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Friday, September 22, 2017

Is This a Dream Within a Dream?



I gaze at the tv screen:
hurricanes, flooding, wildfires,
earthquakes, collapsing buildings,
people crying, digging through rubble,
picking through destroyed homes.

I step out onto a West Coast beach:
sand and blue sky, the eternal waves,
ebbing and flowing for forever,
stalwart hills,
wrapping protective arms 
around the village.
Peacefulness, 
beauty, 
calm.

Why is it that
the second scene
is the one that seems 
surreal?


for Shay's prompt at Fireblossom Friday: to look at life through a distorted lens. I wrote a first one, but it was too dark, so I flipped the perspective.


at

17 comments:

  1. OutlawyerSeptember 22, 2017 at 10:19 AM

    It is crazy how strange it sometimes feels to be in a beautiful place. I am also lucky to be in one a lot of the time. (Of course, I spend the other half of the time in NYC!) A lovely poem, thanks, Sherry! k.

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  2. tonispencerSeptember 22, 2017 at 10:31 AM

    It seems sometimes the chaos is more real than the beauty/ which is why I never watch the news

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  3. JimSeptember 22, 2017 at 10:37 AM

    We have been acclimated to the bizarre and think it the real thing. So when we go to some sublime peaceful, and hopefully pristine place this one now seems out of the ordinary.
    I love the shape of your poem, I am sure it stands for something but I am clueless??
    We did see a hot air balloon leisurely traveling across the near horizon this morning. Fellow walker said the people take passengers every morning, at $150 per. Mrs. Jim said it was not on her bucket list, it is mine, printed faintly.
    ..

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  4. FireblossomSeptember 22, 2017 at 12:17 PM

    Maybe you should stop worrying about the whole wide world for a minute and just be where you are, in a lovely place, and let that fill you up.

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  5. JazzbumpaSeptember 22, 2017 at 12:29 PM

    Ah. Reality.

    So harsh.
    So harsh.

    Namaste
    JzB

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  6. Paul John DearSeptember 22, 2017 at 12:41 PM

    The second one sounds like home.

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  7. brudbergSeptember 22, 2017 at 1:55 PM

    I think you should think that the normal is what is around you... most part of the world have no hurricanes... lovely place you live in.

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  8. Debi SwimSeptember 22, 2017 at 3:03 PM

    When I was young, my mother would have terrible moods in between times of sanity. If things went smoothly for awhile I began to get tense and think I should do something bad just to get the next fit over with. Maybe it is something like that, Sherry. We just don't think we deserve beauty and peace.

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  9. FireblossomSeptember 22, 2017 at 3:33 PM

    ps--LOVE the picture of Jasmine on the sidebar. :-)

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  10. AnonymousSeptember 22, 2017 at 6:20 PM

    Exactly! (so surreal or so real?) Big difference being in The Grand Canyon.

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  11. Vivian ZemsSeptember 23, 2017 at 2:14 AM

    Beautiful take on the prompt. It's surreal when you see these things on the telly- but you switched it. Good one!

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  12. Sanaa RizviSeptember 23, 2017 at 2:28 AM

    This is so incredibly evocative, Sherry!

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  13. annell4September 23, 2017 at 6:21 AM

    The present time is certainly stressful, easy to forget peaceful places still exist. I take a deep breath and remember. There is something so eternal about the waves rising and falling on shore.

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  14. Susie ClevengerSeptember 23, 2017 at 1:00 PM

    When the world is turned inside out in so many places, perfect and pristine seem out of place. So thankful your beautiful piece of earth is so peaceful.

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  15. Gillena CoxSeptember 23, 2017 at 1:39 PM

    Yes, so unreal... but give thanks for where you are

    much love...

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  16. kaykualaSeptember 23, 2017 at 9:23 PM

    The second scene is because it is what one likes and prefers to see. One wants to forget or wants to avoid seeing misery and destruction!

    Hank

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  17. lynn__September 25, 2017 at 12:12 PM

    Two sides to reality...bittersweet truth in our fallen world. Thanks for sharing your perspective!

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