24th Street Dream

This morning, I dreamed of a stack of envelopes addressed to me: electricity water heat telephone american express bills I woke up smiling. The night before 24th street rocked as Mike & Charlie feuded; curses and bottles flew, then shattered on the pavement. Melody, clad in shades of faded pink crooned a tuneless tune to the angels in her head The other Charlie simply growled "Cut out that racket!" Desperate for peace, I hid inside a book full of dreams of elves and fairies and hobbits at war in Middle Earth One morning I dreamed Of a red-faced boss, snarling at me "Why were you five minutes late today?" I dreamed of rush-hour traffic, of interviews and presentations, of cutthroat office politics, of vicious rumors meant to derail careers, of the terror of computer viruses I woke up smiling. The night before, 24th Street slept through a killing frost, and one of its residents was a headline that next day. The rest of 24th Street's lives continued in the kind of desperation that's only beautiful in poems; now and then, police sweep through, collecting human refuse This night, Mike & Charlie, Melody and the other Charlie sleep in restless peace. A thick book slips from my weary fingers as I wonder what dreams tonight fill the sleeping heads of 24th Street. Written February 20th, 2002 © on Feb 20 2002 07:08 AM PST   10 • 0