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
