I dream of my parents together still

I dream of my parents together still
they move me to college in a van we never owned
with a sibling I never had
we forget my kite and go home to fly it together
we are on a beach with no water
the kite is two handed and I grasp the strings tight
my dad holds it for me
my mother takes a picture as she is the artist
we are smiling
the wind rips the kite away from my fathers grip
the tails slap him in the face
we laugh
the kite flutters and dances
dives to the left, I correct
dives to the right, I correct
suddenly the wind stops but the kite still flies
hovering with the same intensity
it pulls hard against my hands
it wants to go but I wont let it
the tension is gone and I look up
turning in the wind it drops from the sky like the bird I hit with my slingshot
when I was nine
I pray for the wind again
so that I can let it all go
still, it falls

I awake and remember the little metal soldiers
all painted green that I never had