Tonight’s reading at AUG, a new poem, plus Mother’s Day book specials!

Before this dream—

The dream was of magical words.
If you spoke or knew the true word
they would burn themselves into the paper
and would be there forever or disappear
if they weren’t needed or heeded.
You could pick up a twig or a leaf
the message for you, to you would
inscribe itself into the object.

I don’t remember any of the messages
but when I knew the truth of words
and how they were inscribed,
I traveled to a getaway place
of eco-warrior scholars.
Having forgotten something,
before I could move on,
I return to my room
where others are dreaming.
I step over and through them
a river of humans, shifting, boulders of blankets.
On the stairs a waterfall of people
three across heads pointing downstream.

After that dream—

I climb a hill in the woods.
A young woman behind a fence
keeps sheep and shows me
how easy it is to escape “like this”–
she doesn’t because of family.
At the top of the hill, goats, and
a young woman there tells me her story
gives me a big burning kiss on the lips.

I return to my husband and say
“It’s always a good day
when you are kissed by a beautiful woman.”
He tells me those are true words.
With his kiss, they are transcribed
on my lips and I feel them.

2012 Dream Poems (April 10)

Tonight at 7:30pm I’m the featured reader at the San Buenaventura Artists Union Gallery, located on the Ventura Beach Promenade by the parking garage at 330 So. California Street–where “C St” meets the sea. An open mic follows and many of my college composition students will be sharing their writing from a class anthology; this is the poem I’m submitting.

In honor of Mother’s Day this coming Sunday, I’ll be reading mostly poems from my collection of 3:15 Experiment poetry, middle of the night poems from mother to daughter :: daughter to son which traces my journey from being a daughter to becoming a mother to losing my mother from the perspective of 3:15am August nights from 2002-2010.

Read sample poems and reviews of middle of the night poems from mother to daughter :: daughter to son. Mother’s Day specials on print and ebooks available from me or from the publisher en theos press:  My book is also for sale at Bart’s in Ojai, Bank of Books in Ventura, Best of VC Marketplace in Santa Paula, and Mrs Figg’s in Camarillo.

Image above by C.G. Jung from page 1 of The Red Book.