Remembering the Reason

author's note:

Remembering poet Donald Hall, 1928-2018


REMEMBERING THE REASON

I believe
when we open our eyes
on the day of birth
we forget

our reason for being born

then spend the rest of our lives
trying to remind ourselves
in dreams.

To be honest
I often miss those reminders
because I'm reluctant to look
at what I've dreamt:

such disappointment
when I witness my weakness

but also a shock
when a dream reveals
a strength disowned

and after seeing both
one and other
I'm again confronted
with the great challenge:
to rise above one
so I can reach the other.

I believe this work to be
our reason for being born.

So, though I'm reluctant
I still want to look.

© 2018, Michael R. Patton
searching for my best beliefs: poetry ebook

Before a Step

author's note:

I may be a fraidy cat.  But I'm a fraidy cat with curiosity.


BEFORE A STEP

In the dream, a door swings open

as if daring me to step inside.

I want to accept
but because I see
only darkness beyond
I hesitate

even though I know
I'll eventually step--
just because I'm so
damn curious.

If I'd employed that guide
I wouldn't feel this fear

but without fear
how I can realize my strength?

Yes, when I finally step
at first, I'll feel lost

but whatever path I then find
will be my own.

© 2018, Michael R. Patton
what I learned while alone: poetry ebook

Inferno Dog

author's note:

I believe the whole human race has entered the borderland.


INFERNO DOG

Last night, I again saw that dog
with the spinning inferno eyes--

the one that wants
to lead me from this scrub land
and into and through
the forest so dense.

In a previous dream
I'd stopped at that twilight border--
afraid to enter the extreme
shadowy wonder...
even with the guide dog.

However this time
I forced myself to step

only to trip
over my own shoelaces:

as in other dreams
my laces had somehow gotten tangled.

So once again, I knelt down
and worked to un-knot knots

as the dog watched,
a smile at the corners of its mouth--
it knows I know
I can't escape the inevitable.

© 2018, Michael R. Patton
my war for peace: poetry ebook

Sleeping with the Whale

author's note:

"Don't wake him up.  He's got insomnia--he's trying to sleep it off."
        -- from the Marx Bros.' A Night at the Opera


SLEEPING WITH THE WHALE

When I wake up
in the depth of night
I often feel a lump
--a whale hump--
beneath my dream pillow.

I'll then adjust my head
and shift and twist
but I can only ever get
semi-comfortable:

the truth is,
in my heart I sense
the beast waiting for me
beneath the waves...

even at rest we don't rest--

both day and night
we're learning
how to ride this whale.

© 2018, Michael R. Patton
what I learned while alone: poetry ebook