Afternoon Alucinari

You were surprised
No one was there.
You closed your eyes,
And they were back,

The child talking
With the adult
In soft voices
On those chairs,

Those empty chairs,
Which remained there.
Your eyes opened.
Again just chairs.

You tried to hear
What the child said
To the adult
Or the adult

Said to the child—
You could clearly
Understand them
With your eyes shut.

You could see them.
But, eyes opened,
Again just chairs,
And no words left.

You’d never had
This dream before,
This lazy dream
That didn’t change

Backdrops between
The scenes. The same
Setting, the same
Chairs, and you there,

But the talking
Pair blinking in
And out of air.
You closed your eyes,

The room remained
The same as when
You were awake,
Just the adult

And child returned.
Allegory,
You decided,
It had to be

Allegory—
Mysterious
Child stands for what?
And the adult?

You dozed back off.
They were talking
Again. This time
You realized

Neither noticed
You watching them,
Trying to hear.
They must have been

Spirits or gods
You decided,
And always there—
The chairs weren’t dreamed.

Nothing was dreamed.
You were never
Really dreaming,
Even when you

Had your eyes closed.
More like dying,
You heard them talk
And saw them there.

Further from death,
You lost the strength
To conjure them
Conversing there.

Closer, further,
Further, closer,
Time to wander,
Whatever’s there.