she appeared in a dream way back in my younger years a solemn, solitary white woman kneeling silently at the altar rail her long brown hair covered beneath a long white veil looking like Mary she spoke not a word her hands clasped in prayer we all watched from the pews mesmerized without moving, she called my name sounded like Mrs. Pino my 5th grade catechism teacher she kept calling she wanted me to come forward to receive recognition or an award glued to the kneeler in the pews I thought to myself ‘Lady, you’ve got the wrong guy’
he appeared in a dream many, many years later decades he drove a red Honda up to my back porch in the projects I often dream of that childhood place as still home he got out of the car to address me tall with faded jeans gray hoody and sunglasses obscuring his face couldn’t even see his skin tone as if he were purposely unviewable my unempowered eyes searching he stood there in glory looking like a son of man he wanted to know if I knew him I kept ogling to see who he was but I couldn’t tell he asked again I didn’t answer still focusing on ****** features instead of the all of him he turned back to the car got in and drove away leaving me still wondering