ON THE BREEZES (photomorph) & HUNGRY (non-dream tanka) by Roswila

HUNGRY

slim, plume-like palm fronds
flickering through the cool
blue sky: the tongues of hungry
serpents testing the emptiness
for any stray attractive scent


[non-dream tanka written 5-13-17. "When a snake's tongue is flicked out into the air, receptors on the tongue pick up minuscule chemical particles, which are perceived as scent..." (from Google search). Photomorph "On the Breezes" (2-27-17 010v3) 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.

* * * *

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.

PASSION'S LEAD (photomorph) & DREAM DOGS (free verse dream poem) by Roswila

DREAM DOGS

... and she decides to give up, going into sleep
resolved to go out of this life as a singleton,
no more of this yearning nonsense with men,
she's let go before and for probably more years
than she even has left, so she can do it again

she sighs as sleep approaches, what a relief
to let it all go, no more being teased, no more
being led on, no more of her own high energy
burning her out and down, a lonely unmatched
flame in the night (the hell, "night," the days
leave her thoroughly crisped, as well) ...

and then the dreams she falls into! dag it!
man after man shows up, nice enough but still
not one strapping on a pair and approaching
her as she so needs to be (yes, she'll admit
it's a need, one that flips her stomach
just to write about)

did these dream dogs realize she'd let go,
refusing to give them anymore of whatever
it is they get from leading her on; did they
sense she's long past tired of their advertising,
like walking X-rated billboards promising
the vaunted sexuality of the male of our
species (but only for other women not she)

and are they moving in to re-establish
their claim, as if it's some sort of male
privilege to keep this woman on a leash
of unmet desire .. well, she's had it
(or more accurately, not had it for far
too long)

despite this circus of dream males jumping
through hoops to tease (but note, not satisfy)
her appetite she's deeply determined to start
one last diet (it's not as if she's never
had to deny hungers before)
and give up on men


[free verse poem on a dream of 5-11-17. Photomorph "Passion's Lead" (4-15-17 009v2a) 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.

* * * *

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.

TRYING TO BEARD THE SKY (photo) & BEARDS (dream narrative) by Roswila

BEARDS

two no-longer-women-friends automatically assume
I'll take notes for this Thanksgiving Day celebration
as I've done during past ones; I don't really mind
as I like using my typing and computer skills, but
they only have a lap top I don't know how to use;
they almost toss it at me and then totally ignore my
questions as I struggle to keep up with recording all
the events (I can't even find a backspace button
to make corrections); I do my best, frustrated at not
being up to my usual fast and accurate typing speed,
to record the Church group's variety show as each
performer comes on stage, especially as there are some
unusual wind instruments being played that I'd give
my eye teeth to try to improvise on; then we find out
that all the children (a small mob, like several classes
of grade school kids) have been put on a bus to go
away; we three women don't see which direction
the bus heads off in and I'm extremely upset: how
will we ever track them now, ever find these kids
again? then we hear about a religious man who is
actually growing a beard which is taboo in his faith,
and I see a slew of other men of his faith with beards
at various stages of growth; what's going on? I'm
reminded that some men use women as beards,
to help them keep secrets from themselves or others;
what are all these men hiding from the world, from me?
Maybe it's better we don't have any way to find all those
children, they may be safer in an unknown place,
given all these bearded men wandering around


[narrative on a dream of 5-10-17. Photo "Trying to Beard the Sky" (3-25-17 009v3) 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.

* * * *

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.

STANDING OVATION (photo) & IN THE HOME STRETCH OF A 16 YEAR DIET (mixed format dream poem) by Roswila

IN THE HOME STRETCH OF A 16 YEAR DIET

wonderful movie!
I applaud between mouths full
of tender pot roast;
as the theatre lights come up
I decide to doggie bag the rest

when I put the food container in my back pack
I become lucid: another dream featuring food

the other about what not to eat (sugar, of course);
tonight's, touting protein and in smaller portions

neither strategy's all that new,
they've been my approach for years

what is new: they've shown up in dreams,
and what's more, sans any metaphor masks

my deep craving these days for support
and clarity's being met, if only in dreams


[a tanka with a two-liner series on a dream of 5-9-17. The title speaks true. It's taken me 16 years to come down from 356 lbs (as I've probably noted here before). Clearly, I did it in stages. This is the last stage. I'm looking forward to being a weight I'm content with within several months, for whatever time I have left on this planet. (If you'd like to read my poem on the dream about not eating sugar, scroll down to the post of April 29th. The poem's titled "The Sundae.") Photo "Standing Ovation" (4-16-10 10002v3a) 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.

* * * *

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.

THE LIGHT SPEAKS (photomorph) & UNSAID (mixed format dream poem) by Roswila

UNSAID

a woman friend and I
visit where our deceased neighbor,
Peggy Wentz*
now stays; we stand in the kitchen
under a lamp on a tall white pole

my friend announces
loudly up towards the top of the pole
that "Patricia Kelly's
arrived for a visit!" as Peggy's voice
radiates from the lamp's light bulb

though she's clearly happy I'm here,
I wonder what she's leaving unsaid

the dead aren't necessarily anymore
forthcoming (or even wise) than the living


[two tanka and two two-liners on a dream of 3-31-17. *An actual deceased neighbor, with whom I was friendly. BTW, after posting this dream/poem I decided to explore what Peggy might have been holding back, by pulling some tarot cards on the dream. It quickly became clear that I was the one holding back, i.e, holding back on really listening to her. The cards got through to me what even my dreaming mind resisted. She was warning me about a particular relationship in my life at present. N.B., although I don't completely reject the idea it was actually Peggy's soul speaking in that dream, I think it's more likely it was part of me having trouble getting through to my conscious self. Photomorph "The Light Speaks" (5-1-13 12632v2a) 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.

* * * *

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.

AFTERSHOCKS (photomorph) & TREMBLERS (non-dream free verse poem) by Roswila

TREMBLERS

do you feel the deep tremblers
that being near you set off in me?
or are they more like an annoying buzz,
a contained mosquito swarm, or maybe
like your phone vibrating in your
back pocket, announcing call
after call you choose
to ignore


[non-dream free verse poem written 3-24-17. Photomorph "Aftershocks" (5-10-13 12744v2fa) 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.

* * * *

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.

FIRE & BRIMSTONE (photomorph) & TANTALUS (free verse dream poem) by Roswila

TANTALUS*

the night of forgotten dreams ends
with a sotto voce announcement:
"Tantalus... Tantalus... Tantalus..."
as if invoking this prisoner
of the deepest level of Hell

she refuses to get caught up
in the images of starvation
and unending thirst that rise
at this intrusive whispering,
"No more!" she retorts in her mind
and brushes them off to meet her day

but just as her arthritic joints slip
into place, and her eyes begin to focus
on another morning, the simple truth
bites her unceremoniously in the butt
like a latter day Cerberus
cutting off her escape:

this torturous, unmet desire
waking within her as it does each day
is no less a Hell


[free verse poem on a dream fragment of 4-12-17. *The root of the word "tantalize" is the name Tantalus. Tantalus "was a Greek mythological figure, most famous for his eternal punishment in Tartarus (the deepest level of Hell). He was made to stand in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree with low branches, with the fruit ever eluding his grasp, and the water always receding before he could take a drink..." Tantalus myth on Wikipedia BTW, Cerberus (in mythology, of course): a three-headed dog guarding the entrance to Hell to keep the dead from escaping. Photomorph "Fire & Brimstone" (5-10-13 12650v4a) 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.

* * * *

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.