It was her firm belief
that dreams are not
hallucinations,
you are not severed
from reality, drawn
into a world of fantasy.
What happens is:
the vital part,
of what we call
the psyche
leaves the body
to renew itself
in that same spirit life
it left to lodge in you.
What we call dreams
are post cards
from a soul on furlough
inviting us
to share in its renewal.
Then she began
the bad dreams:
doing bad things
sniffing coke and the like,
going with blokes
who were sick in the head
and getting in fights.
In her dreams
she became
a sort
of anti-person
to herself.
The negative image.
So what should she think?
That her rock of belief
was a handful of sand?
Or this was herself,
the she she should be?
A negatives is
the source is it not?
Too much to ask.
She succumbed
to the doubt
and was taken away.
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23 comments:
What we call dreams
are post cards
from a soul on furlough
inviting us
to share in its renewal.
I have just been thinking and writing about the meaning of fairyland. It too can be thought of as a space for renewal and sorting out conflict. I thought the lines you wrote summed it up beautifully.
This one is so insightful and artfully expressed...really made me think deep.
. . . postcards from a soul on furlough . . . , that's very nice. And I'm left with a sad chill at the end.
I love your new template! I don't know when you changed it; I like the light.
She was left not knowing what to believe. Does our body and brain betray us? Do we betray it? Is anyone in charge? See all the questions you have raised?
nice...the what we call dreams stanza is the crux of this for me and nicely written...you build the rest around it well...
We have our hearts and minds, and when heart is enthusiastic mind sometimes cannot cath up with it.
As Apostles fell asleep during Christ was praying...
Hi Dave, another wonderful poem.
"What we call dreams
are post cards
from a soul on furlough
inviting us
to share in its renewal."
I love this stanza a lot :)
Delishiously teasing poem nice twist on the negative image.
I love reading about psychology and dreams, and thinking about why they happen, and how.
very thought provoking poem, I particularly like the third stanza
Bit of a black poem this Dave but it makes a change from all the airy-fairy ones about dreams that are often written.
Oooh, I like the postcards from a soul on furlough, and the idea of the (photographic) negative image. How often is the ending true--literally and metaphorically. I'll be pondering this one for a while...thank you.
Hi Dave ... I join with others who expressed how much they enjoyed the 'postcards from a soul on furlough' line ... truly remarkable!
Yes this left me feeling a wee bit 'disturbed' - the feeling you get waking after a bad dream. So the poem did its job....
I'm with those who enjoyed the third stanza, which I thought was beautiful. The ending took me places I didn't want to go -- away.
The third stanza says it all for me :-).
Postcards from the soul-totally loved this-very moving Dave.
Nice description of our own self conflicts, a mixture of good and evil where something inside makes us be one or the other, id est, us.
What's the difference between soul & spirit...? or between mind & psyche...? between person and human being...? Are these pairs synonyms?
Is good always good and evil always evil or it depends on circumstances, cultures, believes, convenience, interests, religions or something else sometimes?
What was right in the past can be wrong in the future or viceversa? Who or what decides the difference?
Philosophical verses about human behaviour, good, very good.
I especially like these lines, Dave:
In her dreams
she became
a sort
of anti-person
to herself.
- Or this was herself,
the she she should be?
My last question is, could we survive in this crazy world without dreams or hopes? I don't think so.
Better stop asking so much, yes: no perfect answer here.
God or Love is the answer: God is Love.
We´ll know when we will taken away.
Well, have a nice weekend.
Here, in Spain, today is a reflection day in Elections Eve, but alea jacta est, for sure! The die has been cast from Europe, bankers and Angela, a good or a bad girl? It depends on who is judging her, but who are we to judge anyone? Let God do it.
:)
This was chilling and felt so true to life. How easily we can become an "anti-person" to ourselves.
Christine
I like the observation. I am sure there are enough common factors for there to be much scope for further consideration. Thank you the feed back and the kind remark.
unsungpoet
Thank you so much for your kind words.
Ruth
Many thanks for both comments. Much appeciated.
Tabor
Fascinating questions, these. I hadn't realised that I'd raised such stinkers. I think maybe the critical one is: Is anyone in charge? That's certainly the one that interests me the most.
Brian
Many thanks. Yes, you have selected as the crux the lines I think I would have selected.
haricot
True. As ever, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Rachna
Thank you very much. Your response is much appreciated.
Hannah
Yes, it's a fascinating field, and as fruitful as it's fascinating.
Crafty Green Poet
Thank you for the comment, I do find all such feedback to be most valuable.
The Weaver of Grass
The great temptations when writing about dreams, are to become too airy-fairy, magical or overly extraordinary. We are too influenced by the likes of Salvador Dali, I think.
ds
Thanks for your views. Interesting as always. In this instance the ending was meant to be ambiguous.
Helen
Thank you so much. It's very gratifying to get such feedback. I am most grateful
Cait
Was it simply the ending you found disturbing, I wonder? Or did it go deeper than that? Thanks for saying.
Mary
Thanks for the first comment. Sorry the ending had that effect,
Windsmoke
Thanks. There seems to be universal agreement on that.
120 Socks
I am most appreciative of your very kind response. Thank you.
Dulcina
Hi and a warm welcome to my blog. It is good to have you abooard. The pairs you mention are more or less synonymous, but only in that the voice believes that none of them quite fits the bill. Who or what is the ultimate authority on what is good and what is eveil? I think the jury is still out on that and will never return. I do agree with your last point: could we survive this crazy world without dreams? Probably not, but that takes us to the heart of the poem: what if the dreams are evil?
Lolamouse
Yes, indeed: a very valid point. And I agree: a very chilling one. Thank you for the response.
Rose
Very many apologies for missing you. Not sure how that happened, but much thanks for your kind and useful response.
I was puzzled by what might be a misprint here - "a negatives is a source" ? Or am I misunderstanding, I wonder.
"What happens is:
the vital part,
of what we call
the psyche
leaves the body
to renew itself
in that same spirit life
it left to lodge in you."
I especially like these words...how true, we have to leave our body in order to renew, even if it's only in our heads that we leave, but we're renewing.
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