The Land of Make Believe

by Michelle Fossum

Last night I dreamt That Tom Hanks was my houseguest. His neighborly limbs were
Too long to fit comfortably within our walls,
Having grown smaller somehow. Is it because of the quarantine,
I thought, or was the house always this size?
He asked a lot of questions for a guy not wearing a mask.

Last night I dreamt
That Tom Hanks was my houseguest. He wasn’t particularly kind. In fact
He got drunk and spent most of the next afternoon prostrate
On a too-small couch in the too-small house,
The spider-like length of leg akimbo off the edge.

Last night I dreamt
That Tom Hanks was my houseguest. I wanted to show him
My neighborhood, but I got
Lost.

Last night I dreamt
That Tom Hanks was my houseguest. Turnstiles did not turn, and,
Shortcuts I knew well turned out to be dead ends. Sunrises and sunsets reversed.
Last night I dreamt
That Tom Hanks was my houseguest, and still
I’m waiting for my father to call.

Michelle Fossum works in a local high school and binge reads way more true-crime books than is healthy. She does not have a particular affinity for Tom Hanks.

City of Asylum believes that All Pittsburghers are Poets. With the Poem of the Week series, we seek to increase the readership and appreciation of poetry locally by publishing poems written by residents of Allegheny County of all ages and levels of experience. In partnership with the Poetry Editors at Sampsonia Way Magazine, City of Asylum advances our mission to defend, celebrate, and build on creative freedom of expression. This project received a RADical ImPAct Grant from RAD (Allegheny Regional Asset District).