Monday Morning Musings:
“And, as imagination bodies forth
The forms of things unknown, the poet’s pen
Turns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing
A local habitation and a name.
Such tricks hath strong imagination,
That, if it would but apprehend some joy,
It comprehends some bringer of that joy;
Or, in the night, imagining some fear,
How easy is a bush suppos’d a bear.”–William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act V, Scene 1
The Past and Future Merge
She soared high
amongst the stars,
weightless,
her mind everywhere,
she heard the universe sing
felt its rhythm in her soul,
it was part of her
and she of it,
had always been,
but unaware,
then,
before,
if there was a before and a then,
now she sang with the stars
and knew, she and they were one.
For a moment, she remembered—
a body unmoving on a bed in a white room,
beeping machines now silent,
a man with grief-streamed eyes–
now she saw,
as if looking in a mirror,
hundreds of her, stretching back and forth in time
they were her, and not her
different paths and different planes
all part of the universe,
she sang the songs of the stars and floated through space, time, dreams
Now
we wandered through bleak city streets
more like December than March
(but without the holiday cheer),
wet sidewalks with snow piled at the curb,
tinged grey from city dirt,
we walked into the theater,
found our seats
looked down on a stage,
bare, except for players with instruments,
sitting there,
we’re transported,
through time, space, dreams,
sixteenth-century English,
but timeless ideas,
love gone wrong and right,
couples bemused and bedazzled,
parted and reunited,
magic and fairies,
Oberon and Puck smoking a hookah,
watched what they’ve set in place,
musicians played
and displayed
impressive voices and skills,
(in double roles),
we laughed in delight
puckish Puck, the comical Bottom,
and the mixed-up lovers.
We got a treat at intermission
(for being subscribers)
then hurried back to see the conclusion,
watched the moon rise and set over the stage,
the fairy spells recast,
the lovers paired and married,
and the play within the play,
we applauded and rose,
happy to have been transported for a few hours–
the magic of theater
We discussed the play over coffee,
me sniffling a bit with a cold and the cold,
and both of us waiting for spring to return,
I said that in Shakespeare’s time
the play would probably be ruder,
I thought of the playwright’s wit and wisdom,
then and now the words hold true,
“Lord, what fools these mortals be!”
words transported through time and space,
a play about love and dreams and magic
The next morning, I slept late
(late for me that is),
still befuddled by the time change and the cold
in the night I had a dream,
a musical, like Mel Brooks mixed with a touch of David Lynch
sprinkled with bits of Carole King and Toni Morison,
literary and ludicrous,
I woke briefly,
then had another dream,
my cold had kept me from a regular Saturday class at the gym,
I dreamt the same instructor had a special Thursday class,
consisting
(so it seemed)
of alternating ab work and running,
instead of mats,
we had our winter coats spread in lines,
our spots on the gym floor,
I was there with some of my gym buddies,
die-hards
(a strange and slightly ominous word),
we ran,
panting and perspiring,
but there were others,
who stood about,
I noticed one man,
he wore a sweater vest,
After I woke, I laughed,
my subconscious mind makes bad puns.
and I thought about dreams and dreaming
and what a fool I might be
perhaps lacking reason,
but still able to dream,
and laugh,
thinking of mid-summer
in the winter weather,
turning shapes to fancy,
imagining creatures in the night,
giving them names
thinking of love, magical and irrational
yet somehow real,
throughout time and space
and in and out of dreams
I thought of how Chuck Berry died the other day,
but his music is traveling through the galaxy,
“Johnny B. Goode,”
the stars add rock and roll to their repertoire,
and the poet’s words have traveled through time,
read and performed in schools, jungles, prisons,
and perhaps in space,
today my words may travel across the globe
and be read in different spaces, various places,
my thoughts of dreams
traveling through space and time
By NASA/JPL (The Sounds of Earth Record Cover) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
The first section of this was inspired by Jane Dougherty’s Sunday Strange Microfiction Challenge. I didn’t have a chance to get the story in for the challenge. 🙂
Of course, I’ve always enjoyed Chuck Berry’s music, but whenever I hear his name I think of his cousin on the phone. 😉
😉
What a lovely poetic musing to come home to 🙂
Awww–thanks so much, Jane.
(I was wondering if you were away.) 🙂
In the land of no internet connection, so I did a lot of writing, saw spring arrive, trod on a baby hare (that was awful!) and saw some gorgeous birds. Now have to catch up!
It sounds idyllic–except for the baby hare. I don’t think I want to know the details about that.
I need to catch up today, too. 🙂
I didn’t kill it, and its mother came for it later, but it screamed horribly.
I hope the mom gave it a bit of TLC, and it is OK.
I hope so too. A hare than can’t run is not going to last long round there. Too many foxes.
Well, you didn’t miss a thing there Merril. Nicely done.
xxx Gargantuan Hugs xxx
Thank you very much, David! Huge hugs back to you!
I’ve been thinking about Chuck Berry singing to the stars and planets, too, as his song travels through space and time. I wonder what the stars think of it?
Another collection of beautiful musings, Merril. 🙂
Thank you, Robin.
I imagine the stars pulsing along with it. 🙂
“She sang beyond the genius of the sea” could be “she sang beyond the genius of the stars” here. I love the way your mind starts somewhere and travels far and then returns. You are so lucky to see the play. Can you believe I have never seen Midsummer’s? Makes me sad to think of that!
Thank you so much, Luanne.
(Can you believe I didn’t know the poem? Thank you for that reference. )
It’s too bad you’re not nearby. This is a delightful production. I liked how the actors played dual roles and also sang and played instruments.
Oh, I would love to see it! A friend’s daughter was in it in Baltimore last summer. It was done outside.
I imagine it’s a popular play to do outdoors.
It sounds really fun that way–and the one you saw as well. They actually did it at my daughter’s school her senior year. The drama teacher said he had her in his mind for Titania, but unfortunately we had my drama with the tumor in my foot and she didn’t do the show. UGH.
Well, we’ve discussed our daughters’ awful HS senior years–but things have gotten better. Maybe your daughter will be in a professional version someday.
LOL. Maybe ;). I just felt bad that my foot had to mess up her senior year, but then in the middle of her MT auditions she of course broke her own ankle, as I know I told you. Bad luck comes in droves.
Your subconscious and conscious mind at work in this dreamy reflection. The hookah made me think Midsummer Night’s Dream must have been a contemporary production. Like you, I’m in the slushy snow nowadays.
Lovely Monday morning musings. (My guess: you got up after 5:30 a.m.!)
Thank you, Marian.
The production was not really set in any particular time, but sort of contemporary, I suppose. Puck had bright teal hair.
I slept till 6:30 yesterday morning! 🙂
At least we had sunshine today for the first day of spring.
Love the concepts you bring out in this musing, Merril. Words spanning space and time. The past then and now and future. The present now and future. The future spinning through the past, our present, their present, the next future.
Thank you very much, Carol. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Sometimes everything seems connected and eternal to me. 🙂
“today my words may travel across the globe”
It’s an amazing thought, and I don’t know why I don’t think of it like that. So glad for this space that allows your words to travel. 🙂
That’s so kind, Jennifer. Thank you!
Very nicely done, Merril. That first section I found quite mystical. The way you linked the play and you own dreams was lovely. please get rid of that cold.
Thank you very much, Derrick, for your detailed comment.
I think the cold is about gone. Thank you!
I was almost in tears when I read the first part – reminded me of a recent death of a dearly loved friend. Thank you Merril, this is very lovely. As are the rest of your musings – Hope you’re over the cold and that your weather perks up a bit.
So sorry to have you in tears, Susan.
I wrote this post before I read your post about your friend, but again, I’m so sorry for your lost.
Thank you for your kind words. Yesterday was sunny for the first day of spring. It’s kind of gloomy today, but my cold’s about gone.
It was good to read your beautiful writing – most poetic – it moved me. So please take back the sorry! I thank you for your words! Glad the cold’s almost gone. A bright and warm day here – Harry the cat is in process of taking leave I think .. such is life, and death …
Thank you, Susan.
The poetry in the woman or girl in the stars, the man dying in his white sheets covered hospital bed. . . I am winging it with remembering the transcendent nature of Life and Death, stars and moon. The NASA music and metallic kind of look were surreal.
I love Shakespeare comedies like this one, Merril. How marvelous to think of mid-summer while walking where snow is.
We saw this as an outdoor play with the witches and fairies in the woods were like tall puppets on poles while their carriers ran through trees. (Schiller Park, German Village).
So sorry about your cold. boo!
“Taming of the Shrew” and “As You Like It” are also great! Too much to say but liked this a lot!
Thank so much, Robin. I’m glad my musing made you muse. 🙂
I imagine “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is a frequent choice for outdoor performances. The fairy puppets sound fun. We saw “The Tempest” outdoors at a winery a few years ago.
Since you like the Shakespeare comedies, you might enjoy the movie version of “Much Ado About Nothing” that Joss Whedon did a few years ago. It’s a modern setting with many of the actors he’s used in “Buffy” and “Firefly.”
I have seen “Much Ado about Nothing,” this particular movie was wonderful on the big screen! So glad you suggested it, since there may be others who haven’t seen it.
Oh, Merril! The fairies enchanted my teenaged children and me! They remind me of the stellar designer of “Lion King” tall puppets but not quite so amazing. The use of setting “Taming of the Shrew” back to 1800’s where Katherine wears jodhpurs, along with snapping her own whip amused me. While my “boy” always wished for the drama’s with sword fighting! It was a great activity for me, as a single Mom with limited finances with free offering, passing hats literally, during the intermission. I would bring blankets and picnic meal.
The donations taken enhanced productions. I have wondered if they may have filled out for arts grants to finance or generous patrons. . .
When we saw The Tempest at the winery, it was free, but they also asked for donations at intermission. Of course, we came early and bought pizza and wine, but there were people who came just for the performance. Even with grants, theater groups, museums, etc., need money.