TAKING AIM (photo) & THE SNIPER (dream based) by Roswila

THE SNIPER

her black military fatigues, helmet, and weapons
are arranged as neatly as a pin on her slim body,
as if nothing particularly momentous had just
happened, but, as always, her red lipstick's smeared
and almost worn off completely from licking her
lips in a hot mix of concentration and anticipation

but, also as always, her intense ability to focus has paid
off: another of those many men she's sworn to revenge
herself upon for their various molestations and assaults
upon her over the years, is dead -- doornail dead, lying
spread out like any other oily puddle in this midnight
hidden gas station: her sniping from the shadowy
woods surrounding had been accurate and clean,
right between his small, piggy eyes

ah, yes, don't forget (she reminds herself) to raid the
vending machine for the treat she always gives herself
after a kill: a chocolate bolo* to snack on as she
slips away, back into the inky dark

she bends gracefully to retrieve tonight's sweet treat
from the vending machine trough, and the plan for her
next sniping kill fills her mind's eye, smooth as melted
chocolate that's just starting to harden
into a recognizable shape


[narrative on a dream of 10-1-18 (early in my recent break from blog posting). *bolo = Be On the Look-Out: a notice issued to look for a major suspect in a case, i.e., a murder investigation; it's also a knife used in the army. I did not recall the significance of "bolo" until I Googled for it when drafting this piece. I've actually been a bit hesitant to share this one, given its intensity. But I think the very intensity of the dream is why the writing itself may be better than a lot of mine for quite some time. (At least I'm more content with the writing.) There was also a predictive level to this dream -- only in a metaphorical sense, of course. I have another dream/poem on the back burner about this same topic, subtitled a #Me,Too dream" which I'll post soon. And, yes, I do have a rather heavy history of having been sexually abused/assaulted by men, from the time I was 6 years old well into my young adulthood. Photo "Taking Aim" (9-28-18 005v2) 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.