I dream of staircases
I cannot descend
because the stairway runs out
into uncarpeted Space
or only goes a little way down.
I dream of train stations
where the train has taken Forever away
or only just left
or of buses
and I don't have correct change
or I am in that building again
the one I never saw in real life
in an imaginary town
and it is dusk with no known address
and I can't leave
because the staircases recede
though others are on the ground
and the jump is too far down
it could kill me
and it is sleeting
and I cannot slide
and when I ask for a ride
they are all going
the other way
mary angela douglas 27 february 2017
I cannot descend
because the stairway runs out
into uncarpeted Space
or only goes a little way down.
I dream of train stations
where the train has taken Forever away
or only just left
or of buses
and I don't have correct change
or I am in that building again
the one I never saw in real life
in an imaginary town
and it is dusk with no known address
and I can't leave
because the staircases recede
though others are on the ground
and the jump is too far down
it could kill me
and it is sleeting
and I cannot slide
and when I ask for a ride
they are all going
the other way
mary angela douglas 27 february 2017
