Last night, you left wild dahlias in my dreams
you brought them to me
with soil still clinging to their roots, unruly plants
the colour of sunset and blood
their petals trembling beneath the weight of moonlight
you quietly whispered ‘these grew where we ended’
words that I understood, that brought me to tears
I looked at one wild dahlia, climbing though the wreckage
thin dark threads reaching for something
then suddenly the dream shifted
we were standing in an endless field
beneath the moon, wild dahlias surrounded us
their colours glowing against the darkness
like small forgotten galaxies, only you, only me
and the flowers leaning toward us
but dreams are cruel, they give us back
the people we have lost
only long enough to lose them again
already your face was fading
and the wild dahlias began closing, one by one
and somewhere, far beyond the dream
a morning bird started singing
©Ann Bagnall
