poem: Like that

   Like that, then-

wrap my body three times around

     and then the dust will swallow me

whole, like ground corn

    piquant and trusting in the smoke

 

but then there was you, once-

   your tongue maybe tasted of pears

ripe and sweet

     like a shattered high note

and a lazy piece of satin

        marked territorial boundaries.

 

 We stood as the ground shifted

     and we saw the view from below

through tiled floors

     and concrete stairs,

 our feet burning holes in the foundation

    while you whispered of dreams.

 

But I think I imagined it all, too-

   call it the vision of a being devoured

 by a poem; my core, my heart

    intact but my thin onion skin

 

peeled in layers. Like that.

   Liquid heat, and static cold

 you met me there, in the thin space

   indescribable, but known

to those who have been.

 

and if you really were there,

   and you decide to sneak back

again, I tell you-

   another kiss, like that;

  and I will give up to you

    all of my dreams, and set them

in your waiting hands.

 

   Gently. Firmly. Intuitively.

       Just like that.

   

Author's Note

another attempt at piecing together dream fragments.

Reviews

[ChemicalMadness]

Ah, the just like that of it all. Come back to me and fill me full of just like that's. .. Just right there and preferably just right now...you woke me up, now please don't shatter me with sleep...put me back together so I can fall apart.
Just.
Like.
That.

CM.

[Marie Anzalone]

Ah yes, you get this one... indeed, you do, CM. I hope moments like these are gracing your life often, dear poet.

[ChemicalMadness]

I think I get as much as you think

[Fernando Pessoa]

Dreams can be such abstract visions, and you give them a feeling of direction; of purpose. Feelings and thoughts take us on such a journey of discovery that waking worlds can never do. You have such a magnificent depth!

"Our dreams disturb us because they refuse to pander to our fondest notions of ourselves ... Few forces in life present, with an equal sense of inevitability, the bare-knuckle facts of who we are, and the demands of what we might become." ~ Marc Ian Barasch

[Marie Anzalone]

Sometimes, yes, there are dreams and depths. Sometimes this writer hides things in plain sight, form herself even. She can be remarkably stubborn, even considering her long history residing in New England. And sometimes, despite her tough exterior, d****t she really just longs for someone to kiss her and make time stand still for her again.

Always appreciate your thoughtful and kind reviews, dear poet.

"The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen."
— Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

[Fernando Pessoa]

May you find that absolute place of wonder where everything fades away for the sweetness of the moment, time stands still, and love conquers all. Then please write about it for all of us, because we need to know how good it is!

[Leica]

dreamy visions are the requisite for waking reality for they are real, right? beautifully penned for sure with so many wonderful, sweet lines..
thank you for the suggestion of this piece as yes, I really adore it :-)

[Marie Anzalone]

and sometimes we dreamers use the knowledge that the world assumes we only dream to hide in plain sight; a magical flick of the brush and like that, we blur the lines to tell our truth between them. Thanks for stopping by on this one, Leica, it had special significance for me.

[Jesse Torres II]

Ah...really great rhythm, as with all your stuff I've read. The only thing is, it lost me at times and "didn't make sense," until I read your authors note. If you're open to suggestion, perhaps the title could be modified just ever so slightly. Something like, "Dreamt Like That" (which is not great, just an example)

[Marie Anzalone]

Thank you, Jesse... I appreciate your insight and feedback. I considered your suggestion, and felt it in my mind, felt its flow. I think it wants to remain elusive, as it is, a blending of a real incident and a dream fragment and the possibility that the two overlapped once. I think it works better that way, because "like that" actually takes on slightly different connotations each time the phrase is used in this poem, whereas "dreamt like that" allows only one, and no room for the reality portion of this. Again, the time in your review is much appreciated, as is the critique. Saludos and my best to you.

[michael.c.m]

sweet dreams these are

[Marie Anzalone]

indeed...especially when they come true
thanks for the review :-)

[Frieda P]

I'm in awe of your writing skills, I love your style. Another favorite of mine.

[Marie Anzalone]

thnak you very much, dear poetess

[Marie Anzalone]

*thank

[Becca Bishop]

Saying anything beyond, "Amazing!!!" would shake me back to reality when I'm still trying to live in your poem. Sorry, you'll just have to live with 'amazing'.

[Marie Anzalone]

thanks for the review, Becca... glad this one reached you. I was trying to recapture an amazing moment form a dream, and you echo how I felt.

[Antonio Valentino]

one of the more beautiful things ive read

those dreams really are something arent they.. maybe thats what life is, pieces of stained glass that we collect over time placed into the frames of our eyes, giving us the perspective of our surroundings. Fragments of illusion that make up the crickety rainbow of feeling that bridges, us all together.

like the entrance to beginning, I a door, this.

As well as your spirit, for breathing it.

[Marie Anzalone]

Thank you, Antonio... so nice to hear from you again. I think you are right... we can only ever see the world in as much color as the lenses through which we see it. The richest tapestries of experience, in this world or the dream world, come from the willingness to select the ones we want to focus on. I am reminded of the song, "Whole of the Moon" by the Waterboys. "I saw a rain-darkened valley/ you saw Brigadoon/ I saw the esssence/ you saw the whole of the moon"

[Tree]

Brilliant. I believe you are getting closer, stitching together the fragments is how you get a tapestry, it is how a mural is born, a field of flowers. One flower at a time. Dream world poems open up doors inside of this realm you would of never thought existed... a stunning piece Raquelita.

[Marie Anzalone]

Yes, I am doing that trick you told me about- circling the scene and trying to sharpen the focus onto it, I think. I have not yet it in me to put the pieces together yet; I am for now just holding them dear and trying to enjoy the mystery without over-analysis. Breaking old habits is tough, though. Thanks so much for stopping by and reading.

[Jasmine]

Compelling, unusual and beautiful visuals... I loved reading this. Thanks for sharing.

[Marie Anzalone]

thank you for reading and commenting, July. I am glad you found it compelling.