Wednesday, July 29, 2009

A Place I Don't Want To Go

Nightmare Creeps In

Cloaked as an aggressor,
stress invades my dreams.
Scattered images of fear
climb into my mind.
Cast as unwilling narrator,
then running actor afraid.
Duty instantly awakens
disoriented and troubled.
Mind urges open eyes,
dream of fear keeps popping.
Fragmented plot half buried,
I choose not to unearth.

Some of you may remember this past post about dreams. Last night, I had a real Stephen King kind of dream. I'm not a fan of the horror genre in any way. Where are all these horror/suspense images coming from? My subconscious is playing a game with me apparently. I've heard that the subconscious can be a good provider of creative material. I'm not comfortable exploring this genre for my writing. I am earnestly looking for some new poetic material. Just my luck that my mind is working in this way these days. Hopefully, more "Kelly like" material will start surfacing soon. What are you dreaming about?

21 comments:

Jillien said...

I'm with you. I'm not a horror fan, but maybe you can use your far-out dreams and go toward fantasy. Horror is just fantasy with gratuitous violence... of course that's just my opinion. Fantasy, on the other hand, can be dark and creative; it encompasses all of imaginative darkness and lightness in mankind.

I loved your dream poem by the way. Its wonderful. Hopefully you'll satisfy your subconscious, and it can stop trying to scare you every night!

JM

Wendy said...

i hate bad dreams and horror movies. i loved your poem. you really expressed how a nightmare feels. good luck taming that subconscious.

Mari said...

I also hate horror movies and bad dreams. I don't usually have that type of dream. My bad dreams are more of the type of me being at work and being so behind I'll never get done!

Kringle said...

Sometimes the waking, the writing, and the revisitation of our dreams brings us to new insights to the soul
blessings
kringle

Anonymous said...

I think it's good to explore new territories now and then. That's how you become a diverse writer. I write mostly dark or fantasy as a personal preference but everyone once in awhile I will pen a romantic or melancholic piece. Our dreams, experiences all have the potential to serve as unchartered waters. To me this poem is still "Kelly like" in terms of your style: poise and elegant. Maybe there's some underlying stress that needs to come out. Great title, btw.

Angel Ginger Jasper said...

Oh no those kind of dreams are not good. Are ou worrying about something.. Take care Carol and GJ x

Unknown said...

I have a lot of what I call "stress dreams." Mostly they involve being at a past job (always the same one) and everything falling apart. These are always the worst during finals. I frequently wake up in a cold sweat from these bad boys!

Hope you find some happier inspiration soon! =)

Caroline said...

Oh wow...that was a creepy dream (but makes for good artistic material!). I had a recurring nightmare in graduate school...it was awful. But once my thesis was done and accepted...it never came back! Funny what stress can do to you!

glnroz said...

Stress, anxiety about something you are presently wrestling with, (not related to dream), ie, fear of non-accomplishment for a present or past project. They (dreams) link one to a past "fear" (just a Texas shade tree self analysis of myself, :),,)

Randi said...

I rarely have nightmares, but I do have strange dreams where I have to solve an elaborate mystery. Those are kind of fun. When I do have a nightmare though, like you I can't glean enough good from it to want to write about it. I too, don't want to "go there." Yet, your nightmare elicited a beautiful piece of poetry, so maybe the dream had some value?

kisatrtle said...

I am not dreaming much lately...remember??? I was having nightmares when I was taking some hormones. Having those is never fun. Here's hopin you get some sleep soon.

Dan Felstead said...

I read your post about dreams and I am quite like your husband...I know we all dream but I rarely remember mine. I think dreams are fascinating however...wish I remembered more of them. I have often thought that "lucid dreaming" would be a neat thing to experience.

Your narrative really describes the dreaming process well...

Dan

Michelle said...

UGH! I hate when I have those crazy scary dreams. Thank goodness they don't happen all the time!

Nina said...

I found my nightmares were my fears coming out. Usually my fears of change and the unknown. Fears of facing something new and uncertain. Once I figured out my fears, I moved on to other dreams. has anyone else ever dreamed in black and white? I always used to dream in black and white until about 15 years ago. I didn't realize people dreamed in color until I started too... Hmmm... I suppose that could be someone's analysis... :-) Now I fly, talk with people, dream, go places I've never been ... and in color! Once I even woke up singing.. strange huh... Keep writing your poem is beautiful. Keep dreaming, your dark drams may just lead way to wonders beyond imagination!... (of course I'd like to see Steven King's bank account... smile) Love and Light, Nina P.

T Rex Mom said...

You've been having a rough time with sleep. I hope you get rid of the nightmare monster and start sleeping better soon.

Don said...

First you're not getting enough unbroken pillow time, now you're complaining about it? (jk) Couldn't resist.

When stress dreams or bad dreams come... I re-write or edit them into happy endings as I awake, or after I wake up, I just lay in bed and imagine the heroic ending I want.

What was the final answer to the evil in Something Wicked This Way Comes? Laugh!

Don

Don said...

PS: I like your poem and the title of the post.

shabby girl said...

OK. I'll try to tell you the most recent UGLY dream I had. Creeps me out just KIND OF thinking about it. I cannot imagine WHAT I was trying to figure out!!!
Sweet dreams, girlie!

Unknown said...

I haven't been dreaming lately. Isn't that wierd?

Jenners said...

Ooooooohhh... how creepy!

Gerri said...

I have been dreaming about exercising. It is a new habit and I love it! Congrats on your yoga too. I need to lose some more pounds so that I can hold this body up! LOL