I pop off my scalp like the lid of a cookie jar.
It’s the secret place where I keep all my dreams.
Little balls of sunshine, all rubbing together like a bottle of kittens.
I reach inside and pull one out.
It’s warm and tingly.
But there’s no time to waste! I put it in a bottle to keep it safe.
And put the bottle on the shelf with all the others.
Happy thoughts, happy thoughts, happy thoughts, all in a row.
My collection makes me friends.
Each bottle a star to make amends.
Sometimes my friend feels a certain way.
Down comes a bottle to save the day.
Night after night, more dreams.
Friend after friend, more bottles.
I blow dust off my bottle caps.
It doesn’t feel like time has elapsed .
My empty shelf could use some more.
My friends look through my locked front door.
Finally all done, I open up and in come my friends.
They come in, in such a hurry. Do they want my bottles that much?
I frantically pull them from the shelf, One after the other.
Holding them out to each and every friend.
Each and every bottle.
But each time I let them go, It shatters against the tile between my feet.
Happy thoughts, happy thoughts, happy thoughts in shards all over the floor.
They were supposed to be for my friends, my friends who aren’t smiling.
They’re all shouting, pleading, something.
But all I hear is echo, echo, echo, echo,
Inside my head.