uncovered dreams

we uncovered a dream today
for my granddaughter

and at the same time
I shared how we had
uncovered my dream
a hard one

every night in my new house
and in my next new house
I had a dream

in it there was always a big furniture truck
with the tarps swinging from the back of it
it would careen down the driveway
chasing me
it would be able to fly
over the roof of our house
and always two very angry men 
would get out and chase me
I would run but my legs would become rubber
and wouldn't hold me
and just as I would get to my door
and hold the doorknob
they would reach for me

and I would wake
_______________________

It was at ladies' tea
visiting with Gwen
we were in our 64th year
the each of us

we were colouring and chatting
just reminiscing
when I remembered and laughed
______________________

I was six

we had a beautiful  
Chevrolet 1957 Bel Air
with pointed tail lights
turquoise and white
I rode in it proud 

my mom would take us shopping
I would sit in the back with my brothers

but one day
it was just 

me and mom
I was in the front seat

she parked outside a store 
on a steep city street
she said she would be just a moment
don't touch anything

she pointed to the steering wheel with her eyes
I looked at it and nodded

my mom was beautiful
she dressed French
with lines down the back of her dark stockings
and soft leather shoes
with a lovely hole in the toes
where her toes
would show through

she was slender and had on her
tailored suit
her dark hair curled and held back like a crown
her bright red lipstick painted perfectly
her nails polished

she was perfect

I could see her in the store
with the large storefront window
between her and me

I looked at the steering wheel
and pushed something

the car rolled down past my mom as she looked at me from the window

there was a furniture truck parked at the next store down
I saw two men holding a chesterfield
on the ramp of the truck

they saw me coming
fast 

the beautiful turquoise Chevrolet
went up the truck ramp
I don't remember what the men did
but I remember being 
in the back of their truck
I saw their faces 
and heard their shouting

the cloth that hung from the back of the truck
stayed clear in my mind

and I guess the screaming men
stayed clear in my mind too

that is all I remembered
that and hearing my dad ask my mom
that evening when he came home from work
 
what was she thinking

leaving me in the car alone

he never gave me heck
I didn't get a spanking
but our beautiful turquoise car 
never came home again
_______________

and I had a dream every night
in each new home we moved to
the truck could still fly

my legs always turned to rubber
I was always afraid

and now I laugh

I remember how it must have been
them screaming to know if I was alright
this little skinny girl of six
pretty blonde hair
and frightened blue eyes
and no words
stuck in a car
in the back of their truck

memories
and smiling now

uncovered dreams

my favourite things