Placeholder Dreams

She had dreams when she was 19 Cotton candy flavored sweet dreams Like blowing bubbles from soap water

Dreams she shared with so many like her A job, a partner, a car, a home Friends, money, a life to call her own

She had dreams too, when she was 29 Many of the old ones were realized, The other ones she’d consolidated, let go

They were like the old signposts Floating away in her rear-view mirror Faded, browned, forgotten by all but her

And on top of the rotting graveyard Of those old not-forgotten signposts She built new dreams, castles in the air

Placeholder dreams, she built them hurriedly, desperately, in a panic Coz, what is a life with no dreams?

She hid away the decaying browned signposts, The signs of her inadequacy, and put new shiny Placeholder dreams, to camouflage the old ones

She had placeholder dreams, by the time she turned 39 Now there was no one around to remember the old signposts, yet now she had new ones to bury

New placeholder dreams to replace the old ones New myths to fool herself, new reasons to live Coz what is a life with no dreams?