SNAKING THROUGH THE NIGHT (photo) & THIS REAL AND PRESENT HOPE (free verse dream poem) by Roswila

THIS REAL AND PRESENT HOPE

the night of dreams is taken up with
requests -- really more like demands
truth be told, but feeling (and being
powerless) the crowd simply asks
meekly for what they want …
nay, sadly, deeply, need

then a new curious crew of folk bond
around a particular need of theirs
and practice to bring it right up to
the altar of The Pope, learning to
genuflect respectfully but not let their
(call a spade a spade for once) demand
go unheard, without even a vague
promise it will be considered

things look good, that’s to say the dream
is artistically laid out by now, colors
and shapes all lined up and balanced in
carefully considered compositions
along the corridor of the marble floored
and columned hall where they walk
slowly forward toward the sitting Pope,
to whom they will be permitted
to present their demand

a song surfaces in the dream memory
(yes, the dream seems sentient), an old
one from long ago hippie years:
“You can not. petition. the Lord. with prayer!”*
echoing in the dream consciousness
like church bells sounding from tower
after dark tower, an all too heavy
and familiar drag (one thinks
of the mobster days of cement
overshoes and a river) on this
real and present hope


[free verse poem on a dream of 2-10-19. *From “The Soft Parade,” by The Doors, 1969. As I read through all of the lyrics now, I see the little bit of a similarity in this dream to that song. Not surprising, given I was deeply affected by watching a PBS series on the 1960’s and its music, just the other night. I was left feeling so sad. BTW, I consider myself an aging hippie (well, by now, a really aged one). Photo “Snaking Through the Night” (9-19-17 d&p, 9-17-17 adobe) 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.