I had a Dream (Ninth Night)

I had a dream

imbued impressions

of a lunar endowed

companion beside me

 

the moon shone down

with a borrowed light

which seemed to surpass

its source

and anything I could

ever offer

 

we were walking

through that wooded glade

you know the one

 

it was ours once

and under the moon

it was ours once more

 

a small stream whispered

murmuring approval

under the chirps of crickets

the buzzing cry of cicadas

that trees seemed to conduct

with every rustled leaf

which guided the wind

to us

 

flowing along our path

over that field of wheat

you know the one

it was never ours

even though I wished that I

could give you something

like that

down to the last stalk

 

but here in a dream

it was never mine to give

because the whole world

had always been ours

 

I couldn’t have been

more happy

to have you beside me

 

walking among the shivering

grains of affection

which upon this passing moon

would surely bloom

into a new life

which we could call

our own

 

even as the moon’s

cycles faded faster than

time could afford

I still felt you

beside me

 

I could see your smile

and you could see mine

except for those moments

we enveloped each other

with love’s fervent kiss

through hair like the wheat

which would always be

ours

 

I wept with joy,

because I could finally have

this moment

with you

 

even without the sun

we could share the world

that even I had never dreamed of

together in this surreal

moment of being

 

even as the stars faded

with the moon

behind thunderheads of the world

turning against us

I still took awe in those brief flashes

of lightning

which shone in our eyes

 

reminding me that life was

and always had been worth it

that the whole world could burn

if it meant just another moment

 

but dreams never last

they always end

perhaps this meant that

I didn’t need to

be alone

 

as the world crumbled around us

you still held me tight

 

it was all I needed at the end

of the world

of a dream

 

to share it with you

the whole world over

to the end of a dream

 

Reviews

[Kuandio]

The second stanza is great. I think overall, this poem is better than the first, by quite a bit. They are also very different themes. This is all about love, a difficult aspect of it to define. I feel like I've had dreams with the same perceptions and emotions described in this poem; I'm guessing most people have, but you've done an excellent job at conveying many things that are hard to put into words. (The last two lines maybe could be improved?)
Is this series of poems inspired by actual dreams? If not, what then?

[Nusquam Esse]

First of all, thanks for taking time to read this sequence of dreams. I am a sucker for surrealism, I love it when a story is abstract, and drifts in the mind like a dream... yet it connects so strongly, and seems to convey something which isn't even written. So I wanted to make a series of surreal prose/poem hybrids. :) These are not inspired by any sort of dreams, all I would do it sit down, and try and think of a feeling and an image to convey, and then write the words as they came to me without thinking about any of it. If a word came to mind, I would put it down, so this is more or less what my stream of consciousness is like. This particular one was inspired by a hollow near my home, which I often walk through in the middle of the night... I simply imagined the moon, and the fields of wheat on one side, and the bubbling creek on the other... and then imagined what it would be like to have someone that I couldn't quite see beside me, and then just let it all flow onto paper. I intend to do some revising on these (Especially the ending and beginning points) once I finish all the dreams. I mostly just have those particular start and ends to help me keep the dream somewhat reined in, I can then work on transitions that work better later on.

[Jennie Baron]

Yes, sweet, tender, breathtaking apply to this poem. It's also tranquil but also surrealistic as a dream should be...I so admire your talent in writing poems like this. And to think you once asked ME if your writing was emotionally expressive enough?!

[Nusquam Esse]

After so many years not forming emotional connections with people, and having most feelings not melancholic or bittersweet, feeling contrived; it has been difficult to write stuff like this. I have recognized it as a weakness in writing, that I have been actively trying to overcome. It is good to know that I have made the progress that I have on this one. In the past, if I had tried a dream sequence, I would be all focusing on metaphors and allegory, but this one has been all about impressions and emotions--trying to repress my continual 'need' to analyze. Thanks for reading, and your continual support Jennie!

[Jennie Baron]

You are so very, very welcome.

[Elwyn]

I really enjoy your dream writes! The surrealism has me in awe every single time. This is entirely sweet. Like the others, it has a lot of raw emotion behind it, but this one is backed by love. I like your invented phrase "lunar endowed". Though there was no other reference of gender to go off of, I interpreted the other person to be a woman as the moon is typically associated with femininity. It's almost always a moon goddess. I really like how this poem is directed to this other person, almost as if it wasn't a dream you had at night while sleeping, but a dream one might have for the future, if that makes sense. I am particularly in love with these two stanzas:

"it was never ours
even though I wished that I
could give you something
like that
down to the last stalk

but here in a dream
it was never mine to give
because the whole world
had always been ours"

I really like the idea of wanting to give nature to something because what better way to represent the purity of love than the purity of nature? Of course, nature cannot be given away which makes this poem even sweeter. It's almost like this person is worth more than petty gifts, or no gift could ever prove your love for them.
Beautiful imagery as always. Being pagan, night has always held me absolute awe. You are right, the moon sometimes seems even brighter and bigger than the sun, and we can admire it's beauty by being able to look at directly. I love love love this entire book and its concept.

[Nusquam Esse]

Yeah, I am enjoying writing these as well! Such a myriad of concepts and emotions to be expressed, I am stoked to see what else I come up with over the course of 21 dreams (my intended length)... :) And yeah, what you say about future dreams make sense; that is more or less what I was aiming for. Not a single one of these has actually been based on a dream, but rather my desire to express ideas and feelings in a format which would unfold like a dream--both in a literal and figurative sense. I agree SO MUCH with what you said about petty gifts; it felt like a dreamlike connection with a soulmate should never be trivialized with something so tangible--when just having that connection is worth more than anything.

I live in the mountains, so I am used to being in these sorts of environments (there is a place like this maybe a hundred meters from my home), and I frequently take walks in the middle of the night. I always go armed (just in case; you're an idiot if you go into the mountains at night without a gun and/or knife) when wandering the mountains by moonlight, but it has this peaceful sensation that few people experience these days...

[Elwyn]

You are insanely lucky to live in such a beautiful place. I live in the suburbs and do not have opportunities like this.

Oh, you put into words better than I could. Connections with your soul mate shouldn't be symbolized with stupid man made gifts.

[Nusquam Esse]

I recommend looking through my photos on here, since I have a few decent scenery pics I have taken at the various places I have lived... :) Someone so fond of nature should appreciate them.

[Elwyn]

They are beautiful! Wow! I cannot even imagine being in place like that! That is truly astounding! Postcard worthy.

[Frieda P]

This is entrancing wisp of whimsy Esse, almost mythical in its surreal appeal, the dream is certainly 'lunar endowed' no doubt about that...dreams do come true in poetry it seems....and you used the word 'fervent' one of my favorites...

[Nusquam Esse]

It combined the surrealism that I love with my closeted romantic side... I thought of this one while my power was out during a thunderstorm... and I decided to go on a walk down in the hollow near my house... (nature's fury at 3am be damned) Interesting that you love fervent, it is a great word for all that bubbling emotion we keep cooped up. Thanks for reading! I am enjoying these surreal poems, although I might be a bit touched in the head for writing them all out of sequence like this...

[Frieda P]

There are no rules as far as I'm concerned, when it moves you, that's when you go with it, always 'feels' better that way....glad you came out of the closet Esse.

[AprilRN1210]

now this is such a sweet, tender dream that reaches out and makes the reader's heart melt and yearn for such exquisite beauty and loving affection... breathtaking sir... you have outdone yourself with this one... I am in awe of the sentiment contained... absolutely stunning write... you poured so much emotion onto the page that the reader cannot help but FEEL... nice job mr technical... I like this softer side of you...

[Nusquam Esse]

oh hoh, so I finally managed something with enough sentiment that even you felt something... And here I thought you preferred things that weren't all mushy.. :P My softer side says thank you...

[AprilRN1210]

yep... congrats... I FELT this one... nice... and you're welcome..

[Nusquam Esse]

I guess that is what happens when you write what you feel without trying to understand it, or explain it... just writing the exact words which come to mind, and getting lost in a dream...

[AprilRN1210]

ummmm DUH! Isn't that what I have been TELLING you ALL along?.... uhhh hello... I do know a thing or two ya know :P

[Nusquam Esse]

pulling out the DUHs are we? Typical... :P maybe you should have been showing not telling... kyekyekekeke And sure, you know a thing or two? I think you are not giving yourself enough credit. Besides... a lot of the things that I feel are probably not in your taste anyway. ;)

[AprilRN1210]

well, we all have our own tastes, that is the beauty of it.. and yep... DUHHHH.... another BAD joke... jeez.... a thing or two is ok... :P

[Nusquam Esse]

it was hardly a joke... *puts on serious face*

[AprilRN1210]

maybe I should have been showing and not telling isn't a joke?... surely it is.... I SHOW my emotions just fine chicken :P

[Nusquam Esse]

uh huh... whatever...