Dreaming in Gold

Eyes closed to pain,
I think of the orange globe in the sky
and imagine the lake,
where dappled light skipped
along the surface—
a path of bright circles
leading to the raft
where we raced to.
Sunning ourselves, like harbor seals,
too lazy to escape gravity—
our bodies became sun dials.
Time passed slowly—
dripping moments
that washed us clean,
leaving no trace of learning
how to ride a bike,
or how to navigate a conversation
with the cute boy from English class.
If I never open my eyes,
these moments will stay golden.