No, Dreams Are Not Forgotten

I’ve had an entire life in dreams,
More difficult even than the actual
And much more haunting—

Dreamed places I’ve lived, dreamed
Jobs I’ve suffered, schools I’ve
Failed, lovers I’ve found and lost,

All of them mixtures of a few
Vivid details, the feel of skin,
The clothes in the hall, a thrill,

A panic, a despair, a particular
Route to work through a nonexistent
Town surrounded by lost connections,

And occasionally, before
I am fully awake, those dreams
Crowd together and make

A full, alternate narrative of life
Lived asleep, confusing me. They are
Never completely forgotten. No,

The brain retains the echo
And the emotions of each,
And on those rare occasions

I remember them all, all
At once, as vividly as, and briefly
More vividly than, my life undreamed.