia. Focus on Sweden."

Then she led me to enormous glass doors. Opening them, she revealed a breathtaking sight.

Before me stood a green mountain covered with grass. At its summit rose four magnificent trees with powerful trunks and crowns of deep purple leaves. Although each tree stood on its own, their branches and foliage merged into a single canopy.

I stood in silence, overwhelmed by awe. It felt as though I had arrived at a sacred place and encountered something timeless. There was nothing more to seek. I simply stood before the mountain and the four trees, witnessing four becoming one.

15 December 2025

Four Becoming One. oil on burlap 80 x 90 cm.