Under a Shady Tree

i close my eyes
& lightning flashes
i await for thunder
& i am not dreaming

i am only

wishing to sleep
& there is
no thunder

lips speak
less than an inch
from my ears

the voice
is not one
i recognize

& i can feel
the breath
on my skin

&

it’s a sunny august day
under a shady tree
in cal anderson park.

i wake up & i see
a great mighty being
leaning over me

hiding quickly
once i notice

& i jolt up
& i say

i think someone just tried to steal from us

& we both wake up
& check our bags

but nothing was taken
not actually sleeping
just tired.

Mercury-Marvin Sunderland (he/him) is a transgender autistic gay man with Borderline Personality Disorder. He's from Seattle and currently attends the Evergreen State College. He's been published by University of Amsterdam's Writer's Block, UC Davis' Open Ceilings, UC Riverside's Santa Ana River Review, UC Santa Barbara's Spectrum, and The New School's The Inquisitive Eater. His lifelong dream is to become the most banned author in human history. He's @RomanGodMercury on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.