Love in Hexasyllables XXIII: The Dream
This morning, I dreamt of
You, right before I slipped
Into wakefulness - and
In my dream you were mine.
It happened with almost-
Textbook simplicity,
Tangled webs of social
Intercourse distilled by
The mind into mundane
Cause and effect. Of course
I was happy while it
Lasted. But even as
I opened my eyes and
Exchanged lover for friend,
I knew I would not try
To fall asleep once more
And recapture this dream.
For having loved and lost
You once, I cannot deem
You as a might-have-been.
Dream and reality
Are two versions of life,
Twinned by mental process.
Now I am truly free
To move on, while you will
Remain as a footnote
To be regretted though
Not to be dreamt about.
I still love you, but now
I no longer need you.
You, right before I slipped
Into wakefulness - and
In my dream you were mine.
It happened with almost-
Textbook simplicity,
Tangled webs of social
Intercourse distilled by
The mind into mundane
Cause and effect. Of course
I was happy while it
Lasted. But even as
I opened my eyes and
Exchanged lover for friend,
I knew I would not try
To fall asleep once more
And recapture this dream.
For having loved and lost
You once, I cannot deem
You as a might-have-been.
Dream and reality
Are two versions of life,
Twinned by mental process.
Now I am truly free
To move on, while you will
Remain as a footnote
To be regretted though
Not to be dreamt about.
I still love you, but now
I no longer need you.