Another dream last night that I was hosting the Hornets annual team picnic. This time, it was less of a stress dream and more of a weird-everything-is-something-else kind of a dream. Like, Peja was eating potato salad but it wasn’t Peja it was my grandmother and it wasn’t potato salad it was cubed jello.

Anyway, it all started with JuJu approaching me saying “I’ve got a bone to pick with you, Nelson”. He huffed out this explanation that is too convoluted and fuzzy to recall exactly but what I do remember was the way his face kept morphing into a big cartoonish tucan and then back to normal JuJu face. Somehow I got away and when I looked back at him I saw him dancing in place atop a glittery, glowing dance floor.

Then I found myself at the head of a long picnic table that was seated with a mix of Hornets players and kids from my elementary school. Chris Paul and Jeff Makowitz were sitting together doing some secret handshake, Sean Marks and Kirstie Halls were balancing spoons on their noses. I had to make a speech and everyone was waiting for it.

So, I cleared my throat and launched into it but all the words coming out of my mouth were just the words to the Star Spangled Banner! No one seemed to notice and instead applauded me as I concluded “…and the home of the brave”. Marcus Thornton stood up and announced that he was taking this moment to share with all of us, his beloved new family, his new poem entitled “Hornets in 26 Stanzas” which seemed to last the rest of the dream.

All I remember is the way that David West mouthed every single word along with the poem and how excitedly they all clapped for him at the end.

– Tami Nelson