Purgatory Is A Store In The Mall

My recurring dream turned into a poem.

Purgatory is a store in the mall
Under renovation, where ghosts sit and dwell
Angry that someone has torn up their walls,
They stare at the patrons like horses in stalls
And refuse to be asked for a story to tell.

I visit the store some nights in my dreams
Looking for a sweater I lost long ago.
There are hooks that hold coats of red and of green,
And one red one is mine, but its ripped at the seams,
As if to wear it, I must make myself grow.

I dwell towards the back where the office once sat,
I'd been here before on some previous night;
But the entrance is blocked by a board of wood, flat
And I could gain my entry, rip the board off in tact,
But something just tells me this action's not right.

My desire to find my old sweater prevails
And I crane my neck, scanning all the back room
But the owner disrupts, he insists I will fail,
I say I'd been there once, I recall the details!
He tells me to wait, and in my place I loom.

Then the owner returns and presents me a clock,
A porcelain crystal, where the time piece still ticks;
Says there's a reason the back room is now blocked
That I once cheated death! But more years are in stock
And it took me a moment for all this to click.

-So I thought of the store, and the last time I went:
The back room was open, the store painted white,
I went through the back to a hallway, intent
On seeing this world to its fullest extent,
And into a door, the first one in my sight.

And through this door was a stage and a song;
An arena of patrons all watching a show!
I stared at the players, knew I didn't have long
To hear what they sang, but I could sing along!
Seemed all their next lines were words I would know-

Then it all clicked, I had written this play!
I had written this life, I had lived it myself,
And this was my story, although now I must say
I knew all the words, but I knew not the day
That I wrote them all down for another to shelf.

But the actors were me! And the patrons were me!
The arena was dark, and only all watched the stage,
And this is when I saw all that I could see,
That after I'm gone, all that time will be
Is a series of plays that my live self arranged.

Author's Note

Basically my dream last night had the same setting of a dream I had last year and I found it interesting so I elaborated on them both. I consider this a rough rough rough draft that definitely can be trimmed down.

Reviews

[emmajoy]

What a wonderful re-enactment of life to dream and who knows, a reality that'll far exceed itself. Love the search for the sweater, the idea of finding what was lost and found, could represent anything, anything you really want back. Amazing that you add a trusted someone bringing you a gift - that's unusual in a dream because it shows a second and genuine chance to find something precious, coz it's glass its more than likely something fairly simple, easy to see, not complex.
What a dream .. and at the end you decide that life will be divided into acts or a variety of plays that reality has set in advance, an interesting, intriguing thought ..

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[Cocoacandy]

wow.. really powerful, but a bit straying from the point... the rhyme sceme is not exactly correct or flowing, but otherwise its good... keep up the good work!
*cocoabean*

[MiaIntheSkywithDiamonds]

wicked...i love this!!

[Ashley]

dude another amazing and brilliant and creepy job!

[LA Lorena]

Well, just having the word "MALL" in the title is enough to entice me in, but the vivid images and interesting story are what kept me thru to the end. very imaginative!

[Lily Mae]

That's fun when you dream two dreams like that..it makes you wonder what was going on in your life then and now..and how the story pertains to it.. I love it great write..xx

[Linear]

It's a little Matrix.....I do enjoy your way of rhyme, It felt dream like, a little weird like most dreams are, the broken seams the colour red, and all the people are played by you............brilliant surreal stuff......Well done :O]

[Saraplenty]

I think it's remarkable that you transformed your dream into something as wonderful and insightful as this poem! I especially like the last two lines. Very well done!!

[Neva Flores Smith - Cha..]

Now this! Is awesome!

[Robin]

great poeticising of a dream , the ultimate in personal symbolism