Dread

abigfatcanofworms Uncategorized March 5, 2023March 5, 2023 1 Minute

the dream by lara zankoul

sleep is not escape

for she plants
her webbed feet
on any sleeper’s stomach

sits like beauty
framed and sure
keeper of

feathered dreams
where muscles
wilt to nothing

and with wings
quite tundra pale
they sail 

and sail alike
dread's feet like paddles
in belly softness

and beyond
where windows wink
square black eyes

astrologers note
a peculiar
transit of Venus.

Published by abigfatcanofworms

We all walk in the dark. But if we hold hands, perhaps the dark won't be as scary. View all posts by abigfatcanofworms

Published March 5, 2023March 5, 2023

7 thoughts on “Dread”

johnlmalone says:

March 5, 2023 at 7:57 pm

an evocative opening and dreamy imagery that doesn’t quite gell with its title. Dread’ ; love that second last stanza —

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1. abigfatcanofworms says:
  
  March 5, 2023 at 8:28 pm
  
  Thanks for your honesty, John. The swan in the image was personifying dread. THat feeling of weight on your gut. Swans probably aren’t characteristically the form that dread takes in people’s minds but that was part of the challenge I set myself. I’ll definitely take your comment on board.
  
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2. abigfatcanofworms says:
  
  March 5, 2023 at 8:32 pm
  
  I’ve made a slight alteration in the third last stanza to try and bring the discomfort back.
  
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  1. johnlmalone says:
    
    March 5, 2023 at 8:33 pm
    
    good move; I’ll dash over and look
    
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johnlmalone says:

March 5, 2023 at 8:35 pm

yes, that works better, Worms

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1. abigfatcanofworms says:
  
  March 5, 2023 at 8:45 pm
  
  👍
  
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coalblack says:

March 11, 2023 at 12:02 pm

There is a novel by Shirley Hazzard called “Transit of Venus” in which, if memory serves (I read it a lonnng time ago), two sisters have lost their parents who died when the boat they were aboard sank. The boat was called the Benbow, and it ends up being a metaphor for the things that scare each one of us, scar us, test us, and steep us in sorrow. Everyone has a Benbow, and your closing made me think of it.

–Shay

ps–we chose the same image! I didn’t get back on line until last night but I linked late to the Muse. Great minds think alike! 😛

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