Dream ~ The Green Valley

A.

A Chevette hurdles off the coastal highway
arching deep into the green valley.

B.

Outside the window vespers fill the
arboretum with song.  I softly comb fingers
through Jennifer’s hair and she flinches.

C.

As the evening hours disintegrate, Drifter
Boys push around a waitress hollering for
help.  There is no response.

D.

I stealthily lower a water glass beneath the
restaurant table, too shy to excuse myself
and pee into it.

E.

The alienating glow of televisions drools out
the 18th street apartment complex steeling
the wind with static.

F.

Jennifer and Scott lay intertwined asleep in
my bed.  I curl on the cold floor destroyed,
careful not to wake them.

G.

Scott’s wife places her palm teasingly across
my chest.

Dream ~ The Ladder

I straddled over the roof’s crown inspecting the chimney when the wind blew the ladder over.  I yelled for help.  I screamed for someone to alert a fire truck, but not a soul was to be summoned.  I continued this till night fell, stopping to rest,  but sleep was impossible to come by.  A broken storm gently fogged in and steeled through my cotton clothing.  I screwed my head down into the collar, listened, as morning neared and the music of the moon birds was being snuffed out.  More hours passed.  I witnessed no curtains dance open, no children crying, no one jumping in their car to fly to work.  Again, I pleaded till my throat burned.  Again, the sun slowly arched and melted behind the cyprus trees that lined Tower’s Creek, another night, more birdsong, sleepless.  Day emerged once more, this time buttered with desperation.  The roof’s pitch was too steep to hope to gain any foothold and I tried with varying results to envision what fifty feet of free fall would do.  Taking in a long uneasy breath before letting go, I slid like a raindrop slides off a leaf, with speed.