IT'S TEMPTING TO CALL THEM STARS (photomorph) & A NEW SONG AT AN OLD COUNTRY WESTERN BAR (free verse dream poem) by Roswila

A NEW SONG AT AN OLD
COUNTRY WESTERN BAR

“old flames…can’t hold a candle to you…”*
resounds from the juke box as I squeeze
by it to leave this night of dancing and song
behind; yeah, I think, can you imagine that?
another meltdown and she’s bragging about it?
I begin to slow waltz (country western songs
are often wannabe waltzes, aren’t they) out
the long narrow, side alley entrance to this
dive bar, singing a country western ditty I’ve
begun composing as I swirl: “…the cowboys,
the lovers, the tramps…” as a trio of laughing
emoticons rises in my mind’s eye: a grinner,
a winker, and sideways looker; I wonder as I
slow waltz (it’s a lengthy exit, just as it took
an entire song to enter) how many more ways
can I represent my feelings on love with
the opposite sex? well…I stop short and look
up at the thin strip of stars I can see between
the building tops above…how’s about trying
the literal level for once? there’s no one here
to challenge or correct or talk me out of or
into anything: I lay it out for the stars and
myself in whispers, with a cowboy you’re
one of a herd, with a lover you’re just another
ego trip, and with a tramp he’s here today and
gone tonight; I’ve clearly reached the end of
my long waltz, and the stars have nothing
to add as I settle into walking on into
the deepening night of the city streets,
alternately singing and silently
pondering my new song


[free verse poem on a dream of 12-4-19. *Old Flames written and sung by Dolly Parton. I’ve mentioned here before, I’m sure, that I’m a major country western music fan (classic, not what passes for it nowadays that’s mostly glitzy pop with a dash of country you might just catch if you’re quick). As I’ve been saying here for a few weeks, I’ve been doing a lot more singing in my dreams than is usual for me. This one is even more unusual in that I was writing a song in the dream. Although I have composed tunes/chants in dreams in the past, it’s not been anywhere near as frequent an occurrence as my singing a known song. I got much further long with “my new song” in this dream, but lost all on waking but the little I mention above. I have found writing (words) and tunes to be the hardest to retain in detail on waking. Though they always leave deep if usually rather shapeless imprints in the wet sands of morning. Photomorph “It’s Tempting to Call Them Stars” (9-11-13v2[3]) 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 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.