so long since the dawn of dusk

i am young in my dreams again.
i can shoot marbles and win again;
the rail line still shivers under the
patient iron wheels of a train that
passed all those years ago. i still
wear the hole in my shaded pants
which my mother meant to mend.
i still chase after the pigeon that
escaped to the gutter on the roof.
my teacher dusts his well-worn
shoes before he turns to the
homework we did not do. the
memory of my father's voice is
harsh in reprimand. so timeless
my mother's prayers and pleas, for
our soul's content. how vivid the
patience she showed in the
parodies that lit up our lives.

so long since the dawn of dusk.
so long since i heard that song.
how long till i won't have to wrap
my dreams in bandages again...