One night I closed my eyes
and I woke up in a dream.
I was strolling along an exotic coastline
full of sparkling sand.
The white-capped tide hooked my ankles
and reeled me out to sea
like a great white to blood.
There were lovely strangers scattered
throughout the seaside town.
Everybody’s appearance seemed
to be unlike any I’ve ever saw.
People’s complexions were illuminated,
so I skeptically glanced around.
Afterwards I realized that it wasn’t because
of the blue lights reflecting from a cellular device,
but because the people were actually listening
to enchanting tales told by others.
The stories dragged on and on and on
until the horizon had swallowed the sun.
At nighttime there was a gathering
around a rather vast campfire.
Some people tossed their past into the blaze,
while others studied the roaring flames
like it was a fortune teller’s glass.
It must’ve been close to midnight because
eyelids began to fall and mine had grown heavy.
All at once the small crowd started revealing
their secrets in a faint whisper.
The ones that were mistaken to be fake
never actually wore a disguise.
Outsiders wandered around while quickly
looking into our eyes and they could tell
we were closer to each other
than anybody else they’d ever known.
Not long after those midnight confessions
and rambling conversations,
the silvery moon tucked me in before
the sun had the chance to wake me up.
Early the next morning I boarded a plane
that would take me all the way home.
I then landed elsewhere; however,
I don’t quite remember where, because
the brightest star had shook me awake
and stolen my dreams.
Reality slapped my cheek and
shoved me back into place
where the same old thing returned.
When I got home I stepped
into the heavy downpour.
It didn’t cleanse me like it usually did;
Instead, the rainwater washed away the sand in my hair,
the salt on my skin, and the sparkle in my eyes.
Afterwards the towel made of cotton
dried up my memories.
I crawled back into my queen-sized bed
that guards my dreams.
And I tried to fall asleep and recollect my fantasy,
but my eyes wouldn’t close like they used to.
You ever have a dream that …
feels so real, when you wake up,
you just wanna lie there with your eyes closed to hold onto it?
But my eyes were wide open and I wasn’t dreaming.