Unspeakable Dreams and Visible Voices
I had the most disturbing dreams last night — dreams that I don't want to share with anyone, though I wish I knew what they meant — and if they meant nothing, I wish I knew why I dreamed them. But enough of the unspeakable....
Tonight (21 August) at 7 p.m., I'm emceeing a reading at Visible Voice Books, 1023 Kenilworth, in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland, where the featured poets will be Lou Suarez, Jack Vanek and Eric Anderson.
Meanwhile, here's a combination of dream and Visible Voice — a clip of me reading "Met a Mat, a Door I Didn't Like" (from my chapbook 6/9: Improvisations in Dependence), recorded by Dianne Borsenik on 4 August 2010 when she and I had the pleasure of sharing a bill with Trenchcoat Manifesto. If you missed it, you can catch Richard Hearn and Tom Adams of Trenchcoat Manifesto doing a multimedia show at Mastroianni Arts (2648 W. 14th Street) in Tremont on 10 September. I'll be there.
Tonight (21 August) at 7 p.m., I'm emceeing a reading at Visible Voice Books, 1023 Kenilworth, in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland, where the featured poets will be Lou Suarez, Jack Vanek and Eric Anderson.
Lou Suarez is the author of two book-length collections of poetry, Ask and Traveler, and three poetry chapbooks, Losses of Moment , The Grape Painter, and On U.S. 6 to Providence. He is currently professor emeritus at Lorain County Community College.
Eric Anderson is the author of a novella, Isn't That Just Like You?, and a poetry chapbook, Confederate Season. He has work forthcoming in The Sun and North American Review.
John (Jack) Vanek is the author of a book of poems, Heart Murmurs. His novel manuscript won a Helen McCloy scholarship from the Mystery Writers of America and was awarded 1st Place at the Writers in Paradise Conference.
Meanwhile, here's a combination of dream and Visible Voice — a clip of me reading "Met a Mat, a Door I Didn't Like" (from my chapbook 6/9: Improvisations in Dependence), recorded by Dianne Borsenik on 4 August 2010 when she and I had the pleasure of sharing a bill with Trenchcoat Manifesto. If you missed it, you can catch Richard Hearn and Tom Adams of Trenchcoat Manifesto doing a multimedia show at Mastroianni Arts (2648 W. 14th Street) in Tremont on 10 September. I'll be there.
Posted by Jesus Crisis at 8/21/2010 7:53 AM 
Categories: Poetry Events, Poetry by JC, Dreams and Supernatural
Tags: Dianne Borsenik Visible Voice Eric Anderson Jack Vanek Cleveland Poetry Lou Suarez LCCC Trenchcoat Manifesto
Categories: Poetry Events, Poetry by JC, Dreams and Supernatural
Tags: Dianne Borsenik Visible Voice Eric Anderson Jack Vanek Cleveland Poetry Lou Suarez LCCC Trenchcoat Manifesto
I love Eric Anderson's poetry & kind presence.
Dreams can be bad sometimes. Sometimes they can be wonderful. I think they are meant to be lessons to us. Or metaphors. Or cautionary statements. Or alternate realities.
It is good to believe in waking dreams as well. Waking dreams seem to almost always be wonderful, for me. What a wonderful dream the immediate is, no?
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I only know Eric's work from his chapbook, which won a contest at LCCC and which I very much like -- so I'm looking forward to meeting him in person and hearing him live for the first time tonight. I always enjoy hearing Jack and especially Lou.
I think in many ways every thing we perceive, even when "awake," is a dream.
Usually I relish unusual dreams. But mine last night were rare in that while I enjoyed them to a surprising degree while dreaming them, they turned fearful, and I didn't realize how fearful until I awoke. It could be said that I dreamed last night of the worst thing in the world I could have dreamed about -- something I would have thought unimaginable -- and that I enjoyed it in the least degree frightens me.
For now I prefer to focus on "the wonderful dream" of the immediate that you've invoked.
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Often we try to work out things out in our dreams whether is is a problem or emotion. Or fears surface for us to look at... especially if they are disturbing dreams.
I've found for myself to look at the images and metaphors in a dream is helpful. Our minds use images like language and we can sometimes discover the meaning by actually writing out or speaking a description of a dream. We can sometimes see the link between the image and what it stands for in our lives at that moment.
Often dream images are very literal, visual representations of feelings.
If you have the energy and a few moments time it is worth exploring it.
Often things we don't want to look at or are afraid to look at comes to us in this way because we won't face it or look at it we submerge the feelings and they come up as images.
I remember many, many years ago when I was going thru somethings with my husband I had a period of very disturbing dreams and for me at that time they represented fear and anxiety about important choices. It's different for people but the one constant is strong dreams reflect strong emotions.... good or bad.
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I want that shirt! Send it to me!
as a trained (LCSW) Licensed Clinical Social Worker one phone conversation would make it speakable and somewhat understandable - a cohesive start...
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John, you are all the people in your dream. I hope that gives you some insight. In other words, your dream is a scenario that you created. Obviously something is bothering you deeply. Could be personal, could be just what's going on in the world. The fact is, the answer is inside you. Maybe you should write about it...privately.
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That was sort of what I was trying to say too Tara. When it's something like a dream and is symbolic then as you said all those elements are part of you so the answer is there too. I like the way you phrased it though.
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Thanks, Chris. I don't read the other comments before I put out mine or I am afraid I will be influenced. We did have the same idea. It was actually a psychiatrist who told me that I am all the people in my dream.
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A treasure trove of videos on Jung on You Tube and I'm gradually viewing some of them as I have time.
But one of the things that was shared about Jung and the work he did with dreams was interesting regarding the Shadow or the shadow part of ourselves and how we resist integrating those into our conscious awareness. And they often show themselves to us in our dreams. That is where our inner personal struggles often arise.. is this unawareness or inability to integrate this vast part of ourselves into out whole.
A storehouse he says of great wisdom for us when we do. Though evidently a fearful place to go for most of us. I suppose because all that dwells in the darkness appears frightening until it's brought to light.. like a "phantom" or like whitman used in his poem an eilolion (sic).
Anyway.... since you are a fellow lover of Jung... something to think about if you haven't already with regard to your disturbing dreams.
In the Red Book Jung recounts some very fearful dreams he had about murder of a small child etc.. very real and intense imagery and how he worked with those images..
anyway... food for thought.
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I appreciate all the comments - I'm still in the process of responding inwardly, though it may not translate into an outward response.
Interesting you mention Jung, as I just picked up a slim volume by him (called The Undiscovered Self) at the library....
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