The Lost Dream

The alarm rings

The uncharacteristically cheerful song echoing in the silence of dawn

The birds not yet up

The construction workers not yet here with their clanging and drilling

In the distance...the shrill whistle of the milkman

The feeble horn of an old school bus

Oh, the need to steal those 15 minutes!

To stay in that semi lucid state

Aware and not yet aware

The wisps of the dream still playing over and over

The shapes melting within each other

The colors vibrant yet soothing

The lightness underneath my feet as I skip around in a field,

or was it a road,

in front of a gate,

Of a home I once lived in,

where my soul was uncomplicated,

untouched by the harshness, complexity or expectations of the world.

I shut my eyes tighter

Doing my best to protect it from the harsh world

My head still in the clouds,

Not yet ready to come back to earth

The day's schedule plays out

Meeting at 8

Then at 10

Then the review at 11

In between coffees and breakfast and all the snacky snacks I conveniently forget in my healthy diet

The 17-minute power naps

The long walk I force myself to take

The same old TV show

And then the sweet comfort of the bed

If only 11 pm felt the same as 6 am

No, this moment wasn't going to come again

I snooze my alarm by 15

Shut my eyes again

Only my eyes have already caught some of the sunshine from the translucent curtain

The sound of the fan now registered in my brain

My beautiful dream lost in the day's expectations

I force myself to dream again

Except now I have glanced at the to do list on the post it notes stuck to my wall

Well, tomorrow will bring new dreams!