Wednesday 12 November 2014

POETRY JAM - DREAM


“The tragedy of life is in what dies inside a man while he lives - the death of genuine feeling, the death of inspired response, the awareness that makes it possible to feel the pain or the glory of other men in yourself.” - Norman Cousins

Poetry Jam this week adopts the theme of “Dream”. Participants are encouraged to: “Write a new poem connected with dream.” Here is my contribution:

Shipwreck

I loaded all my dreams
On a sea-faring ship
That sails the seven seas.

I stowed all my dreams
- My dreams that cannot swim -
On that long-awaited ship
Knowing from the beginning
That the ship would founder.

And yet, I piled all my dreams
On that proud, tall ship
And with my own two hands
Parted the sea so that my ship
Would sink and my dreams would drown.

If my ship’s cargo still shows
Through shallow waters
I shall keep on crying
Till my tears will make the oceans overflow
Covering up my shipwreck in a deep watery grave.

I loaded all my hopes
All my dreams and my illusions
On that ship that has been sunk...

17 comments:

  1. It is very sad when a person drowns his own dreams while he is yet alive. Unfortunately, I think many people do do this to themselves.

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  2. Beautiful and melancholy poem, Nicholas. Our English teacher defined "tragedy" as a situation where each character finds themselves in a predicament where they know that what they do will result in a terrible outcome and yet they proceed with that action. How many of us know that a love affair we start will not end well, but simply proceed because at the time there seems to be no other choice... Tragic!

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  3. It's like rushing blindfolded towards the edge of the cliff...sometimes we would simply not pay heed to our insight and be driven by impulses...many of us have witnessed such shipwrecks..ugh...nice write Nick :)

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  4. Sinking hopes,,,,,,,,though not good but mat be there is a better tomorrow even without them.

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  5. Well it is part of life. You could have played it safe in a nice sensible little cruiser but you chose the magnificent sailing schooner had some spectacular times knowing it was headed for the rocks. Fortunately you are a good swimmer and lived to tell the tale. Now you can get a new set of dreams.You know that old Aussie expression...get back up on deck and fight the bastards! You will too ! x

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  6. Nice write.
    Dreams are just along for the ride. We decide if our dreams make it or not. We even decide if it is a dream worth taking along. It is sad when we have set our sails for failure, knowing we will eventually be drowning those dreams. Happens all the time unfortunately. BUT...
    There are always new ships to sail and new dreams waiting on the dock! Climb aboard a new one and load on some new, maybe even better, dreams... consider some that at least know how to tread water!

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  7. This is like life in a bottle and really works with a the ship sailing into the void of dreams. A lot here and great images.

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  8. Now this is a sad poem and you used the images and metaphors well. I do hope all your dreams have not sunk!

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  9. the image of the sunken ship makes me sad, such a treasured cargo? is there hope for salvage; maybe another poem huh?

    much love...

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  10. What a melancholy poem, yet beautiful through its use of metaphor. It is true we often sink our own ships and that is tragic.

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  11. Your poem reminded me of a Swedish ship that sank in Stockholm harbor in 1628. I wonder how any dreams were drowned then.

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  12. Nicholas,

    Something of the ship titled 'Good Hope,' comes to mind when reading your poem..Sadly sometimes life and our desired expectations can run aground...lost forever. Perhaps a passing dream, may add a chance of escape!!
    Superb response to the prompt!!

    Eileen

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  13. Well said. Burying dreams and hopes while still living is truly a tragedy.

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  14. Very nice! I like the life drama you presented here. Nice presentation, too --- the illustration is perfect.

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