You were in my dream last night

Things were pretty alright

You showed up at my door at 11:00 – prompt

A new RAV4 in teal was behind you, stopped

Your hair was short, still dark

You wore a purple v-neck t-shirt

I was afraid things would be awkward but there was still a spark

I was a minute late getting to the door

You looked around from the porch

The garage door was open, vehicles in the driveway

You texted me at 11:01, “Are we still okay?”

I emerged from the hallway

We hadn’t seen each other in 15 months

That’s longer than the kid across the street has been alive

I was grateful you’d made the drive

We stood in the living room and conversation took off

About Mr. Anderson at the old school

10 years ago now

We talked deep, womanly things

Finally skated past the mundane

You were finally alone and you’d shown up at my home

We even worked out

It was everything I’d prayed for in a friend

You’d come back again

I enjoyed your candid, down-to-earthness

You liked my humor

Looking at each other, we saw ourselves

No longer felt worthless

Old memories had us laughing in a stupor

But your phone rang and you slipped away

My alarm sounded a new day

I woke up to a sky of gray

No one to discuss fiction with

Or to share coffee with

No one around to exchange goals and dreams

No, just an emptiness

And now I can’t see much of anything

You were like the fog on the lake

In, then out

Magical, engaging

Last night was a dream

Ethereal, fake

But how I cherished it