Poem

In the Dream You Are Alive

/ /

A park, and so: a carousel, a man walking three dogs. He wears a tie and carries a plastic bag. I’m trying to place the music, which reminds me: A prophet is bursting into flames by the silver maple. A woman brushes dirt off her daughter’s knee, and the dog-walker shakes out his bag. The flutes keep fluting. The painted horses lap themselves. I need to tell you something about the music.

—based on a painting by Lauren Cline