Saturday afternoon's dream

In a flurry of activity and a cacophony of chatter

all of the family congregated in the kitchen for a reunion,

the aunts and uncles and cousins

and even the distant relatives that you only see every few years.

Everyone was there except me.

I sat in my room across town looking for my shoe.

My mother finally came to help me and admonished me

for losing my clothes and keeping

the clan waiting for so long.

Finally her frustration at me reached a breaking point

and she began to place boards over my windows and

doors, nailing them to the walls.

When she finished we sat and looked at each other

and came to the realization that we were captives together.