In The Mall Of My Dreaming

In my dream I am swimming,

the foul water of indoor pool, Koi pond
of botanical gardens
eldritch and sullied.

Within the water are the bodies of
the dead. My dead
floating under the surface and hampering
my stroke as I
strive for the other shore

The island

held in sight and yet so dark and lonely
lost

My Valhalla un-illumined

Building rising on the shore which folds
like cardboard boxes in the rain holds no
window to reflect back
the actor who is me.

Stroke, stroke, stroke
bumping over the bodies,
climbing over the bodies,
trying to not touch the bodies.

My dead are in my way.

I will get there I will crawl over
these fallen ones
I will,
I will.


~Stuart Andrew Marshall Tanner~