Pantoum: Dreaming Key West

[You can see the form of a pantoum has the lines recycle through the stanzas in an interesting way. The Upstart Crow was a book store, now long gone, where I attended a poetry workshop, located on Whitehead St. near Greene.]

I wake from dreaming Key West

Out of scraps of color and streets.

Whitehead and Greene and the Kite Store

remembered like light on the beach.

Among scraps of color and streets,

my arm about Mindy's shoulder, I say

"Remember that night on Bolongo Beach

under the full moon? & you said 'Here we are,'"

My arm about Mindy's shoulder, I say

"This is my province, Key West,

under the full moon." & she says "Here we both are,"

meaning this moment, meaning now beneath talking palms.

This is my prevailing wind, Key West,

freeing my voice to talk-story

all in the moment, all in the now, beneath the telling palms;

dreaming my story in moonlight.

Cheering my choice to talk-story

about streets and swathes of color,

I dream my legend in moonlight.

Conjuring characters and conversations

all about streets with swathes of color,

I dream the Upstart Crow, woven of the real.

Conjuring characters and conversation,

colored flags fly from the Kite Store.

I dream the Upstart Crow, wreathed in the real,

Whitehead and Greene and the Kite Store-

colored scraps streaming from the Kite Store-

and wake up from dreaming Key West.