AFTER (photo) & BREATH TAKING (free verse dream poem) by Roswila

BREATH TAKING

the painting depicts a stag at the height
of his leap across a deep forest stream
shining white gold and echoing
a lipizanner caught forever
in his breath taking arc

but more than frozen grace in the face
of gravity hooks this viewer's eye

where is this white hart headed?
what awaits his stretch at the end
of this trajectory's invisible bow?

no pot of gold gleams, nor even
a stream bank littered with wet stones
or soft with slippery moss glimmers
at painting's edge

and will he even make it over
the stream glittering with star light
beneath his belly, both his leap
and the stream shallower
than they appear on first glance

and the long curving lines
of his legs so delicate in their
extension, do they aim true
and if not can they bear
the weight of a landing
unsought, unprepared for

all these anxious questions
the answers for which rest outside
the painting's frame

one would do better to keep
breathing and focus on
the moment's beauty


[free verse poem on a dream of 3-8-14. "Lipizanner" = the famous European performing white stallions who are known for a leap into the air with legs artfully curved that seems to freeze there for a split second before landing equally as gracefully. Click here for the best exploration of "White Hart" history and mythology that I've come across. A white hart is also said to represent Herne/Cernunnos in mythology, a horned hunter god. What a lot of background for a dream that comes to an (albeit deceptively) simple point: stay in the moment. Photo "After" (3-1-14 018) by Roswila]

PLEASE NOTE: in most browsers you can click on the above image for a larger version. Also, the photo accompanying a post is not necessarily meant to illustrate it, but to reflect some small, even slant aspect of the verse, similar to Japanese haiga (illustrated haiku).

There are many other sorts of posts on this blog. I indicate which are about or influenced by dreams. Some non dream focused posts are book reviews, "regular" poems (some by other writers, as the above is), scifaiku, writing exercises, Tarot haiku, photos, haiga, and so on. However, most of those are in much older posts. There's a listing by month going back to early 2006, at the end of the sidebar.

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until next time, keep dreaming,

[aka: Patricia Kelly]
**** 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.