SURFACING (photo) & THERE'S MICE & THEN THERE'S MICE (dreamku series) by Roswila

THERE’S MICE AND THEN THERE’S MICE

she sits ruminating
at the poorly lit desk space
in her living room
the computer screen glowing
in the deepening dusk

even as the thinks
for the nth time that she must
get better lighting,
something gets dragged quickly
over the tops of her feet

a mouse is stealing
her mouse! its cord still attached
like an umbilicus –
she yanks on the wriggling cord
chasing off the would be thief

now, where was she at,
what cyberspace wonderland
was she traversing

and how can she return to start where all
her trusty shortcuts must still be waiting


[three tanka and a dreamku capped by a two-liner. Dream animals in general can often represent a less or even unconscious aspect of ourselves. The twilight and poor lighting of the dream setting support this. The low light also suggests that I’m “not seeing clearly.” I think the living mouse here is actually a rather positive symbol. Although mouse symbolism specifically is extensive, I have the feeling that here it was mostly just trying to get my attention. And it would be unwelcome indeed if it were somehow suggesting that I not be doing computer work. Well, at least so much of it each day. I can also imagine any aspect feeling rather timorous about even vaguely suggesting this possibility, given how furiously attached I can be to my daily block of hours at the computer. There’s more in this dream (like those shortcuts at the end) but this is enough for now. Photo “Surfacing” 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:

-- very brief comparison of dreamku and haiku: DREAMKU ARE NOT HAIKU

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

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‘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.