By Cari
Date: 7 February 2000

Georgia on My Mind

Only in a dream have we touched.
One dream.
The face wasn't yours, it was no one I know.
But I called him by your name,
And when I woke up, I was happy.
You were at the front of a class,
Ready to give a presentation of some sort.
I was there with my parents to watch you.
Before you started, you came to the back of the room,
Took my hand, 
And I floated out of my chair and landed beside you.
Cheek to cheek I whispered in your ear,
“Don’t say anything about the marriage yet.”
My parents thought it was too soon, 
(Just like on the Cosby rerun I watched that afternoon.)
And you just smiled and said, “OK.”
You led me by the hand to the front of the room
Where I sat on a stool and faced the audience with you
As you began your presentation.

I don’t know what the dream means.
I don’t think it was really about marriage.
Maybe you were presenting me to the world.
Maybe we were facing the world together.
Maybe it means it is too soon to ask you how you feel.
Or maybe, I just want to hold your hand.

We never got to do that.
We have never physically touched each other. 
No handshakes, no pats, no hugs.
Someone kissed me last night.
I thought it was perfect.
It was as if we’ve been together for years.
But after it was over, and I was walking home alone,
I realized it wasn’t perfect, 
Because it wasn’t you.

We talk on the phone, and I wish you were here.
Or that I was there.
We’ve only seen each other twice, 
But I can still remember exactly what you look like.
(And how comfortable you looked in that flannel.
I love flannel.)
I remember looking at you all night and wondering what you were thinking.

Does he even notice me?
I’m sick, yet I came here to see him.
Does he realize that?
What are my chances to get to know this guy?
God, look at him.
He must have such strong arms.
If only there was no one around,
I would ask him to dance with me.
Wrap those strong arms around me and hold me close 
As we sway to the music in our heads.
It might not be the same song,
But it would be about the same thing.
Us.  Always about Us.

And now you’re where you are.
And I’m where I am. 
And we’ve talked more.
And I feel like I’m still getting to know you.
But over the phone it’s so hard.
We can’t pick up on any of those
“Little things” people do, and others notice.
We can’t say to each other yet,
“You always do that...”
There’s so much more for us both to learn.
And I guess, what I’m asking, Friend,
Is should I hope that I stop dreaming about touching your hand?
Or should I keep working to make that dream come true?