INSURGENT MEMORY (photomorph) & SHE MAY NOT (non-dream free verse poem) by Roswila

SHE MAY NOT

she may not think of him nearly as often
as she used to, but the surprising grace
of a now bloomless flower stalk raises
an aching memory just the same of all that
yearning that blossomed toward the sun
and just as inevitably withered and died,
but beauty remembered is still beauty,
and unrequited love's lingering imprint still
as lively and precious: a delicate late in life
blossom to be treasured when stumbled
upon around the sudden corner
of a memory


[non-dream free verse poem written 12-29-17. Yeah, another man poem. Well, at least it's not from a dream, ey? Though what difference that makes is more and more moot as I watch the changing character of the thoughts/feelings of both my waking life and my dreams. I read somewhere a long time ago that as we age our dreams tend to become more (for lack of a better term) realistic (i.e., less fantastical). I'd agree but add that my waking mental/emotional world seems to be compensating by becoming more and more imaginative. And that's saying something given imagination has been a survival tool of mine (though I did not recognize this until very recently), from earliest childhood. In a way, however, we're all always using the human imaginative capacity, aren't we? Something gets "imagined" in order for us to even lift one foot forward. I'm reminded of what Carl Sandburg has been quoted as saying: "Nothing happens unless first a dream." Especially as I have not ever limited his use of "dream" to just what happens in our sleep, but to the idea of envisioning. And not even to just deliberately and consciously doing so, but that process by which we move ourselves forward in life. Literally, movement by movement. What comes before any movement. I imagine (LOL) an unconscious flash holographic pattern that we then follow in action. Of course, as usual, when I think of this I find myself wondering where that holographic flash comes from. My apologies for that rant. Must be the New Year energy getting to me. All this looking back at the past gets to be a bit much. Yeah, I actually did say that. Moi, who's focus tends to be on the past. In light of all this I'll share my New Year's resolution: "Choose Joy!" The most simply worded one I've ever made but also the most profound. This choice was aided and abetted by my party table mates last night. I asked them what they thought I might resolve for 2018. After listening gratefully but not really pondering consciously on what they said, "Choose Joy!" just popped to mind and I knew it was right. Ah, don't fuss at the past and seek the ultimate source of things, instead "Choose Joy!" Of course that's an oversimplification but it's a handy tool to help keep me in the present. Just like those friends last night at the New Year's Eve party did. Photomorph "Insurgent Memory" (12-30-17 009v11) 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.