Sheila Arnold was born and raised in rural West Tennessee into a hard working tenant farming family. A retired educator, she earned degrees from Union University in Jackson, TN and from the University of Memphis. She now lives in Jackson, TN with her husband, Bobby and their dog, Louie. She is the mother of two and grandmother to six. She is an avid supporter of local artists and an advocate for improving the livability of her community and the literacy and educational opportunities for locals

In My Dream

In my dream, I am driving,
probably too fast and
definitely on a road I’ve never traveled.
The road is curving and the shoulder is narrow.
There is a body of water adjacent to the road.
 
In my dream, I am weaving,
probably daydreaming and
definitely not focused on the road..
My thoughts are wandering and the music is loud.
There is a blue sky above me.
 
In my dream, I am swerving widely,
probably hitting a patch of gravel and
definitely losing control.
 My reactions are in slow motion and deliberate.
There is a strange calm around me.
 
In my dream, I am falling,
 probably heading to my death and
definitely thinking clearly.
I know the impact will be severe and break my bones.
I am probably going to drown.
 
In my dream I am driving
In my dream I am weaving
In my dream I am swerving widely
In my dream I am falling.
Probably too fast and
Probably daydreaming and
Probably hitting a patch of gravel and
Probably heading to my death.
Definitely on a road I’ve never traveled
Definitely not focused on the road
Definitely losing control
Definitely thinking clearly
The road is curving and the shoulder narrow
My thoughts are wandering and the music is loud
My reactions are in slow motion and deliberate
I know the impact will be severe and break my bones
There is a body of water adjacent to the road
There is a blue sky above me
There is a strange calm around me
I am probably going to die.