RETURN OF THE SALAMANDER (photomorph) & FIREBREAK (non-dream free verse poem) by Roswila

FIREBREAK

seen but not heard:
the manic rushing of winds
through burning trees
on a far distant
mountainside

these winds might whip embers
up into a juggernaut,
but they’d find
only ashes
where I stand
watching
silent
and alone

I've already
gone down in flames


[non-dream free verse poem written 5-20-14 & revised October 2019. Another project in addition to going through my old dream haiku, is sorting and (mostly) tossing piles of ancient paper copies of my poetry. (Everything is on my dreams&poetry blog and/or my computer, anyway.) I found this one last night and realized I’d never posted it, wondering why. As soon as I read through it with an eye to posting, I began to see why, what the problems with it were (are). It still spoke to me, as it does today, even though considerable editing hasn’t eased my issues with it. But here it is, warts and all, and for what it may be worth. BTW, speaking of high winds, we’re now in Santa Ana and sundowner winds season so, if nothing else, this little troubled poem is topical. Though I admit to a little discomfort at using the horrific ravages of a wild fire as a metaphor for my own internal state. A bit hyperbolic? Photomorph “Return of the Salamander” (10-17-19[4]) by Roswila, in symbolic lore salamanders are associated with fire]

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 or contrasting 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.