WIPING THE PLATTER CLEAN (photomorph) & WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN (free verse dream poem) by Roswila

WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN

damnation!! I knew Dad saw me put that small
package of cookies away on the cabinet shelf,
and now I have to deal with his “request” to go
dig out one of the biggest for him -- no use to
point out I’m on a massively tight budget and
they’re the first treat I’ve bought for myself
in some time -- and, as luck would have it,
we’re in a huge rush to get to an appointment
on time -- leave it to him to insist on this now
-- not only that, but he’s always such a pain
in the butt when it comes to food, he’s just a
big fuss budget -- I can see I’m not gonna
get outta this mishigoss* quickly -- let’s
see, OK, he wanted the biggest but the big
ones aren’t chocolate chip and he will almost
certainly not want this huge oatmeal one
even with the bright cherry in its middle;
sigh, as that old joke in an entirely different
vein goes, “size matters,” so I’ll offer him
the oatmeal one anyway -- ack! just as
I’d thought, he’s grousing that it’s not
chocolate chip! see if I ever stash away
my goodies within his sight ever again
-- there’s no winning with this
Evil-Eye Fleegle**


[free verse poem on a dream of 8-14-19. *The Yiddish spelling of this word is “mishegoss.” But I've also seen it as I spell it above, with no reference to it's being Yiddish and with a very slightly different meaning. Either meaning will do within the context of this dream, as it basically can be said to mean “mess.” **Evil-Eye Fleegle, a comic book character who was often invoked by my parents in my childhood. (Scoll down on the page the link is to, for more info about this character.) I haven’t thought of it in (it must be) a great many years. So, it gave me quite a giggle to recall dreaming it. I also find the two sexual allusions (“size matters” and “cherry”) amusing, if also fraught with meaning. (Especially given my childhood history of sexual abuse within the family.) I’d be less than honest if I didn’t mention that the “Dad” in the dream was a combo of my father and a man currently in my life. (He looked like a youngish version of my Dad, but felt very much like that man I know now.) And do I even need to point out the basic metaphor of food? My primary addiction? Additionally, we’re under a full moon right now. I could go on, but I’ll leave it be. This is one of those many layered dreams that I’ll be thinking about for some time to come. Photomorph “Wiping the Platter Clean” (7-28-09 4458v7c[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.

CYCLOPS UNMASKED (photomorph) & THE TRUE BEAUTY OF A MASK (free verse dream poem) by Roswila

THE TRUE BEAUTY OF A MASK

he’s so gross: dirty, angry, twisted
he’s almost not human, but I’m
inexplicably drawn to him; although
I’ve frozen everyone out, locking up
even the slightest vestige of caring
for anyone (faked or real) denying it
all as too painful, in an odd way, as
if having taken my final vows for
fully cloistered nun-hood; and so
I tell him, speaking in hushed tones
as if sliding aside the little panel
in a catholic confessional myself,
not waiting for some priest to do
it for us: You know, you don’t
have to be this way all the time
… no, no, I’m not suggesting you
become someone other than who
you are, not at all, I’d never do
that, the struggle to be ourselves
no matter who or what we sense
that self may be, is all many of us
ever has in this life … but I am
saying you can leave this essential,
semi-nonhuman self of yours behind
once in a while, take a vacation, so
to speak, from him, even more for
your own sake than for anyone else’s;
yes, yes, consciously use your over-
developed ability to deny and do it
in your own favor for a change:
putting on a good face once in a
while never hurt anyone, and might
help you; just remember the true
beauty of a mask: one simply takes
it off when it gets too hot, letting
the reality it contained for a time,
human or no, breathe freely
again, unobstructed


[free verse poem on a dream of 8-14-19. Photomorph “Cyclops Unmasked” (6-28-09 2988v4) 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.

THICKET (photomorph by Roswila) & "when will it become..." (non-dream haiku by Issa)

when will it become
a cricket's nest?
my white hair


by Issa, 1808

.こほろぎの巣にはいつなる我白髪 [above poem in Kana];
kôrogi no su [ni] wa itsu naru waga shiraga
[above poem in Romanji]

[haiku by the prolific Japanese Haijin, Issa; from the daily email of one of Issa’s haiku from Haiku Guy. This is an example of what is known as a death poem. I.e., about death or (more commonly, in my reading experience) one said to have been written when the author was close to dying. The email this one came in had a note that (in his opinion, with which I agree) this is “one” of Issa’s best death poems. So, that word “one” indicates this was probably not written at the edge of dying, but on the subject thereof. A minor quibble, if any quibble at all. And it doesn’t affect the deep impact this haiku has on me. I only go into this distinction because the idea of writing a haiku as one is dying has always moved me tremendously. And I’ve read many “edge of death” haiku by Japanese Masters over the years. (Of course, I hasten to add, in translation. I often wonder what might get lost there.) Forgot to mention, when I opened this email, my long white hair was still wet and wrapped up in a tangle in a towel. 😊 Yikes! As I’ve noted here before, my comments after the smallest poems often go on the longest. Photomorph “Thicket” (Screenshots-many 1-25-19[44]) 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.