Monday Morning Musings:
A luscious dream shines blue
sun-diamonds of if
Blue is the sea, river, and sky
that flows beyond what we can see
but never ending, flowing, going
round again,
the light bends, refracting and reflecting
shapes, colors, moods—blue hues—
clear and bright, or misty-infused
with pink and grey, a foggy day
or mind, we say. Sometimes reality blurs,
dims with age, or fever-dreamed perceptions
and neurons misdirecting proprioception,
the mind filled with misconception,
flies. And yet, when we dream,
fantasy and reality blur, the dead come alive,
the alive are dead–
I see blue, but dream red
when my grandfather visits me
from some other realm, sitting at a table
well, he was a man who loved to eat—
but now, we’re waiting for a play
but I say, I can’t stay
and race off in a panic, and up, across the stage
almost colliding with a male actor, to whom I apologize,
waking soon after, without words, wise, or otherwise
from my grandfather. I wonder still after weeks,
why was he in my dream? His family had to flee, asylum seekers
from a repressive regime. He knew about hate, but also love,
eloping when he was young, seeing ninety plus winters and sun,
announcing his presence with the scent of a cigar—
I haven’t thought of him in a long time, why did he come
to me that night? Against the vivid red of anxiety curtains,
he was calm, unperturbed, in a grey suit,
slipping a message into my dream chute
that this is just a moment, not final–
the vivid reds and gold, turn brown,
but the moon hums a song of cycling hues
with beauty all around. Blue moon tonight,
then her circle grows smaller—
but still there, just beyond our view
directing tides through monthly cycles.
Black waters of night
turn grey, then blue in morning light
and though we know they’re there,
the ghosts shimmer in the air—just out of view.
Over the past few days, every time I visit the Oracle, she gives me dreams and blue. The message above was from today. So, I went with it. We’ve had days and days of clouds and rain. The sun finally came out on Saturday, but then we had pouring rain yesterday. It’s sunny today, but it’s cold with gusty winds.
We managed to find a time to get together with daughter and son-in-law—sitting well apart outside on their deck. We ate Thai food–and got some puppy time (and then it rained again).
Merril’s Movie Club: On Halloween night, we ate pizza with my homemade pumpkin pie for dessert and watched His House (Netflix), a thoughtful horror movie about South Sudanese refugees in London, who are (literally) haunted by ghosts of their past as they try to adjust to living in a new place and culture. There were several scenes that made me jump, but it’s the kind of horror movie that I like because it makes you think–and of course, it’s timely.
Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings 
Your dreamlife and real life are getting entangled in the best way. Your grandfather looks like a 1950s French police commissaire 🙂
Thank you! It’s so funny because it wasn’t till after I posted it that I realized the title also had a double meaning. (Blue is Democratic Party; red is Republican–obviously, I want blue to win.). That grandfather was quite a character, but he was actually a bookie for a time in Atlantic City, so probably the opposite of a police commissaire. . .or maybe not. 😏 I wish I had known him better.
I wonder how many people looking at that photo think, I know that man from somewhere!
That’s funny. Maybe they do. He was very outgoing.
He might have been a figurant (can’t think of the word in English) in lots of films.
Like an extra?
Yes, that’s it!
I like figurant.
There are some words that get substituted. Probably like you, I prefer figurant to extra which sounds vaguely contemptuous 🙂
Yes, figurant has a sort of dreamy but still definite sound, while extra just sounds, well, extra. 😀
Figurants sound like statues, yes, dreamy. Extra is like surplus to requirements.
Yes, exactly!
🙂
Do you know who took that photo of your grandfather, Merril? He looks as though he’s heading out on an undercover mission of some sort. 🙂 I love the photo with the light coming through the trees. We had some major wind last night and now it’s much too cold for my liking. I laughed at “Mick’s” expression. I don’t think he wants to share his Thai!
I don’t know who took that photo, or the circumstances. There’s another one that I think my sister has of him on the Boardwalk. We used to call him Harry the Hat. 😀. I skipped my walk today–cold, gusty wind is not my thing. I guess we have your weather from yesterday.
My husband shared his spring rolls because they were vegetarian. 😀
Harry the Hat, that’s great! He looks like a Harry the Hat.
Hahaha. Doesn’t he? I have to find the photo of him on the AC Boardwalk.
I’d like to see that!
😀
Real dream. Excellent poem. We will be rooting for you.
Thank you very much, Derrick!
Love how the Oracle guides you and how you use her help to create these lovely poems that share your feelings and worries and hopes.
Will be keeping an eye on the goings on tomorrow with my hopes firmly placed towards blue…
Thank you so much. What’s funny is that I started writing–THEN checked the Oracle and got those words right away. Seems fated, right? 😀
Thank you–yes, I’m so anxious. . .
Absolutely! It was definitely fated or serendipitous!
I have zero doubt you are.
😀
The entanglement of dreams that send us into a mental tizzy. Love the pics and want a piece of pie. From where did your grandfather emigrate?
Thank you very much, Frank. The pie was delicious. 😀.
He emigrated from Kiev. His father went first, then he and siblings came with his mother. They sailed out of Trieste, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
There are sun diamonds playing on our lake just now, a happy resonance. Thanks, Merril!
Thank you, Marian.
What a dreamy poem! So colorful, like stories on a tapestry. Thank you for the movie recommendation. We’ll have to watch it. Lately we’ve been stuck in a Star Trek: The Next Generation and Longmire loop, with an occasional PBS show thrown in. I think we just settle down too late to watch a movie, and then Greg almost always falls asleep 😉
Thank you very much, Marie!
We can only watch a movie, if we have dinner at the same time–unless we watch in the afternoon. You can’t go wrong with Star Trek though. 😀
Dreams and poetry go together so well that sometimes it’s difficult to tell which is the dream and which is the poem. I agree with Jane about the picture of your grandfather. He looks familiar, as if he stepped out of a film. Your images are beautiful. Dreamy, like your poetry. 🙂 We finally got around to watching “Parasite” this weekend, somewhat suitable for Halloween given the turn it takes. I can’t remember if you’ve seen that one or not. I keep an ongoing list of Merril’s movies, adding them to my Netflix queue when I can (sometimes I can’t find them which means they probably don’t have them on DVD). I know that we’ve watched more than a few you’ve recommended, but I never remember to come back and mention it to you.
Thank you very much, Robin–about post and movie. Yes, we saw Parasite in the theater–just before it became the next big thing cause, you know, we’re trendsetters. 😀 Then we watched a couple more by the same director.
Quite a lot to muse about in this poem; you could rummage about the different lines and find something new if you read it again and again. I know that it is about ‘blue’, and yet, it makes me think of grey morning fog, just starting to lift…and maybe, a white wedding veil. You can’t quite see the bride’s face, but you will eventually. And her face tells a thousand stories…stories of all her beloveds before this wedding day, all the people who cherished her and gave her hope. You have done this dream-haze thing of mist and emotion so very well. That pie looks very good!
Thank you so much. I’m pleased that my words sent you off on your own imagining. It was mostly grey and misty this week when I was out, so you may have picked up on that.
The pie WAS good! 😀
🙂 🙂 🙂
😀
Merril, very interesting dream especially about grandfather. Taking from a section you wrote:
“announcing his presence with the scent of a cigar—”
(using puns presence is presents. scent is sent)
He is giving you a message that:
“Against the vivid red of anxiety curtains,” you already figured out red is republican menace
“he was calm, unperturbed, in a grey suit,”
There is no need to worry. Not sure what grey suit means but think about what you think of when you think of grey suits and maybe it will give you your answer.
Grandpa knows we are going to be safe ❤
Thank you, and I so hope you’re right. It would wonderful if that was the message.
I don’t think I ever had a deep conversation with either grandfather, but this one used to often bring lox, cream cheese, bagels, and a ton of other things for Sunday brunch, and it’s such a special memory.
You’re very welcome.
I just love “sun-diamond of if”! I’m going to have to remember it as my go-to metaphor for possibility.
Thank you very much! I really liked that, too–a gift from the Oracle. 😀
You’re welcome! Your Oracle is very generous.
She can be. 😀
I’ve been having ghost dreams too…full of questions. Your photos, as always, are a delight. Im glad you got some family time. (K)
Thank you very much, Kerfe!