Traci Burns

Traci Burns had her first piece of poetry published here on RealPoetik. She's since been published in such exclusive places as The Journal of Experimental Fiction and Twat. She lives in Georgia with her husband and daughter, and she is currently editing her own poetry mailing list, which is called "As Variously As Possible." To subscribe or submit, please email variously@hotmail.com.

My Life in Dreams

August 18

You and I were living in France

in an apartment much nicer than ours now

right down the road from such conveniences as

a bookstore, a subway station, and a porn theater

I was upset to realize that

I could not remember how to say the prices of things

in French

which meant I would pretty much be unemployable

but you were (of course) calm, eating canned corn

and smoking pot, not too different from our normal life

I went out to explore the neighborhood alone

and met a group of English-speaking German teenagers

August 23

I found out from your old boss that you wanted to leave me

and go back to Michigan

I wanted to win you back, so I put on a sheer cranberry-colored dress,

skimpy underpants, and a chain around my big round belly

and I set out in my car to find you

There was a storm in our city, tornadoes and lightning

and the lightning was hitting things and setting them on fire

It was really chaotic and I had a car accident

I was not badly hurt but they took me to the hospital anyway

You were there too, and someone told me you weren't well

I took off down the halls to find you. I was crying.

I found your room and went in, and your sweet face was so bloody

you were pristine in hospital white and reclining like a sleepy angel

I couldn't even say anything at this point, I just fell down on you

and you kissed me with your sore lips and said "You're okay, you're

okay."

September 1

You were doing something unmentionable to an Asian girl

who was wearing dirty socks. It involved a hot dog.

When I woke up, I was mad at you and called you

"The Hot Dog Pervert." During my nap on this same day,

I dreamed that I was in a mental institution and you were

paying me a conjugal visit. We did it on a metal cot with hand

restraints.

I woke up from this dream and, baby, I loved you so much.