I dreamt I had a garden
in the backyard of a home
that doesn’t actually exist.
It wasn’t a large garden,
and it wasn’t a large home,
but I was content and I was proud.
The yard was mostly well kept,
but not the garden—
It was overgrown,
and I couldn’t walk the plotted path.
The weeds had taken it over.
I could see that the produce was plenty,
though I couldn’t recall
what was planted.
I could see something
that looked like cabbage.
I wanted badly to tend the garden,
to do something healthy
that I would enjoy,
though I knew that first
the weeds must be cleared.
But the day had grown too dark,
and I needed equipment
that I didn’t yet have,
so I would need to be patient.
And I was not only at peace—
I was free.
Rachel Armes is a program coordinator in the Institute for Digital Health and Innovation at UAMS.