Green feathered topknot & my tongue thick. 

A roly-poly panda rocks dreaming in my 

apartment. I sidle out the front door, wings out.

Yellow ladders stacked against purple houses, 

balls squeak, & plastic cars roll when

you pull the string. I’m in a parakeet town,

& fledglings screech with joy when their bobbing 

penguin comes back up. My eye is caught 

by a red ladder with cheeky yellow rungs, but I 

waddle swiftly on. I open my beak, & emit a trembling 

& inhuman bawl. Disoriented, I mumble 

home & fall asleep on the living room carpet. 

Next morning is routine, the nightmare gone.  

I make coffee, sit on my sofa, brush 

teeth, get ready for work. It had to be a dream, 

but my thoughts are on that enticing red ladder,

& why something within me demands 

I climb those rungs, & ring that silver bell at the top.