LETTING LOOSE (photo) & THIS MUCH IS CLEAR (dream tanka series) by Roswila

THIS MUCH IS CLEAR

at first it's only clear
she’s ashamed to be enraged,
this middle-aged nun

then I note seepage
through her habit from sores,
and her ire makes sense --
she’d never even grieved the rape
much less this disease it gave her

her will to forgive
and understand now shoved aside
by cleansing rage,
hoisting me on the horns
of a delicate dilemma:

offer no comfort
and leave her shame to fester,
or cradle her close
and risk turning off these tears
before they can do their work

I opt to hold her,
gently, as I whisper, yes,
yes, he had no right,
no right at all and you have
every right to this anger

an Irish lull-a-bye
sings in my memory
but for now I leave
it there -- I’ll know when the way
is clear for its heartful soothing


[six tanka on a dream of 11-2-12. Photo “Letting Loose” by Roswila]

BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO DREAMKU (& PHOTOS): The dream-based poems posted on this blog -- dreamku, tanka, two-liners, and monoku -- are offered in the spirit of collaboration. I have done my part. Now it’s your turn to jump in and see what comes up for you. I.e., there is no right or wrong way to understand or interpret any of these dream offerings. Even my own understandings of them change over time. And it gives me joy when a reader sees something in any of them that I have not.

For more in-depth exploration:

-- a brief post about both dreamku and my photos THE AREN'TS OF DREAMKU & ACCOMPANYING DIGITAL PHOTOS.

-- detailed three-part post about dreamku: "A DREAMKU PRIMER: Writing Haiku-Like Poems About Your Night Dreams": PART ONE: Introduction & Writing Dreamku as Dream Work; PART TWO: Elements of the Haiku Form Used in Dreamku; and PART THREE: How to Write Dreamku (the second and third parts have some overlap).

-- a brief up-dating post about the three-part "A DREAMKU PRIMER" -- Important Up-date to A DREAMKU PRIMER....".

* * * *

‘til next time, keep dreaming,






If you wish to copy or use any of my writing or poems, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”). Roswila's other blogs: ROSWILA’S TAROT GALLERY & JOURNAL; ROSWILA’S TAIGA TAROT; and TRYING TO HOLD A BOX OF LIGHT.