In Dreams Suicide is Painless

Let's hope Cinderella wasn't right.

I dreamt last night

I was driving down an

unfamiliar road, trying to

remember the words

when Mary said there is a

black river and three things we

must know if we are to live.

The road curved through

golden deserts but

I fell into an

empty sky. I never dream

I am flying.  I thought

I am leaving you

behind And I woke;

I wondered how

nothing hurt.

Author's Note

The poem mentioned is Mary Oliver's In Blackwater Woods and it is without a doubt my favorite poem ever.

Reviews

[Ash January]

I really like this poem. Though short, it tells so much and the imagery is really well done, especially when describing the way the dream seamlessly phases the speaker in and out of scenes. One thing I would watch out for are the line breaks. Some of the lines end on articles and could be much more vivid and that much more tantalizing if they ended on a firmer word. For instance, one such cut could be "I never dream/I am flying," making each it's own statement in a way and at the same time making the two together into a completely new concept, if that makes any sense.

[CourtniRenee]

Thank you! Your review is really helpful! I'll look it over and make some changes!

[barleygirl]

Most of the time I feel I'm not getting most of the message in an abstract poem like this, but I'm happy to say I get this & I love it. I love the exact spot where you draw the line between realism & fantasy. I could almost feel myself taking off from that spot, to soar into uncharted territory . . . your imagination is so alluring, it makes the reader want to suspend reality & enter into the fantasy. I also really liked the way you made it feel like there was a groping about, here & there, as we do when we are awakened & searching for our bearings.