LAST THRESHOLD (photo) & THE DENIM DOOR (dreamku series) by Roswila

THE DENIM DOOR

hungry and undressed
I’m running late for my job
but I cannot find
the clothes I keep stored away
in our old neighborhood deli

smiling too sweetly
the owner’s new wife shows me
how she’s packed them all
away, awaiting my arrival
and summary removal

the box of clothing
smells faintly of mildew
from a water leak,
and all the food for sale
appears to be inedible

hungry and improperly clothed
I give up and decide to call in sick

the wife points me to
the rear exit from the deli:
a denim sheet hung
precariously across
the storeroom doorway

as I hold it aside
to leave this disappointing place,
it comes loose from its
supports and flaps down
to the dusty wooden floor

I cannot figure
how to reattach it and ask
others who come and go
if they know, but nobody
seems to have any idea

several young men
then appear and offer to help
we all stand on top
of a tall wobbly stack
of storeroom boxes and junk

they deliberately
increase the wobble, enjoying
the rocking ride
I demand that they stop
or we’ll tumble quite painfully

they comply and we
gradually come to a stand still
I sigh with relief

but the denim door’s
still unhung, and I’m still hung up
between here and home


[a dreamku series written in June on a dream of 6-23-12. After I’d drafted this one I thought, well, dummy, stop fussing with that dang denim door! It’s not your responsibility and you’re not only getting all tangled up in the drama around it, but creating that drama to begin with. You could just walk through that uncovered doorway and go home. Photo “Last Threshold” 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 OPENING TO THE LIGHT.

AT THE EDGE (photo) & A TWIST ENDING (dreamku series) by Roswila

A TWIST ENDING

the strange man and I
fall off a highway embankment
he’d been stalking me
now we cling face to face
as we plummet through the air

no ardor, no fear
in this frantic grasping just
calculation – we each
fight to flip the other so he’ll
be the first to hit the ground

this twisted aerial tango, as we each
wrestle to create a cushion of the other


[two tanka capped by a two-liner on a dream of 7-26-12. Photo “At the Edge” 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 OPENING TO THE LIGHT.

ON THIN ICE (photo) & DEAD TO ME (dreamku series) by Roswila

DEAD TO ME

where’s my navy tunic?
where’s my long black prairie skirt?
I rummage through my clothes,
both racks and even the laundry,
but find nothing suitable

times have changed -- I hear
that one need not wear black
to a funeral
but I’m certain my bright floral
prints will simply not do

my ride arrives garbed
totally in black, of course,
and urging I hurry --
at last! I find and grab my
tunic and wayward black skirt

but who will I be letting go?
who is it now who’s dead to me?


[three tanka capped by a two-liner 7-25-12. Photo “On Thin Ice” 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 OPENING TO THE LIGHT.

REST FOR THE WEARY (photo) & THE RED SHOES (dreamku series) by Roswila

THE RED SHOES

what gorgeous shoes!
and as usual in my dreams,
they’re fire engine red
with impossibly high heels
curving oh so artfully

I grab a passing friend
and point to them ... as they lie on
their sides on the ground
light shines on the titanium
alloy of the spiked heels

who could ever dance in these beauties of design
grounded they are and grounded they’ll stay


[two tanka capped by a two-lined on a dream of 7-23-12. I do actually have an infrequent recurrent dream image of red shoes with very high spiked heels. Both the fairy tale "The Red Shoes" and the 1948 movie of the same name, have intense resonance for me, but it’s the movie that most gets me. Here’s a synopsis of the movie. In choosing the photo to go with this post, I realized that I've been wearing my own unique red shoes and they've been wearing me out, most of my adult life. Photo “Rest for the Weary” 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 OPENING TO THE LIGHT.

SAND SCULPTURE (computer edited sketch) & TINY HORSES OF THE SEA (dreamku series) by Roswila

TINY HORSES OF THE SEA

only three of the four
photos of people come out
there’s no gauging how
good any are -- or not -- as none
hold still, their expressions fluid

my camera packed away
I head for home the same old way
I take chances on
deserted cross town back streets
to avoid folk leaving bars

a building I’ve never
seen stands before me, familiar
yet entirely new
its brick courtyard promises
cozy upstairs apartments

but to my delight
I can smell the beach in the air
I turn from the dark
apartment courtyard and follow
the sea’s salty aroma

there in the last light
of the day stands a herd of
tiny horses on
the sand, a young man gestures,
moving them around artfully

shades of golden brown
burnt sienna, and deep brunette
with well curried hides
and long curving tails, they glisten
as they respond to his gentle prompts

Yes! my camera’s
in my purse, I dig it out
and start snapping
it starts whirring in video
mode but I know that’s broken

I push, prod, and poke
on button after button but
to no avail
even opening the case
is a frustrating venture

maybe it’s just as well, how could any pictures,
still or not, capture this fluid beauty


[tanka series capped by a two-liner on a dream of 7-23-12. Image "Sand Sculpture" by Roswila; an old sketch I've posted here before in other computer manipulated versions]

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 OPENING TO THE LIGHT.

VIEW FROM THE DARKSIDE (photo) & FACING UP (tanka pair & two liner) by Roswila

FACING UP

first, zebra faces
pass by like photos in an
ancient slide show
one after the other, each with
rapidly changing expressions

then come monkeys
their parade vertical and
ever more varied,
each of their expressions
changing in the wink of an eye

why all these lightning quick views
of the faces behind the faces


[two tanka capped by a two-liner on a dream of 7-22-12. Photo “View From The Darkside” 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 OPENING TO THE LIGHT.

MITOCHONDRIAL DANCE (photo) & A DUST MOTE (tanka & dreamku) by Roswila

A DUST MOTE

the obnoxious young
ladie’s man writes haiku
he puts his latest
into a hanging folder
suspended in a metal frame

the slim folder sways
above the living room rug
like a baby in
a play swing – he turns again
to writing, his brow furrowed

first words for a new
haiku trail behind his pen:
“like a dust mote”


[two tanka and a dreamku on a dream of 7-21-12. Photo “Mitochondrial Dance” 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 OPENING TO THE LIGHT.