THE EBONY BABE
the puppy’s obese
so much so his black head and legs
can barely be seen
yet he easily out-
distances his mother
she follows in his
wobbly wake, filled with aching
concern for his well-
being, while she navigates
the dusty rock strewn path
at last she catches
up to her rotund progeny
but only in time
to see him clamber into
a fresh tunnel in the dark earth
what led him to this
frightening passage, and why
did he go along
she squelches a panic that he might get stuck
there’s no following – her ebony babe’s on his own
[three tanka and a dreamku capped by a two-liner on a dream of 2-5-13. I was most struck by a sense in the dream that the puppy wasn’t just black, but ebony and shiny like a stone. Of course, ebony’s not a stone but wood. However, I googled “ebony stone” anyway out of curiosity. I was not at all surprised to see in notes about a particular novel that “ebony stone” references “the traditional first stage of the Alchemical work, the nigredo/blackening. This stage represents decomposition, and reduction of matter to the 'prima materia' from which it came. This stage is traditionally associated with death and rebirth…” So I googled “nigredo” and was reminded that “[i]n analytical psychology, … [nigredo] became a metaphor ‘for the dark night of the soul, when an individual confronts the shadow within.’…[Nigredo] could be described as a moment of maximum despair that is a prerequisite to personal development.” This dream was after having done a Tarot reading for myself earlier that evening in which for the first time I fully owned an ancient, difficult, rather encompassing aspect of myself. At first I reeled; I’d not expected the answer I’d gotten. Especially as I’d asked similar questions many times over the years and the answers, I can now see, had always “protected” me from this reality. But now apparently it’s time. And that reminds me of the repeated phrase in one section of T. S. Eliot’s poem “The Wasteland” -- HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME. And probably apropos of nothing, there’s a Tarot reading earlier in the poem. Anyway, I think my recent Tarot reading and the dream/ku above are both saying for me to hurry, that it’s time. Photo “The Way Out Is Through” 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....".
* * * *
‘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.
