"A Dream Turned to Reality" by Sharon Liao

Poetry - Grapevine, Winter 24/25 Issue

She awakens to this strange field of wildflowers and the sky is looking 

down… at her

Hello, Amelia, it says to her

Um, where am I? she asks 

You are in the field of memories

where we will look back at your past regrets

mistakes 

memories 

Are you… a god? How is the sky talking to me?

Suddenly, a man walks over

Today, we will be looking at your life the man says as he points to the blue sky, starting to fill up

with clouds drawing the pictures of Amelia’s past 

What’s going on? Why am I in a field of wildflowers? I don’t even

like flowers! And who are you? What do you mean, “looking at my life?”

The man ignores all of her questions

Let’s start with this memory, January 13th, 2006

The sky fills with an image of Amelia, a young girl making snow angels with her friends

on a blanket of white, icy snow

Why are you showing me this? That was over fifteen years ago! And those friends… 

June 

Maple 

Violet 

They’re all moved away and we’ve lost connection 

Amelia thinks as her face fills with confusion

But she can’t make herself look away from the sky now drawing

With a new picture of her life

The man reappears in front of her

Now let’s go to… May 24, 2013

The sky and clouds reshape itself to a picture 

The man waved his arms closing the memory 

You betrayed your closest friends

didn’t even acknowledge their existence

when you’ve gotten older 

Violet, oh I remember that fight… It was so silly, thinking back on it.. And 

June 

Maple

I lost all of them

I betrayed them 

Why are you showing me these bad memories? the woman asks, nervously picking at a stray wildflower 

Wait, we’re not done the sky warns Amelia

a cloud shooting up as if pointing a finger at her

Let’s go to… December 25th, 2004. The man motioned to the sky, which filled up again

This time, a family crowded around a dazzling Christmas tree

Wait, I remember this Amelia thought

A toddler Amelia rips a golden wrapped present pulling out a toy set

“A painting kit!” young Amelia squealed

“Thank you, Daddy!”

I wanted to be an artist when I was young

The man waved his hands, covering the holiday scene

Now we’re on our way to August 31, 2019

“What happened to you, Amelia? What has become of you?” 

her dad questions in shame and sadness

Stop, I don’t want to see this 

Amelia cries, covering her eyes

As you grew older, you got into fights, drank alcohol 

You became less and less like your childhood self

who wanted to become a famous artist  the sky claims

You showed up on your dad’s front porch one day

Beaten up and with a black eye

the man says as a cloud wipes the blue slate clean

Why are you showing me all of these things? All these memories making me 

out to be the bad guy?

Amelia uncovers her eyes and stares at the man

Amelia, we want you to become a better person

You’ve hurt and betrayed those you love, and you’ve grown far apart from your childhood dream, now spending your days drunk and lost. 

Do you remember these? the man asks 

…I do…

The sky now becomes a new image of her family sitting around a dinner table 

heads bowed

Now, to present day 

the man walks along the horizon pointing at the clouds 

Your family prays at the dinner table for your health and safety

To hope you can find yourself

stop fighting and drinking

and become the Amelia they once saw

What have I become of myself?

Amelia thought to herself

The sky clears its throat

Amelia, we have taken you back in time

To show that there is still time to make amends, right those wrongs

You can still have a fresh start

Become a new version of yourself

A new Amelia

Amelia blinks and suddenly she awakens 

To her messy bedroom with laundry thrown on the ground

and beer bottles scattered amongst her bed

That was a dream… she thinks to herself

But those memories were all real

The man and the…sky god? were right

I’m not the person I used to be

But I’ve hurt everyone I cared for… I must make things right the woman declares

getting out of bed and picking up the stray bottles

I will call my parents 

To make amends the woman thought

the sky’s voice echoing in her mind

Become a new version of myself

A new Amelia