Clayoquot Sound
Understand that this is a dream*:
arch of glorious sky,
dotted with perfect storybook clouds,
the blue, blue hills, hazy, just before sunset,
seascapes and sunrises of molten gold,
forests and savannas and cities
dotted with so many beautiful creatures
of every kind,
walking and flying and living and loving
everywhere.
There is much love, and kindness,
and warm, brave hearts,
reaching out to comfort the bereft,
all a dream, a wonderful dream,
full of beauty enough to break your heart -
the earthly garden, as it was
meant to be.
There is also the nightmare,
running alongside,
that humans have put in its place,
from which we are trying,
with every fibre of our soul,
to awaken.
* The first line of this poem is taken from the title of Alan Ginsberg's poem: "Understand That This Is a Dream"
for the Tuesday Platform at Real Toads
The dream is real but then the nightmare is too! I love this juxtaposition.
ReplyDeleteThe dream and the nightmare coexisting side by side. It would be great if we could have the dream instead of the nightmare.
ReplyDeleteThis is absolutely lovely in its affirmation of the dream and reality running side by side, Sherry!❤️ Hopefully mankind will awaken soon and realize before its too late. Thank you so much for writing to the prompt!❤️
ReplyDeleteYes! We're on about the same thing, except you look at the big picture whereas I focused on personal details. (And my last verse was a hint at what you spell out in your last verse.)
ReplyDeleteStriking in its beauty, hard hitting with its truth. Excellent Sherry.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to believe that we're trying to escape the nightmare but--from where I sit, anyway--it looks like we're accepting and settling in for whatever comes.
ReplyDeleteSherry, I always adore the love you put into your imaginary of Earth. The threads of reality undoing us is haunting! You have shared this view so, well! Bravo~
ReplyDeleteYes, nightmares are dreams gone awry, but they are also meant to teach us about things out of balance, causing harm to self and others. Keep writing Sherry, someone is listening...
ReplyDeleteI liked the beauty of the place's first description, too bad man messed it all up like he/we are doing to the wonderful place ours was when the indigenous people inhabited it.
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We see glimpses of what was ... or could be again if we would but learn!
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to spot and identify birds in the hot summer of our concrete jungle and it makes me wonder how it would have been without the pollution and human habitation... yes, just a dream.
ReplyDeleteThe last line perplexes me, because is the nightmare we are trying to awaken or awaken from? It casts a duple reading, because it makes me wonder if the sweet blue dream we should be living while the nightmare we are should be left on a pillow. Still, the contrasts are well drawn.
ReplyDeleteWow! The final stanza says it all!
ReplyDeleteA beautiful dream forced to live in a dark reality. We humans seem to keep destroying thinking we'll never reach the end.
ReplyDeleteI love the way you have both dreams playing out together.
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