Dreams & Lilies

Speaking of lilies, as I was yesterday, here is Lily by Angus McDonald, the Escape Into Life artist who is paired with poet W. F. Lantry in today's new poetry feature. Many thanks to EIL for allowing me to use the artist's images when I announce the poetry features here!

This appears to be a true Lilium, unlike yesterday's Daylily, a Hemerocallis.

Bill's first poem is called "Songe" and I had to be reminded that this means "dream" in French. Then it perfectly paired with McDonald's painting Dreams.  

Phrases from the poems connect to the other painting, Melon and Shawl, of a woman in her bed, phrases like "in this darkened room," "I've built her many things: crafted a bed, /white wood and copper...," and "can almost see her arm / encircled by a gold inscription." Oh, go see!

I love my job!

But I do hope W.F. Lantry doesn't think I think he's a melon...

I have been having intense morning dreams on these beautiful late spring, summery mornings. The birds, the sunshine, the early-morning garbage trucks, all are urging me up and outdoors while the dreams, too, are waking me up to what's in my subconscious.

Lately, this has been the inevitable loss of a friend, peaceful at the moment on her deathbed, surrounded by her family. On the morning I would hear the news of her latest health crisis, I had dreamed of a mother figure in a little house in the woods.

Later, I connected the house to her vacation cabin, lost in a California fire. The two losses were coming together in the "darkened room" of my mind.

And now, out I go into the summer light.