poetry: sleepmemory

[badassbaby]

I dream of the dead.

My dreams are a conduit, a hotline
where those who are no longer of this earth
leave messages to the living. Most nights I see people
I have never known, relatives and friends
who had passed on before I had the chance to meet them.

I grew up dreaming of people I should have known
but will always love.
I relay their messages: this is how I learned what it means
to remember.

I would sit down and tell my mother
what I saw; she would tell me who they were and remind herself
of the occasion. We would light a candle, say a prayer,
and I allow myself to miss someone I've never had.
We never really forget anniversaries anymore.

I never dream of my father;
maybe I never will, and never will have to.
I think he knows that I won't need reminding,
not really.

My dreamlessness is knowing that I'll never forget.