A small man is surrounded
by only great, expansive
land — forever wheat,
the horns of steers
so bright gnats orbit them.
Disregard what you know
of Tulsa, the single story
shopping mall and the zit
faced kid named Albert
who worked the grill
at the Steer and Shake,
who put bacon on your burger,
no charge.
This is my dream,
not your memory
of a summer in '96.
I once heard you say
that dreams are like ticks.
I went to Oklahoma
just now, for a few minutes
between orders — let me tell you,
the wind was so high
I had to lean
straight into it,
the sky so blue
my hair stood on end.
There were no hills,
I was the tallest thing around.