DEEPLY BRUISED (photomorph) & ON SILENCING (dream narrative) by Roswila

ON SILENCING

"It's important," she says "extremely so, to let children
express their feelings and thoughts when someone close
to them dies...," but he instantly disagrees

and his reply's stern: "No, they must be protected
from that sort of hurt," claiming there's no way
to explain to a child what death is about

she answers slowly that that's not the issue
she's raising: children need to be encouraged to speak
and then be deeply listened to, rather than be told
what to think and feel by adults

besides, she adds, how much do we "grown ups"
really know about death, except for the loss

and there are many things that happen to the living
that seem like death, or rather what little we know of it

however, she goes on, what's most crucial
is that silencing a child, even gently by directing
her attention elsewhere, leaves her alone to wind up
carrying the remains of an essential part
of her true self with her for the rest of her life,
to walk always with death


[narrative on a dream of 12-24-16. I did briefly consider re-posting a more Christmas-like piece today. But this is the deeply autobiographical dream I recall from last night and just wrote about. To post anything else right now would feel like a silencing. (A further note: this issue of silencing also applies in my life to abuses I suffered, and have left the same sort of "remains.") BTW, I believe that adults, as well, need to be encouraged to express whatever they feel the need to around issues of loss and death. Photomorph "Deeply Bruised" (10-26-12 12214ev7a) 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), 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,

[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.