STUDY FOR BLACK & WHITE (photo) & MIDNIGHT SAMBA (dreamku series) by Roswila

MIDNIGHT SAMBA

silent nighttime scene:
a dull grayish expanse
of linoleum
completely covers the empty
floor of a large kitchen

shadows, fat with all
the color they've swallowed,
hang around edges

then, quite suddenly,
scampering out of opposite
shadow heavy sides:
a shiny new steam iron
and a small fuzzy mouse

they pause briefly
in the middle to touch noses
as if checking
each other out, or maybe
just beginning their dance

they continue down
the floor in the fashion of
a silent samba,
turning in to touch noses
then parting again to flounce on

and not even the music implicit in their
curlicue dance can bring color to the night


[several tanka with one dreamku, capped by a two-liner on a dream of 7-13-13. Lots in this about shadow work, ey? But what gives me a giggle is that animate steam iron. It's also the second recent occurrence of a steam iron in a dream. That previous dream/ku seemed to be about over concern with appearances. As a shadow aspect that might indicate denial of the extreme of that concern. Oy, this is getting complicated. Looks like (:-D) there are lots of reflections (in both senses of that word) to examine in the shiny sides of that steam iron. Photo "Study for Black & White" 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 relate to 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.

Also please note that a dreamku is not intended as an interpretation of a dream, or even a complete and accurate rendering of one. A dreamku is my attempt to get down dream imagery/action that grabs me and, as I write about it, elicits my conscious written association and response. Nor do I believe that one has to remember dreams in order for them to do their work. In my understanding, we are much more than our conscious selves.

You may also note in any further reading on dreamku you may do, that in the beginning I stressed "showing, not telling." However, that has been changing for some time now. I now tend to "show" (the dream narrative) and cap if off with a "tell" (some reaction and/or insight I've had to the dream as I was writing about it).

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.