SWITCHBACK DREAM (photo art) & QUITE SOMETHING (narrative dream poem) by Roswila

QUITE SOMETHING

so (I say to her) it was quite something
to have the fabulous rock concert upstaged,
if you will, by former President Clinton's
entrance, at least for me

you see I've met Clinton many times before
and he recognized me that night, even
through all the leaping frenzy of the fans,
(like yourself) so he and I chatted downstairs
in that carpeted dark wood lobby
(you remember, with all the potted palms
lining the walls, brushing at prints
of famous paintings?)

well, he said he was only half-joking
but he might not be able to find his way
home after the music's over, even though
it's only a comfortable walk through the
always intriguing Greenwich Village streets

that his sense of direction's never been all
that good, even his own father had told him
years back to live somewhere along
logically named and arranged streets

now (I ask you) how could I question
this former head of state, but of all places
to live then why'd he choose Greenwich Village
(I never could find my way around it,
no sense nor logic to it's wandering artistry)

but I suppose even ex-presidents make choices
at times that ignore sense as it rolls on the floor
behind them, holding its sides and laughing


[narrative poem on a dream of 10-25-13. I'm still having trouble with calling a lot of my recent writing poetry. Mostly what may qualify them as such is how they are laid out on the page, especially this one. So that's why I'm terming this one a narrative poem. I might give up on calling ones like this poetry at all except that they aren't prose, either, not really, IMHO. As to the dream itself: yes, another New York City dream. Greenwich Village is in downtown Manhattan, an historically rather artsy area that is truly a maze of little streets. I got lost there often enough, even when given walking instructions by someone. And I have met former President Clinton before in dreams and we have usually known each other previously. Photo art "Switchback Dream" (9-15-13) by Roswila]

BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO DREAMKU (& PHOTOS): The dream-based poems posted on this blog -- dreamku, tanka, two-liners, monoku, free verse, etc. -- 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 dream poem is not intended as an interpretation of a dream, or even a complete and accurate rendering of one. It 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 (the specific forms of dreamku, tanka, two-liners and monoku) you may do here, that in the beginning I stressed "showing, not telling." However, this 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). This pretty much applies to free verse dream poems as well.

For more in-depth exploration of the dreamku forms specifically (and one post in which I also address my photo choices):

-- 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 connections & other blogs: Charter Member of the United Haiku and Tanka Society (UHTS); ROSWILA’S TAROT GALLERY & JOURNAL; ROSWILA’S TAIGA TAROT; and TRYING TO HOLD A BOX OF LIGHT.