The Dream-Seller

The dream-seller treads with narrow feet
On a road bordered by eager spirits,
Who have caught a whiff of what she has to offer;
They become restless as she enters their street.

Tinkle of her anklet harangues her arrival;
A basket sways on her aged head-
The dream-seller appears as a fragile mess
Yet the ancient countenance seems to mask her guile.

Stopping by each person along the way
She offers to sell them a dream for free-
Jigsaw pieces of an endless puzzle;
Handed confidently on a hollow tray.

A smile creases across her face
As she watches them try to arrange their jumbled pieces,
With the knowledge that she’d return to offer more
When they learn they may have some disappointments to embrace.

~ Mustafa