New Poem: “Dreams”…..

watercolor, Jane Kohut-Barfels, 2009, Untitled

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This is a very new poem, and one that I wrote very fast. I wanted to get down something I have been struggling with, the issue of ‘trusting the gut’ and the issue of creativity: where does it come from, and how to access/trust it.

This last fall I wrote a three part essay, posted on this blog:  “Courage to Create”.  It was about some of the fundamental issues of creativity and the roadblocks (in our lives and in society) pertaining to that issue. One of the conclusions I came to is we can be of the greatest blockage towards our  creativity by our own behavior:  ‘stroking our wounds’, refusing to do the hard work to access our creativity (which might be therapy with a therapist instead of our friends) , and also refusing to trust our gut to get us out of such situations.  We can dwell in the confusion and dismay and complain about it forever.  I know.  It took me decades to resolve some issues, but I always knew that deep inside, the possibilities of creativity was still there…through thick and thin times, through family assaults and by total strangers.

Actually, I came to the conclusion that there was a precious ‘centeredness’ that never abandoned a truly creative person, though it could go underground from long time to long time.  Although the first two parts of the essay lay the basis,  the last part, the third part gives some answers as to  my conclusions on this issue of creativity. This particular poem was a nudge towards ‘trusting your gut’ and is something I have experienced over and over. Dreams are a powerful generator of our own creativity.

Finally, it’s a simple poem, but it gave me direction in this ‘trusting yourself’.

Lady Nyo

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Dreams

 

In the outer reaches of the night

Where the thrumming of the brain

Is stilled,

The possibilities of dreams

Are sharpened, knives cutting through

The confusion, dismay of day.

 

In the ink of night

The solitude apart

Oh, the possibilities

A suspended reality

Brought to our minds

And here is where

Creation is born;

Not gelled in a brick-like mortar

But fragile, tender

Elusive with promise,

Seducing with such promise.

 

You know the dreams

Before you wake?

The songs you hear,

The verse you write

When asleep, the day

Not begun nor you stirring

From such comfort?

 

Hold tight to their seduction.

They announce your resurrection

Into a mystic realm

Where creativity becomes reality

And the thrumming of the brain

Is of an effortless ploy.

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Jane Kohut-Bartels

Copyrighted, 2015

Tags: 3 part essay, courage to create, dreams, Jane Kohut-Bartels, New Poem, Rollo May on "The Courage to Create", where does creativity come from? Trusting our guts and dreams