Dream fragments

Last night I had a dream I was pulling a giant sliver from the bottom of my foot. I don’t remember any pain, but Pat was there watching me squeeze this sharp, brown pin with my thumbs. I was able to extract the entire thing without it breaking in two. Quick and easy. Only I don’t think what it’s referring to is quick and easy at all because then I had a dream about my friend’s family (the friend I haven’t talked to since February) – every single member: her 5 year old son, her 8 year old daughter, her 19 year old daughter, her husband, her, me, pat was there. And then you wake up with everything churned to the surface, the way the sea pukes after a storm, spending a Monday morning cataloging what was lost or broken or mistaken. All those pieces I’m carrying around, after the dreams are the worst, they jingle together in my deep pockets, the sound like a collection bell – constant, slow, begging.