"I want to be an astronaut!"
"I want to be a singer!"
"I want to own a zoo!"
"I want to be an actress."
"I want to be able to tell the truth."
The class of third graders chattered.
It was 'Dream Week' at their school-
they scribbled on notes and stuck their names
on a bulletin board with glue.
The teacher smiled and held a glass jar,
collecting everyone's dreams.
Their eyes full of excitement
while hers was vacant.
One student came up to her after school,
asked what's wrong
and was worried too.
The teacher's empty eyes were fixated
on the apple on her desk,
the student watched as she gazed at the jar
with affection and interest.
"Miss, what's your dream?"
The teacher thought about it.
When she was a young girl,
she-she...?
She forgot-
forced that ridiculous hope
behind her mind.
She remembered her parents shoving cruel words down her throat-
undermining her,
neglecting her,
and driving her
to fend for herself.
The student took her hand and guided it to a drawer,
picking out a piece of paper
and a gold, ink pen.
The student said,
"Tell us your dream, Miss."
The teacher scribbled quickly,
folded the piece of paper,
and slid it into the jar.
Next week, people picked out dreams out of random
as an effort to understand one another.
The student got the teacher's dream.
"My dream is to find someone who'll fix me."
