DRUM CIRCLE (photomorph) & THOSE WERE THE DAYS (free verse dream poem) by Roswila

THOSE WERE THE DAYS*

“Those were the days …”

burbles at last from the ocarina I’ve been
trying very hard to play with no success;
I’m so surprised that I almost cough out

“my friend, we thought they’d never end…”

before slipping in a fresh breath; then as I
push out the next phrase

“We’d sing and dance forever and a day…”

I notice the hefty terra cotta ocarina I’m
kinda, sorta making sing is only one
of a circle of vaguely egg-shaped (but
of the size an ostrich would lay!)
earthen colored ocarinas

“We’d live the life we choose…”

floats from the one I’m still holding up
to my mouth as I realize I’m meant to play
each instrument in turn

“We’d fight and never lose”

lifting lightly into the air as I put the one
I’ve been holding back in the circle
of clay ocarinas, reaching for the next
one resting in the crowded, closed loop,
nose to tail, as if waiting to have smoke
blown up it’s hard, terra cotta butt, too


[free verse poem on a dream of 3-3-19. *Phrases set apart in quotes are from the lyrics to ”Those Were the Days”. This was a hard poem to format. The ocarina was singing (yes, lyrics and all) those exact phrases in the dream as the dream’s action progressed. I’m not sure if laying it out as I have above works. BTW, I've also been singing (during waking hours) the theme song from "All In The Family," also titled "Those Were the Days," but a different song. However, they both are about memory and the past. Which I've been more than usually haunted by for some time now. Photomorph “Drum Circle” (8-10-14 008v6g[2]) 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.