Thursday, March 3, 2011

In Dreams We Wake

stranger at the door




peering through the screen door
a face gathered my image for the taking
and whispered to me, "come out to play."


red rusted mesh bestowed color to darkness
lit by a winking eye flashing white on night.


"do I know you?" I questioned. "your voice
is strange to me." my jolted finger touched
the latch.


"all too well," was the fizzled reply.  "flip 
the latch and step into your nighttide." 


I slipped sideways through a timid portal. 
"what shall we play?" I asked.  "where did
you go?"  no one answered.  no one was there.                                                      
in breathy silence I spun back and peered 
through the screen.  weighing the image behind
red rusted mesh, I gathered my face for the taking. 


from kindled lips I whispered, 
"come out to play." 



Poem © 2011 by R. Burnett Baker 
Acrylic on canvas, 16"x 20", by R. Baker, 1982. 

10 comments:

  1. shazam andy! this gave me goosebumps

    oh there is definitely a message in this dream
    Kindled lips...ooooo!

    and I loved that piece of artwork...
    ..first look I saw writing on a heart
    ancient writing....

    I always check for your new postings too :)

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  2. whew...this is a briliant write...love that is was you...i am ready...lets play...

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  3. this is an outstanding piece of writing rick - steven

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  4. Enigmatic and irresistible! I especially like "gathered my face for the taking". Nice one, Rick.

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  5. Cool - dark - mysterious - nice one RBB.

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  6. Suz, Steve, Brian, Tess, Ollie: Thank you all for your generous comments! I've been rather "dry" lately in the inspiration department. Haven't felt much like writing. But looking at an old painting I did years ago, I saw something in it I'd never seen, and thus this little bit of writing. The painting is framed now, and hanging in my living room. And I'd never really liked it much 'til I framed it. The frame is the most interesting part if it, in my opinion. But then the frames in our lives, are often the most interesting parts of our lives.... Thanks to you all!

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  7. A bit of Leonard Cohen... a touch of Ray Bradbury... nice!

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  8. Please feel free to share 1 to 3 poems with our potluck poetry today, first time participants could use old poems or poems unrelated to our theme, Thanks..
    Happy Monday!

    love your blog, your poetry is impressive!

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