I Wanted To Say Things With Cherries On Top

I wanted to say things with cherries on top
I explained to the dream people
in my dream but they got up

and filed out of the room all single file
and lemon sour
and I'm in a bower of flowers

rose upon rose and gladioli ridden
and rid of them
and I say: strawberries, cream

and opalescence opalescene, gemmy jeweled rings
shiny, shiny things to laugh at the wind with
bubble floating all rainbowing

and swing in the swings 

and I can't hear you disparaging me dream people
and Grandfather comes with the church and the steeple
made out of his hands

the pink clowns made out of Grandmother's dinner napkins.
am I kin to you I wonder about the dream meanies
when all I want to do even as a grownup is

say to you something in lemon lime or mercury dimed
and I am happy most of the time
and I'll pretend you're all made of snow

and you're not anyone I used to know
you're only like ice cream melted.

mary angela douglas 18 may 2017