SPIN CYCLE (photomorph) & AN INCUBATED DREAM (on a dream) by Roswila

AN INCUBATED DREAM*

asking one's dreams for help can be dicey,
if one isn't prepared for flat out honesty

yeah, I could interpret the symbols differently
but would be left with a bad taste in my mouth:

I ask my brother to get me that purple robe of mine
from the dirty laundry so I can cover my nakedness,

enough to make it safely unexposed past the company
downstairs to the large basement laundry room

I wait and wait but he doesn't return, so I sprint
down to the basement without being seen (thankfully)

and there in a washer is a huge mixed load
of his dirty laundry and mine, just sitting there,

no soap, no water; I separate mine from his wondering
how he could have gotten my request so wrong

did he hear what I said at all? I hadn't asked him to do
any of my work (which he clearly didn't do anyway),

just to help me cover up so I could do it myself ...
then a young Hispanic family enters the basement

I'm now so overexposed as to feel almost clothed;
we chat amiably as I put quarters into my machine,

singing an old sweet hymn about Jesus,** just about
the last thing I'd imagine myself doing right now

but it feels right and the young family hums along,
the tumbling of washers a supportive undertone


[on a dream of 4-18-16. *Asking one's dreams a question or for help before falling asleep is called incubating a dream, which I did last night. The question did not have anything to do with my brother. Though I can readily get why he showed in the dream's answer, representing both himself and other men from my life. BTW, it was my actual adult age brother in this dream (he passed away not quite 3 years ago). After I finished drafting this piece I thought "Guess there's just no way to really come clean without being exposed." There's much more to this dream than that, but it's the point with the most punch. **I was singing these (inaccurately recalled) lyrics from "Softly and Tenderly" -- "Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, calling oh sinner come home, come home, come home, Jesus is calling come home." Though I'm not Christian (I'd say I'm generically spiritual) this hymn always reduces me to a puddle. Hm, that's certainly appropriate to doing laundry. Smile. Photomorph "Spin Cycle" (4-29-12 11830ev2) 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.

* * * *

until next time, keep dreaming,

[a/k/a 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 other blog (dedicated to her photos only, i.e. no poetry or other writing; daily post); TRYING TO HOLD A BOX OF LIGHT.