Owl Dreams

A barred owl flew
over your head,

I remembered the story,

I remembered
the awe in your voice
as you shared
the thrill,

the feel
of its wings
skimming close,

I shared my wish
to see one as well,

so you dreamed one
for me,

he perched on a branch
outside your window,

his penetrating gaze,
unflinching,
insistent
you acknowledge him,

you wanted to find me,
to tell me,
come quickly,
come witness this wonder,

yet it was only a dream
and my owl’s still unseen,

but the real gift
was being
in your dream,

where the space between
you and me
is as thin as the gap
between earth and sky,
between night and day,

maybe that’s the way
we survive this world,

I will dream for you,
you will dream for me,
and our dreaming
will illuminate
what we hope to see,

the places that will
finally set us free.