Find Your Green

I had a dream last night that I sunk into my mattress. I was engulfed, and then I was free. When I woke up, it wasn’t a dream anymore. There was too much green. It was too peaceful. Sparkles floated, light songs played. There were kids, my kids . . . I don’t have kids. There were four wispy braids in my hair, the rest was light from the sun and tangled. My feet were bare and I had on a short dress that was scrappy. The kids were gone, but I had wings. A woman appeared next to me, her name was Rose. My sister’s name was Rose. The woman left, she went through a cave that had vines and ivy covering the entrance. A shiver rose from my wrists to the back of my arms, to my

shoulders and then died at the back corners of my head. I have wings! The air was still and warm, but once in a while there was a delicate, loose breeze that reminded me to breathe the dry mist. Wings. Now I can fly like I wanted to before. I will be above everything. I can see the truth, which it seems only I can appreciate. Nothing really matters. It’s for you Rose, you live on in me, through me. I’m showing you the view. I’m sharing this with you. I only stop to look at new creatures. I sketch them beautifully, my handwriting perfect as I write down everything about each one of them. One is royal blue, fractured from immense color. It’s hard to look at. Is that only because I always want to look at it? I will build special glasses, something, so it won’t hurt my head. I think it’s my only friend.

It always knows how to be for me.

But there’s one thing that it can’t see.

Too perfect, it seems so fake.

Zero mistakes, it makes my breath shake and my heart race.

I want a friend who understands.

Not who can read me with the wave of a hand.

One who’s goals and wants are similar to mine.

But I can’t teach that, it’ll take too much time.

So, the blue creature is not for me,

That’s okay, maybe the green one is just what I need.

826 Valencia is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students from under-resourced communities in San Francisco with their writing skills.