When I Dream of Paris by Michael Anthony Ingram

When I dream of Paris, the sky is filled with expatriate desires. Desires that meld and flow like Dali landscapes across the horizon. I walk briskly along the Champs Elysees,
stopping only to drink coffee at a small café near the river's edge. I must drink quickly,
because expatriate desires don't linger long
when you live in small-town North Carolina.
A place where Dali is better known as the name
of the melancholy schoolgirl
who lived fast and died young.

Ah, but when I dream of Paris,
my nostrils fill with transporting fragrances.
Smells that lures and enchant like the City of Light itself. I inhale the beauty of La Sacre Coeur, Montmartre et Montparnasse, and delicately sniff the flowers in Les Jardin du Luxembourg. I must exhale slowly,
because transporting fragrances don't linger long
when bundled up in the sacks of dirty clothes
your mama washes for neighboring white families,
and it's your turn to sort through them.

Ah, but when I dream of Paris,
the night is filled with the music of Josephine Baker. I eavesdrop as 

her siren song carves the twilight
with whispers of J'ai Deux amours.
Deux passions: Mon pays natal et la Ville Lumière. Yet, I must listen intently,
because the voice I hear is not la femme Josephine. No, it is the gentle 

wail of Miss Mary Alice Grayson,
an old woman my family visits each Sunday at the Greater Peace Nursing Home. In her room, in her private world,
she sways and shimmies all-day to the rhythm of the music
she alone hears as she smiles and curtsies to the men she knew when she knew no 

loss or pain.

Breathless from antiquated memories,
she clutches her tattered purse
and fingers the red silk rose that is still pinned on her dress.

Ah, when I dream of Paris.
I stop the dream and awake to a more realistic life.

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Dr. Michael Anthony Ingram, host and producer of the globally acclaimed poetry podcast Quintessential Poetry: Online Radio, YouTube, and Zoom. He is a retired university professor who champions the arts, especially poetry, to highlight issues at the intersection of power, privilege, and oppression. A nominee for the Pushcart Prize, he is also celebrated internationally as a spoken word artist. His eagerly anticipated second book of poetry, Metaphorically Screaming, will soon be released. For further details about the podcast, please visit www.qporytz.com.