THE END (photo) & ON BEING ORPHANED (dreamku series) by Roswila

ON BEING ORPHANED

first, her mother dies
in a suspicious manner
an unacknowledged
sense of danger adding
to the lumbering pall

then, her father dies
in a predictable way
if rather sudden --
she agonizes over how
to tell this all to her brother

a dark haired woman
who'd befriended her father
offers to help her,
waiting quietly by as
her brother enters the room

his trembling hands
and fragile eyes nearly break
what's left of her heart
but he quickly buddies up
with an older male friend

before she knows it
he and his friend take over
making decisions --
she's glad for her father's woman
friend who stands like a lighthouse,

helping her see through
the gloom that she doesn't need
to be included:
she watches the guys plan like young
mobsters coming into their power

if she could feel any happiness at all
she would, for with one sigh she lets it all go


[tanka series topped by a two-liner on a dream of 6-7-13. In some ways this dream/ku's images are metaphorical. And in some ways autobiographical, mashing together many, many years of my life. (E.g., my brother has never resembled a mobster in aspect or deed. But the experience expressed in the first tanka is straight from when my mother died when I was 10, among other feelings and thoughts not in the dream.) It is a positive dream. Way too much to go into here, but there's something I've recently realized: Until one fully separates, one cannot truly connect. Photo "The End" 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....".

* * * *

‘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.

MINE FIELD (photo) & HOUSE CLEANING (dreamku series) by Roswila

HOUSE CLEANING

a fuss draws my eye:
a long time friend wrestles
among the branches of
the big tree that grows in her room
I figure she's house cleaning

in a way she is:
a huge red and white serpent
keeps attacking her
I've never seen her engage
in such concerted battle

before I'm able
to enter and help, she escapes
to the wide hallway
the yards-long serpent
slithering after her

under the skylight
the serpent's true colors show:
a yellowish gray
as sickly looking as its
presence makes me feel

I motion for my
friend to duck so I can beam
a mental symbol
at it's head: a pentacle
of light will stop it dead

but the serpent hides
behind my friend each time
I send the symbol:
it seems forever that we three
play this duck and cover

then, bingo! a hit!
it's almost audible when
a pentacle lands
the serpent deflates, lifeless
on the sunny hallway floor

I'd known all along this is a battle of minds
but even so one still must find a clear shot


[tanka series capped by a two-liner on a dream of 6-6-13. FYI, the pentacle (five pointed star in a circle) is an earth symbol (as in the suit of pentacles in The Tarot deck) and considered by some to be powerfully protective. Photo "Mine Field" 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....".

* * * *

‘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.

CIRCLE DANCE (photo) & FROM EAST TO WEST (four dream tanka) by Roswila

FROM EAST TO WEST

her dark curls atwirl
she tells me she wants to
form a dance group here
"Like Barefoot Boogie," she says,
"do you remember it?"

quickly adding
"I've no dance training
only a deep love
with an eye honed on the neon
shapes twisting through life back east"

my joy leaps higher
than a young Baryshinikov
"Not to worry," I say,
"your enthusiasm and keen
awareness are all you need"

yes, she's finally
ready to bring it all here
to the western hills
her reclaimed verve as abundant
as the light glistening in her hair


[four tanka on a dream of 6-6-13. *"Barefoot Boogie" = a freestyle barefoot dance group that has been meeting regularly in New York City since 1982; I went to it every week for several years in my late 30's. This dreamk/ku was the last dream of that night. The first dream was posted yesterday ("Home on the Range"). They are very much like flipsides to the same coin. Both are necessary, as necessary as they are different. Yesterday's addresses boundaries and limits (keeping out). Today's, reclaiming, reincorporating (taking in). They each suggest how to accomplish their task: yesterday intuition ("spidey sense") and today keen awareness. As almost always, there's a whole lot more to this dream/ku and to yesterday's. But what I say here boils them down to what I find essential to and supportive of my current life challenges and efforts. Photo "Circle 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 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....".

* * * *

‘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.

THE NEIGHBOR (photo) & HOME ON THE RANGE (dreamku series) by Roswila

HOME ON THE RANGE

that old enemy,
of all people, knows every
word to the song
she doesn't hesitate a bit
but sings it loud and strong

I'd not care at all
but I used to know this golden
oldie's words quite well
and to top it off she's
seeking to raze our fences

and that I'd really
rather forget about completely
yeah, maybe it's not
for show, maybe she's sincere
but it really doesn't matter

not when my spidey sense* says "Watch out, nothing's changed"
some fences, like some feelings, serve good purposes


[three tanka capped by a two-liner on a dream of 6-4-13. "spidey sense" = a sixth sense, like Spiderman has. The above dream/ku is from the first dream I recalled from last night. I drafted it in the wee hours, then went back to sleep. I'll be posting the dreamku resulting from the last dream I had last night tomorrow. I'm already seeing an interesting contrast between the similar situations of the two dreams, that I'll comment on after tomorrow's 'ku. A sort of energetic and helpful line of connection. Also, this dream and the other are not so much about particular people or even places, as about what to forget about (give up, let go) and what to keep (in some cases reclaim). By the way, I did not hear that old song "Home on the Range" in the dream above. But it popped up in my mind as I wrote the line "seeking to raze our fences" so I let it settle in as the title. Photo "The Neighbor" 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....".

* * * *

‘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.

LAYERING (photo) & [untitled] (non-dream tanka) by Roswila

the familiar smell
of the empty theatre tugs
at old memories
but oh through the window
the mountains the mountains


[non-dream tanka written in early June 2013. We have a small theatre on our grounds. One long side wall is all large windows, covered by thick drapes during shows and movies. At other times, the center window's drapes are usually open revealing a lovely view across to the mountains. We saw a wild fire burning there years back, some say they've seen snow falling, and the varieties of fog, rain and sun, and shadows from clouds rolling across are endlessly delighting. Photo "Layering" 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....".

* * * *

‘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.

HORSE HEAD #7 (photoshopped sketch) & THE OLD GREY MARE: A Play for Two Voices (dreamku series) by Roswila

THE OLD GREY MARE:
A Play for Two Voices


your butt's being sued
for every red cent you have,
as I'm sure you know
just let the dang show go on
and stop all this lollygagging

great-grandma's put the
kibosh on any start time
other than two o'clock
and she's adding a second
thinker to the performance

another thinker's
no problem -- I'll split camera
time between the two
it's worked quite well in the past
with less experienced minds

great-grandma doesn't give a hoot, she's stuck
in her ways, an old gray mare in a bog

and I will repeat:
the show must go on, even
if it's of two minds


[three tanka, with a two-liner, capped by a dreamku on a dream of 6-1-13. There actually were two distinct voices in this dream, the "I" and the other one. The dream was a lot more detailed and took a long time to get to its point. I've boiled it down here to a quick exchange, whereas the dream was more like a convoluted and polite argument. The reference above to "the old gray mare" was my conscious association to the dream's feeling tone about "great-grandma." Here are the most commonly sung lyrics of that folk/children's song:

Oh, the old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be,
Ain't what she used to be, ain't what she used to be.
The old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be,
Many long years ago.
Many long years ago, many long years ago.
The old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be,
Many long years ago.

Not to end on that note (if you'll pardon the unintended pun), this is actually a positive dream. It's reflecting my increasingly conscious sense that I cannot let my emotions (one mind) totally determine what I want and need to do (the other mind). Because what counts most right now is what I do, not so much what I feel. Photo "Horse Head #7" by Roswila: an old sketch of mine, color inverted, with a Photoshop filter applied twice)

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....".

* * * *

‘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.