Art therapist Ann, armfuls
of bronze bracelets rattling,
asks us each to draw
a tree,
a house,
a person.
For her, I draw quickly:
trees as streetlights
houses as skyscrapers
people as shadows.
Later, alone:
I take my time, drawing what I want.
Two sisters climbing trees,
gardens to tend, bikes to ride,
neighbors, lawns.
A house, yellow, with a white fence.
A mom, pulling fresh cookies from the oven.
A father, tanned and tall, in a tie.
I hide this drawing under my pillow,
dream myself
into a dream
of a different kind of place,
a different kind of family.