From Beyond the Dream-Catcher

[I'm going to attempt this for the first time, because I already spend too much time writing; what's another poem a day? [s]I think I'll try to focus on everything to do with dreams, fantasies, hopes, wishes, hallucinations, illusions, nightmares, etc. [/s] I decided that I cannot do 30 poems on dreams, so I'm going to go completely random and write about anything under the sun. So, let's see how long until I self-destruct. Don't expect anything readable to result from this.]

April 1

__Beyond the dream-catcher,
________there is a world
____of jeering shadows,
_________and a world
____of broken souls
_________ ___from nightmares past.

__Do they taunt you from behind the web?
_____Struggling for freedom,
_________waiting for the feather to fall,
_______________the beads to break,
____________________and the magic to fail us
__________________________as we sleep.

____What of the innocent ones,
__________who rest in bliss?
______________Will their dreams be dashed
________________when their fantasies fade
______________________under the claw of nightmares?

___ Let the sunshine through
_________your window-pane.
____________And may you hope to never know
________________what awaits on the other side,
_____________________what terrors watch us
__________________________from beyond the dream-catcher.



NOTE: I tried to format it with spaces, so that everything wasn't all exactly aligned like it is here, but YWS rejected my wishes and decided to post it this way instead. So.

EDIT: Thanks to Jabber's and Rosey's sage advice, I have managed to format it as I wished, though it took a heck of a lot of bbCode to do it.

This should be able to work with the melody to 'A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes' from Cinderella for the most part.

April 2

Then Why Won't my Heart Let Me Sleep?

If a dream is a wish my heart makes,
then why won't my heart let me sleep?
If in dreams, I should lose my heartaches,
then why is this darkness so deep?

If rainbows are moments away now,
then why won't this storm leave me be?
If these nightmares are taking their last bows,
then why can't the sunshine reach me?

I've had faith, I've believed; what else is there,
when I've followed the rules for a while?
My whispers aren't heard, and it's not fair
that now dreams don't come with a smile.

If a dream is a wish my heart makes,
then why won't my heart let me sleep?

And, because I'm lazy and too busy today to come up with something longer that's not painful to read, a haiku!

April 3

My dreams are drowning
and they will not resurface
'til I stop crying.

I'm so glad you're doing this Evi! Your middle poem be my favorite.

Disclaimer: The following poem is deeply and tragically horrible on a whole new level. Don't say I didn't warn you.

April 4

Yesterday, my treasure was found.
Unburied, ransacked, destroyed,
and strewn across the sandy shores
in a million pieces.

My lock was picked,
with careful hands of those who hate.
But what does it matter anyway?
It was rusted beyond repair.

I hear my gold in their pockets.
Jingling, ringing, rattling,
and I think they hear me as I shout,
but they do not come back.

The next ship has set sail,
and left me here, alone,
with only my empty treasure chest
to keep me company.

But there are other shells to find,
and more gold to pocket,
and many sunsets to capture,
and millions of jewels that no one will steal.

When I find them, when they wash ashore,
I'm going to gather them all
and hide them away in my treasure chest
with a lock that isn't rusted.

I actually like the last one! I mean, it could do with some revision, but I love the idea and the way you used symbolism and all that good stuff. I"m glad you're doing this too.

These are fantastic, Evi. o_o I really like the last three, anyway. The first one I think needs that format you were talking about. What I did for my poem was use the underscore ___ to scoot the line to wherever I need it. Try using that next time? (And if you're using the default skin, Rosey had suggested to make the lines white so people can't see them. ^_^)

The haiku was brilliant! When I read the forward in your post, I was thinking, Oh, boy..., but it really turned out great! Short, sweet, and deep to the point. ^_^

Evi! Why in the world have I never gold-starred your poetry? o_o

I just love Dreamcatcher. It's beautiful. And thanks to Then Why Won't my Heart Let Me Sleep?, I have "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" running through my head at the moment. I liked the haiku a lot.

The final one, hmm, it was a bit confusing until the end. I though she would wait for the ships to sink (History nut, so that whole senario reminded me of the Spanish Armada and their invasion of Mexico), and the lock bit threw me but at the same time it was my favourite stanza.

(And, yes, bbcCode takes a lot of time. Reason I always double-check it. )

Eek! I'm a day behind! *scrambles* This next one is my least favorite of all so far (which is a euphamism for my deep, passionate hatred of it) so bear with me. The second one I actually kind of like.

April 6, Part One

I Don't believe a Word

I've chosen to inform you,
that I don't believe a word.
Not true, I say, just angry shouts;
I'll pretend I haven't heard.

And you should know that I don't see
the venom in your eyes.
It works its way inside of me,
but really, they're just lies.

Our conversation's bitter turn
was clearly a mistake.
And when we both can breathe again,
I'll mend the cracks and breaks.

So go on, leave, blow off your steam,
but be back within the hour.
And when you're ready to apologize,
bring me chocolate, and flowers.

April 6, Part Two

Word of the Day

The dictionary endures, concrete and absolute.
Words woven into flowing phrases,
knowledge collecting at the edges
in crystal clear puddles
that are deeper than they look.

Silent letters are the whisperers,
gathering in multitudes for the moment
when they'll finally be heard
in choruses of millions, their voices chanting
in waves of invisible riots.

The pronunciation key is dejected, battered and
bruised, their cries for recognition fading
with every incorrect syllable.
For what are they but more bothersome rules,
set to govern our tongues?

There is a page that is gone,
ripped from the middle, and it has left
a jagged line of half-definitions
that leave me wondering,
what exactly 'lugubrio' means without the 'us'?

The bookcases are left empty, gathering cobwebs,
because what use is a dictionary lying on the shelf?
I read, making anagrams from the longest syllables,
until I come up with one confusing enough
to become my Word of the Day.

Thank goodness for limericks!

April 7

NaPoWriMo is truly insane,
though it really does jump-start the brain.
And I really don't care,
if completion is rare,
'Cause only twenty-three poems remain.

Behind. Agian. *sigh* This is much more-time demanding than I had anticipated.

April 9, Poem One

The Only Wrong Paths

No, love, I'm afraid that
I can't let you make that turn.
Your headlights aren't on,
your map's on the floor,
and the moonlight won't be a bright enough guide.

Sorry, dear, but that's a dead end.
The street ends in overgrown forests
that creak as each car drvies by,
and who knows if there's even a way back?
You'll just have to wait here, until they re-pave the road.

Stop, sweetie, you've veered again.
Can't you see the destination
is that way, past the shattered light?
Can't you tell that going in this direction
will lead you nowhere, into expanses of wasted sunlight?

Wait, please, just while I check this ticket
to make sure you're authoized to be here.
To make sure that this journey is more
than a lost soul's pointless wanderings,
and that you won't burn each bridge that you walk over.

No, love, I'm afraid that
you've set your sights on the unattainable,
and that road bends and winds far too much
for such a fragile traveler as you.
Why is it that you have to be determined to take the only wrong paths left?

April 9, Poem Two

According to Jenny

According to Jenny,
you told her she was the only one
in second grade,
and you sealed the promise
with a flower.

So, the question must be asked;
is this rose you give
worth the thorns that come along?
Or should I stomp on the betrayal,
and help Jenny water her garden?

Evi, I really, really love the wrong paths poem, and also this:

So, the question must be asked;
is this rose you give
worth the thorns that come along?
Or should I stomp on the betrayal,
and help Jenny water her garden?

Oh, Jenny. <3

April 11, Poem One

Don't you remember?
You would dance in daffodils,
and make the sun sing.

Lovely, Evi.

I'm actually catching up! O.o Why didn't anyone warn me how completely insane NaPo is?

These were all written last night, under my covers with a flashlight.

April 14: one, two, three

I Dare You, Love

I dare you, love,
to say that again.
Spin your lies around my dreams
until I’m stuck behind a web.

I dare you, love,
to hit me one more time,
to kick me while I’m down,
until the dirt and I have similar ambitions

I dare you, love, to take that sunshine,
and warp it into your own
twisted nightmare until
I can’t see through the dark anymore.

I dare you, love,
to try and wipe this smile right off of
my face; it would be easy, you know.
According to you, I’m fragile anyway.

But, oh, love, what is this?
Are you afraid, now that I’m stronger?
Look closely at me and decide now.
Is this dare worth taking on?

***

The Azaleas are Listening

Cry softly, dear; the azaleas are listening.
You wouldn't want them to gossip of your pain.
Love harder, please; I can't feel your soul
behind this sheet of ice supposed to save you.

Leave the light on; the dark hides more than lies,
but, really, are you even searching anymore?
What was it that used to be so important to you, anyway?
But now you've burnt the only bridge left to lead you home.

Listen closely, now; see how the wind wails for you?
That's the cry of everyone you've ever hurt.
Can you not hear them through your own tears?
Are you blinded by the sunshine you're trying to reach?

Stop, just for a moment; look into my eyes.
I see the sorrows yours reflect, yes,
but you've got to let go of the anchor that pulls you down,
and just let the ship sink, to bury its debris in the sands below.

Be brave, for once; don't fade behind that curtain.
Sure, it's there for your protection, to keep you safe
and at a distance, but the pain will still be real.
After all, the curtain's but a fabrication.

Heartbeat

The sky pulses with thunder,
the clouds expanding
so that they can hold all the tears.
And that wind, I swear, it has a
____________________h
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The gusts mirror my sighs,
but am I not being more dramatic?
What right do they have?
Trying claim my tears with words of
________________________________c
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Your heart needs less mending, love,
so don't you try and steal this starlight.
They shine only for me, you see?
Each twinkle like an echo of my
_____________________________h
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___________________________a
____________________________r
_____________________________t
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