my dead mother appeared in my dreams last night
and I was so happy to see her
she’s been dead and dust these twenty-three years
so you can imagine my surprise
what ever joy was quickly abated
by the guy playing me in my dreams
he started yelling at my dead mother
that she would “never understand”
the aware and awake me horrified
that I’d wasted the opportunity
mortified that I just didn’t hug her
and hang on
Delmore Shwartz said
that responsibility begins in our dreams
and Delmore
was one clever guy
but the asshole who played me
in my dream last night won’t be invited back
my mother didn’t seem
to like him at all
Michael Dennis
Michael Dennis is the author of 27 books/ chapbooks of poetry. His blog is http://michaeldennispoet.blogspot.ca
Peterborough Poets 