the dream inside the dream

as I stand here shivering
in the falling
snow
waiting for the bus,
I think about my life
and how it's come to this.
being cold and alone,
my shoes soaked.
my body shaking to the bone.
a few dollars in
my pocket, going nowhere.
just catching a bus
to get off the street
and get out of the cold.
but it's only a dream,
and I wake up
and look next to me
at my mail order bride
from Russia, natasha,
curled up tight on the pull
out bed in our trailer
in west virginia,
and I realize
how lucky I am.
outside, hanging on
the window I see a raccoon.
looking in, so I throw
a shoe at him,
and go back to sleep.
it's hard to tell what's
a dream and what
isn't anymore.