The Crow Knows

Roadways leading into 
strange neighborhoods
conversations barely understood
messages given with great urgency
listen carefully actions are required
don’t walk away until the crow has spoken.

Smuggling the Virgin Mary

We walked across the border 
carrying a statue made of mud 

details were carved upon the clay 
but within contained a holy woman

her head bowed in prayer while she 
patiently waited for her release.
The border guards took a close look 

questioned the jewels upon her crown
tapped and prodded but let us resume our journey.

They watched closely while we balanced
our treasure and crossed the border.   

We hurried to a van then chiseled away
the mud releasing the ancient woman
who gasped for air. She gave us each a hug.  

My question: “Why am I dreaming
about smuggling the Virgin Mary 
across the border?”

Is there a message here I need

to understand?

Foot Massage

Family was gathered together
at a hotel resort,
we visited each other’s rooms
kids, grand kids and siblings.  

The room was in a mess
couldn’t find my shoes or my clothes
needed to hurry because 

we were heading out.

My sister, who had passed,

invited me to stay awhile

she massaged my feet

giving me respite 

and I felt comforted

and loved.

Hart Street Mayhem

I was sitting in your house

on Hart Street

the new owners had five children,

two girls and three boys,

they were crowded but happy

packed into the small space

with the big yard and plenty

of space but it seems
the road had been closed

to accommodate drag racing
for the weekend.

Drivers revved up their engines

screeching across the asphalt

coming to a stop at the finish line.

Visitors from all over milled around

so residents sold trinkets 

along the sidewalk 

making a little cash for all their trouble.

The neighbors were worried with the changes

then you wandered in upset with the crowds

rushing to the restroom to fix your Mohawk

glad you moved out when you did.

Two dogs started to bark

then we placed our bets 

for the next race

waking-up before the 

night was done. 

Dreamscape Wedding

Water rushing through the streets,

washing away cars and flooding homes

a wedding in a propped up shelter

the bride holding her dress above her knees

tiptoeing barefooted into the lighted room

standing with her new husband, 
until the ceremony was done. 

Another Dream Along a Roadway

Last night I was riding in a car along a mountain pathway.
Bill was driving and we came across a scene
of a serious accident. Many bodies were strewn
across the road. I turned to Bill and asked him to stop

so we could help the injured and cover the dead.
He said, “There are too many we can’t help them
better to keep going and stay out of the way
so the rescue workers can do their job.”

At some point I felt relief, overwhelmed by my helplessness
wondering when I became a burden instead of a helping hand.
We continued to drive around the mountain side
beautifully covered in snow, offering us a tranquil vision

of eternity. 

Family Meal

Last night I had a dream
I was standing outside the back door
with my husband

we could see my mom
setting a long wooden table
for a home cooked meal.

The clatter of dishes
and conversation filled
the room.

I opened the screen door
and my mother said,
"This is not for you."

I stepped back onto the patio
and looked at my husband
to tell him we would have to wait.

The next morning I told him
about the dream. We agreed
we still had things to do on earth

so we better get about
doing those things before
we crossed that threshold

to the other side.

Heaven’s Path

She saw her brother waiting by the stone bridge
hurried bare footed across the cobblestones

took his hand as they crossed
the stream coursing through a clearing.

Up ahead she could see
familiar faces; her sister, three bothers,
her father and her mother.
She took off at a run

happy after so long
in the embrace of those 
who had been gone

too many years one by one.
A flood of conversation
trying to catch up on all the news

heaven had to wait because on this path
she met so many of her loved ones
didn’t want to let them go

but Saint Peter called
and she had to move along
but the good news

her family traveled with her
for the rest of time.  

Jumping from a Submarine

It was only a dream

I knew that even while I slept

the submarine was in trouble
we had to evacuate on the double
don our life jackets and jump into
the cold dark ocean.

The water was moving fast
like a river in a flash flood
I headed for the life raft,

two people I knew from work
waved their arms and helped me climb
on board. I reached out to catch

the little girl behind me
comforting her in the night

taking a deep breath, knowing

everything would be all right.

Convoluted Dreams

I saw him bare-chested

and shaved displayed upon a stage

there were, "oohs" and "ahhs,"
about his physique and his light blue eyes

various women offered him a prize.
I woke and spoke to him lying beside me

he was dreaming of dead people,
his sister and brother in rotting flesh

waiting for him 
to cross over.  

We decided we liked 
my dream better. 

Poem Never Written

Last night before falling asleep
had an idea for a poem
but didn’t write it down 

now this morning I can’t recall
even a thread of my inspired tapestry
can’t jar it from memory so instead

I write these jumbled words,
like a drunk reciting the alphabet,
while the best I had to offer 

is still tangled in my pillow
or suffocated and lost
somewhere in my head. 

My Brother’s Poetry / Chuck Toledo

Elvis Presley rocked my dream

There he was

It was the King

He gave me a big smile

He shook his hips

Struck a karate pose

And asked

Do you have any size eleven

blue suede shoes?

God keeps hiding mine

It is a technicality I am sorting out with the big guy

It bugs him that people call me

THE KING

Hell it ain’t my fault

Anyway before you wake up

Can you rustle me up something to eat

The music in heaven rocks

But

The food just ain’t Southern enough

Sleeping in Bette Davis Eyes

Spinning and talking and pulling

One new thing after another

If we could fly but needed wings

Our phone would be held in our asses

Maybe they already are

Just look around

Too many channels

Not enough nothing

Or is it all nothing

Taking up my space

I wrote a letter to Bette Davis

Her response was simple

Your world is a dump

Just like mine was

Quit being a sissy

Sinatra Says It’s So

I sleep on my left side

I do it my way

I heard a voice

It was Frank

With a tip of his hat and a grin

Old Blue Eyes agreed

You should sleep the way you want

You should say what you want

To whoever you want

That’s right!

You don’t spend too long

In this crazy world

so

be cream of the crop

king of the top

leave the slop

for the other guys

And if your wife can’t stand you

Get another one

She is going to get half anyway

Now if you don’t mind

I got to skiddo

Do it your way

 

Mark One, Mark Two, Mark Twain Snooze 

I was just beginning to doze off

And Mr Clemens arrived

Oh! Not now, I am trying to sleep

He ignored me

He lit a cigar and started chatting

I turned over to ignore the intrusion

He climbed up and sat near me

He talked and talked

I became more and more interested

He had a wonderful way of spinning things

Most of them I forgot

He told me not to worry about things

There is a heaven

And the place has dogs and frogs

There is no hate

But don’t be late for dinner

The fried chicken will all be gone

Those angels are rascals

My O Mao

As I closed my eyes

I thought

It is tomorrw in China

A broken English voice

Whispered

O it is much later then that

The revolution changed it all

The cultural experience is now

China is once again

The center of the universe

While you sleep China grows

The West is no longer the best

The East is no longer the least

Greed dooms as it looms

Peace thrives without lies

So

My companion

Join the battle

Long live Rock And Roll

Zelda F Never Looked More Reckless

She strutted into my midnight sleep

Like a hungry, drunken feline

She jumped into bed

She spilled her drink

And kissed me flat on the lips

I thought she was ungettable

Tonight she was mine

She taunted me saying

Let’s do the unimaginable

After all

It is your dream

Let me do all the worrying

And

Let’s not worry about nothing

This is the dawn

Of your Jazz Age

  

Brad Pitt Had Coffee with Me

I was barely awake

But then I guess I wasn’t

Brad, what the f**k!

He pulled on his new beard

He just stared, sipping on a cup of joe

He asked me if I had any pot

Well, I guess I do

I got one or two

We rolled it and smoked it

He knows something about rolling

He said all was well

Cleared his throat and espoused:

Being at the top is only dangerous

Once

After that you just should not care

He told me to keep some stash around

You never know who might show up

He was right

You never know

Janice Joplin…U Know

I always loved her 

I even kissed her once

Neither of us held back

It was a moment in my sleep

She told me she loved too much

She didn’t let go

She held on with all her life

Baby, I said

I love you too

I am going to buy you a Mercedes Benz

She let out a loud Texas laugh

Then she held me again

And said

Do you mean it?

I said yes baby, I mean it

I am gonna buy you a new Benz

You were that Mercedes

Janis

You were that fancy car

No one loves you more

You  broke all our hearts

When you passed away

You Texas Bitch

Now step on the gas

Of your Mercedes Benz

 

Jim Morrison Touched Me

He told me to keep my hands on the wheel

 Damn it Jim this is a dream

Well

These are all dreams brother

All dreams from the snake

Your life wraps around things

And sooner

 or later

there you are

You know things that I don’t

And

So it goes

Just remember

Your mother always loved you

No matter how bad she treated you

Love is a one way street

Forget the past

Fly with me 

in your Mercedes Benz

 

A Dream About A Snow Leopard

In the dream she is only a cub,
black spots on white fur
aquamarine blue eyes.

I reach out to touch her

but she bites me on the cheek,

not enough to break the skin

enough to warn me not to trust her,

even in play she is a predator

not to be mistaken for a pet. 

He Was Riding on a Pig

I saw him bouncing up and down
when my eyes focused I could see
he was straddled on a pig

holding on to the reins 

racing past the grand stand 

laughing and squealing with delight. 

The pig was a large white

sow with pink ears,
a pink snout, and a little curly tail.

They hurried up the hill

and down again leaving nothing 

but a blur and air filled

with laughter.

I walked out to him

when the ride was done
he was covered in mud

and flashed a large tooth-grin. 

I asked him what he was doing,

and he shouted, 
“Can’t you see -

I’m riding a pig

and it is lots of fun.”

I woke up, it was only a dream...

what could it possibly mean?

Lucid Dreams

The details are explicitly clear
as real as can be with sights,
touch, sound, smell, taste,
but what follows is absurd -
conversations and situations
unlikely in real life
but there are no mistakes,
the messages revealed in these
lucid dreams are
warnings or guideposts
for daylight actions.

Reuniting in a Dream

I finally fell asleep
after 2:00 A.M. but then entered
a dream that brought me to a high school reunion.
I was young again and wore a red dress

with a long sash tied to the shoulder
my hair was up at the sides
but left to flow down my back
it was thick and wavy like I remember it.

I walked into a room to sit with women
I didn’t know so I kept looking around
for someone I recognized

I saw a principal who sat
on the panel that hired me
seems we were better friends then I recalled.

Conversation was cordial

we hurried to catch a monorail

that took us to the snow

we sped across the open terrain
admired cities along the mountain sides
talking about highlights after all these years.

Then we went our separate ways
a diamond bracelet covered my tattoo
I met you and we walked down the path
hand in hand, together again. 

Fixing Popcorn in the Oven

Woke up from a dream,
in a city far away,
I wanted a treat for the kids
and you suggested a little oil

and a cup of kernel corns
to fix some popcorn
in the oven, and in that twilight

of dream it made perfect sense
and so we pulled out two baking dishes
poured enough oil to cover the bottom

then sprinkled in the popcorn setting
the temperature to 400 degrees
and waited for the first pop 

but one of the kids started crying
baby brother had fallen behind
the couch, the middle child squealing

to come get him while the older one,

eyes wide open, tried to rescue him,

you were nowhere in sight.

I hurried over and with one quick

swoop had the baby in my arms

a few dust bunnies around his mouth

startled but unhurt, then the smell of

popcorn wafted into the room,

we hurried out to the kitchen

where popped kernels were banging

against the door, I put the baby down

pulled out bowls to catch the treats

before they hit the floor, turned off the heat

but popcorn was everywhere.

The baby started giggling 

his two sisters helped

me gather the white bursts of corn

pulling it from the oven before it burned

and you were standing by the door

video taping the commotion

laughing ‘till you couldn’t stand anymore

and when everything had settled

we ate our treat while we watched

the movie of how our peaceful home

was turned upside down. 


I think I've combined both my sons' lives 
into a funny dream. What could it mean?