Dream Me a Smile
by Rachel Hoyt
I'd had one terrible, awful, bad day -
That day optimism killed my dismay.
Around every corner harm had been lurking.
On every face, I saw frowns and smirking.
I'd gone to bed angry, wishing on a star
That tomorrow would be more up to par.
The second that my head hit the pillow,
My dream of the day began to flow,
Except that it wasn't exactly the same.
Everyone smiled as if they knew my name.
Laughing was heard everywhere
Life felt happy and laissez faire.
I did dribble coffee on my clean shirt,
When Jerry said that he had bought a yurt,
But Jerry laughed at me and I, him,
Then he admitted he'd purchased on a whim.
I didn't get mad that he'd "made me spill"
And he wasn't hurt that I'd "mocked his thrill".
Then we walked together to the corner store
Where I bought a pen that made my stain "no more".
I skipped with joy the two steps down the aisle
Which changed the grumpy cashier's style.
He wasn't angry that I'd used it before paying
And I didn't lie, "I was in the line waiting!"
I did not step in gum outside the library,
Thanks to a timely warning from Jerry.
The librarian still kicked us out due to noise,
But this time laughs (not yells) pricked her poise.
She wasn't mad, just enforcing the rule.
We knew that and magically kept our cool.
By the time I awoke, I'd relived the whole day
Acting just slightly happier along the way.
Somehow the day seemed to go smoother,
Making optimism seem like a maneuver -
One that I planned to try out in real life
To see if it really could make good days rife.
© 2012 Rachel Hoyt. All rights reserved.
