SWORDS OF CTHULTHU (photo) & THE DARK SPACE (free verse dream poem) by Roswila

THE DARK SPACE

the dark space before me (is it a lightless night
sky or my equally unenlightened mind) releases
Tarot card after Tarot card up into its blackboard-
like expanse, floating each card into view for my
perusal as if from a profound well, (OK, maybe
not for me alone, but here I stand, content to be
by myself and taking in this unique show); none
of the cards are from traditional decks, many re-
quiring much thinking on my part to recall their
titles and standard, one-word meanings; it’s all
great fun, not any sort of fortune telling, just
the kind of delight that comes from losing one’s
self in a familiar pursuit that’s taking some new
twists and turns, necessitating intense concentra-
tion and leaving everything else behind in some
ignored place for now: ah! this last deck is one I
readily I.D. (and how do I know it’s the last?
because light has begun to curl ever so vaguely
at the edges of the blackboard-like space), as one
after another of its cards appear before me like
good soldiers in an army from another time, nay,
another planet; I quickly recall each card’s most
basic meaning while it fades away and the next
card “steps up;” but when what should be the last
of the Majors* slips away, another card, and then
a second rises, each darker both visually and by
association, than any of the previous in this odd
deck; I find, however, that I relate to them quite
well, especially the very last one in this alien
pack as it floats/hangs there in the air longer than
any card so far: I get an intuitive take on it but
want to know what it was designed to “say;”
I catch a glimpse of an other-worldly soldier/
creature in the lower left corner of the card; it’s
both mildly fear inducing (H.P. Lovecraft anyone?)
and amusing in its silvery line drawing, the name
of its race clearly printed beneath it: GRUND; well,
I think (as this final card for the evening melts into
what is now left of the dark), was that a misprint?
was it meant to read “Grunge” (more of the light
laughter I’ve had on and off viewing this march
of Tarot cards), but, no, I can’t imagine after all
these accurately produced Tarot cards, that the last
would bear a mistake, and what does it matter
anyway? being able to laugh may be life’s final
saving grace, once everything is laid out
in the advancing dark


[free verse poem on a dream of 2-21-20. *Majors: 22 of the Tarot’s 78 cards that usually reference archetypal issues, as opposed to the rest of the pack which can be seen to be more concrete or worldly (very generally speaking). BTW, there is at least one Tarot deck that I recall based on Lovecraft’s horror stories (the so-called Cthulhu Mythos). Also, I just googled “Grund” and in noun form it can (among other things beyond the obvious “ground”) mean deep or abyss, going back in its etymology to Old Saxon and Scandinavian. If you’re interested in my own Tarot work (readings and deck designs), here are links to the my three Tarot blogs: Roswila's Tarot Gallery & Journal, Roswila's Taiga Tarot and The Marker Tarot. Photo “Swords of Cthulthu” (Screenshots 6, 10-21-19(73)[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 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.