Tigers

First, all the world is a pomegranate. No?

Fine, it’s your dream. Change

the pomegranate into a fish for all I care.

Yeah, and the fish beget tigers that are really

pissed and hungry (I mean what with just having

been spewed from a fish and all). And because

it’s your dream the tigers are lunging forward

at a beautiful and quite naked girl sunning

on some rocks. And because lunging is not fast

enough—one tiger becomes a rifle. Never you

mind the stilt-walking elephant back there

somewhere (damn things are like cockroaches!).

And the girl has a dream of her own where a bee

buzzes around a pomegranate and hunger is born.

And she, well, she no longer requires the services

of your dreaming. But you insist it’s her birthday

being dreamt; and she nods and thanks you for it.

                                            for Nick Flynn