I dreamed in yellow,
summer blooming behind my teeth
like a thatch of dandelions sprawled
in a pastured field.

I dreamed of sweetness,
a sugary sip, dip of tongue
like a hummingbird, fluttering
from bee balm to cat mint.

Instead, I grew dense, sour words,
too-green lemons still sucking
in their dimpled cheeks. Neither bird,
nor you, came for a taste.

—
Tonya Sauer is a geriatric nurse. This year, she has been selected to attend the Kenyon Review Writer’s Workshop. She lives and works in Elgin, Illinois with her husband and their four awesome cats.