We had dreams about the crystal sun the juniper wind, apple blossoms and glowing evenings comfort and quietude We had dreams lollipops and no one crying no pain-and love if not everlasting solid and smiling every day We had dreams about great ships sailing wind filling all speed ahead never becalmed, no one dead, no rotting bodies on the deck no witness to inexplicable agony We had dreams garlands from gardens nobody had to tend ice cream cones piling sidewalks high shade for the asking from every uncomfortable ray of sun water enough for everything lawns and trees flowers and livestock children running in sprinklers water for the taking every day We had dreams soft conversations in the lamplight, hands to hold slim and strong whenever we needed, voices filled with understanding and strength for every fear and every tear dried by gentle caring touch We had dreams that did not include random bullets sudden death and no clouds exploding to rain death on helpless heads We dreamed we would never be helpless we had dreams we bought on time amortization forever and no one would ever have to pay the bills We had dreams someone would always save us mother always did even when she didn’t want to even when we made her mad even when we broke her china and her heart We had dreams laughing and crying talking into loud speakers shouting our claims and never thought how to make them come true We had dreams of glory and taking down every flag from every highest hill and no one would ever be found face down in two inches of water drowned on ***** and disaster We had dreams that did not include spit on the sidewalk, in the gutters, but only clean skies and apple pie, organically sweet every day and endlessly billowing wheat, and sailing ships and all the pure water we could drink for free and play in We had dreams that we could demand pain away consequences and guilt and the necessary play of our dreams that mothers would if we dreamed hard enough and played hard enough and the nasty old piper never called for his fee We had dreams and when they didn’t come true we had curses We cursed the lollipops we cursed the ice cream we cursed the wheat the cornucopia the great sailing ships and the sea the mother the sidewalks the highest hills and the trickling ditch we cursed the livestock and the stereos the loudspeakers and the glory and we cursed crying and apple pie we cursed suffering and anguish the pipers who demanded to be paid the ones who paid and complained about the mess we made we cursed fine china plates filled with hard-earned harvests we cursed love and freedom we cursed crystal sun and shade.