“Instead of Here”: a Poem

In my 

perfect 

world 

I would live in a big city 

with good coffee

and a big window view 

but still close enough

to a mountain with a waterfall 

and a beach with a sand dune 

I would sip coffee out of real mugs 

and grow real plants out of real pots 

I would have two cats 

or at least one and a dog 

and we’d bathe in the 

never ending sunshine 

and dance together when it rained 

I would learn to breathe in air 

that didn’t smell human 

and grasp onto the wind 

because it spelled out freedom 

I’d hike far and wide 

and touch every corner of the world 

with my bare hands 

I’d teach myself to make music out of nothing 

and paint memories 

with a brush and a pen 

I’d fall asleep 

after each sunset 

right under the stars

instead of here 

with a plan for a degree 

and a job 

and money 

and without a way 

to keep the pieces of this hurting world 

from splintering off 

and breaking me 

• dream
• poetry
• wish