Scatterhatter
Jun 06, 2017

Mourning Dreams Lost

trapped mourning breath
a chamber full of spent dreams
open lips gently
let the tongue
writh inside
mix and stir this stale breath
into awakening
the day becomes alive

About This Poem

Last Few Words: I'm just waking up....

Review Request Intensity: I want the raw truth, feel free to knock me on my back

Editing Stage: Editing - rough draft

About the Author

Region, Country: Tasmania, Australia

Favorite Poets: Teresa Hooley

More from this author

Comments

Geezer

Geezer

7 years 10 months ago

I would ask you to expand on this. But, seeing as how you just woke up, maybe you aren't awake enough. I'm wondering; does your title have a double meaning? It seems as though it might. It is a bit short, but what can you say about a day that has just begun? ~ Geezer.
.

S

Hi Geezer
It's my getting up time again!
Yes I guess it does have a double meaning.
Lost dreams from past. But positive that new ones are coming.
I've just been reading the neopoet guidelines and I think I should perhaps stop posting until I 'work' with the poems a little more. Currently I've been writing them fresh straight into the stream out of my stream of thoughts. I think like the poet lovedly does. Is it ok to do this? I don't want to disrespect neopoet guidelines!

Rula

Rula

7 years 10 months ago

and I like the word play (morning /mourning )

S

Thanks Rula!
I love your Robert Frost quote. He's spot on. Thats what's happening to me. In a way that's why I havent 'reworked' my words. I like them in the raw. The more I learn how to express the emotions (or disguise them) the more the words will disclose. I hope!

weirdelf

After agreeing to help you with your work.
You don't need much help, I find it hard to critique.
Perhaps you are too like me for me to be your Mentor.

This is a perfectly nasty little poem.
I would love to hear you try both haiku and limerick.
You already achieve what I consider a prime requisite of poetry 'compression of meaning', do it even more, expand it and I honestly think you could be a significant poet of our times.

vandiemenspeak

Not to pull apart, because it's delicious in its dual meaning, and I know that breath you speak of...

My reading:

trapped mourning breath
(both the literal night after, regretful, and ripe breath of morning, cool)
a chamber full of spent dreams
(So.. the sleeper, has been here for a while, the breath clouds and fills the chamber with the night's sleep, the dreams spent, lost at waking?)
open lips gently
let the tongue
writhe inside
(Just added the e - this is a gradual process the morning after, the tongue seeking moisture,)
mix and stir this stale breath
into awakening
the day becomes alive
(almost a premonition of coffee, re-starting, recharging, the attempt to mix the fetid with the fresh, a very tactile image, we all know)

As Jess, pointedly said this has a perfect nastiness in the simple reflection of a body awakening. It doesn't try to dress it up, it just describes it perfectly.
This is a good form for you. I think you might be more at home, with the free verse poets. But that's just a suggestion.
Have a look at these:
http://www.thehypertexts.com/The%20Best%20Free%20Verse%20Poems%20of%20A…

Someone once said, read as many poets as you can, and when you find a voice you like, stick with it, and listen, read and learn - I find that process very useful.

Take care,

Chris.

S

Thank you for your comments Chris and your links. So many poets so little time! And at this stage I'm still just unconsciously writing things as I feel/think them. One day I may take more time to develop and delve more deeply into what I'm writing but for now (and I hope this is ok on neopoet) I'll post up my raw words.
Also, I'm an artist of sorts and I've always had an issue of using artists as inspiration, following technique is ok, but ideas Etccetc I prefer to create from scratch...

weirdelf

I think I just heard something I strongly disagree with from Chris-
"Someone once said, read as many poets as you can, [TOTALLY AGREE] and when you find a voice you like, stick with it, [ONLY UNTIL YOU LEARN] and listen, read and learn - I find that process very useful."
I'm sure i'm over-reacting and Chris didn't mean to stick with the style of a poet you like.

S

Well I have to say I don't think I agree with either of you! Like I mentioned above, I've found it an issue to use other artists ideas as inspiration as I like to boil up my own ideas. Of course though I'm aware that by being exposed to any thing creative you osmosisly (is that a word?) absorb and therefore inturn ideas into your own churning pot.. ...
Although in saying all of that. In my art practise I've just recently used Miro as a point of reference for a community project. And I thoroughly enjoyed the process. But I really only went there as I had a mental block on how to incorporate the clients needs with what I was prepared to deliver...

vandiemenspeak

It's like, if I read too deeply, the tendency for imitation is always close, and you feel like you're losing your own voice. But..you can sit and watch a woodworker build a decent box, make some notes, perhaps grab a couple of books (boxes 101), then make a slightly better box than the shed full of dodgy hinged, rickety bread boxes you've had a stab at before (I speak from experience). This isn't any detriment to your craft, you actually learn a trick or two, that once learned, can be called upon for inspiration when you get stuck. It sounds as though, you really know what you need to do, and being an artist, we have to respect that, so good luck, you'll find your own way :).

I hope that kinda helps explain what I mean?

There is a funny, and very informative book written by Stephen Fry, called "the ode less travelled" - he doesn't write for publication, purely for pleasure, and knows his stuff, is a pleasure to read, and explains a lot of the concepts - it's worth hunting out.

Cheers.

Chris.

vandiemenspeak

Stick with it, until you find the next one..it's not a prescription! I could have calibrated my comments a little better there. I met a bloke who, when discussing satirical cartoonists, like Steve Bell, First Dog on the Moon etc., said: "I only read one comic strip, that's it" - so I said " was that prescribed then..?" he looked at me like I'd stolen his last chip. Yes, read widely - then you find a voice you can hone in on, then that leads you on to the poets that influenced them. Like Larkin led to Yeats, like Williams led me to Whitman - that's more what i was driving at.

Cheers.

Chris.

S

Thanks fellas
I will read more and a cross section.
I'll compile a poetry tool bag of tricks that I'll pull on.
But it might be a while before I can dedicate time.
I'll try a little a day..actually reading neopoet is good for a good cross section.