Yesterday in a fever dream
I walked through a forest of strawberry cream – 

lay down upon a petal bed –

swiftly sinking…

sinking, sleeping…

sleeping, walking…

walking, waking

among the hellebores who hissed with dragon tongues and cursed me. 

Now – running – stumbling –
falling – tumbling –

into the bamboo forest –

where possums and lions and even coyotes haunt and torment.

Lost – the violets called me,

common henbit – 

fairy spud – 

the tiniest nubs on the redbud tree – 

sang of light – and strawberry cream.

And so –

I found my way back to the ice cream forest
Where a little black bear ate an ice cream cone.

“Come here, little bear! I’ve had quite a scare!”
(My voice shaking, I barely spoke.)

(A dove saw it all from the old swamp oak.)

 

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And while I was yet dreaming my Fever Dream of Spring, I heard this song…

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“Raise my Ebenezer”: reference to 1 Samuel 7:10, meaning “stone of help,” commemorating a Jewish victory in battle. (Thanks, Robin Thompson!)

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