My dreams have been odd and memorable in these first few weeks of school. In one I was trying to save dozens of struggling bat-like, kitten-like creatures covered in burrs which were strangling them. Then the creatures morphed into full orange kittens with little black striped feet, the cutest little “socks” — until I realized someone had drawn them on with Sharpie markers.
In another one I was diving into turbulent water for my pairs of shoes that were sitting neatly on the ground beneath the tide that had unexpectedly risen. A woman reached out to rescue me, but once she had me on her boat, she injected me with something. Somehow I knew that she was kidnapping me to be her embroidery slave. (Yes, embroidery slave. No, I don’t know how to embroider! lol) When I awoke, I punched her, so she injected me again. When I woke the next time, I complained, “That’s not fair! I should be able to hit you once for drugging and kidnapping me before you drug me again!”
Finally, in my most recent dream, I was exclaiming to the doctor, “How can I be pregnant!? And with twins!? I’m 54 years old!”, but inside, in my dream, I was also thinking, Oh, this explains everything. No wonder I’m so dang tired. It all makes sense now.
In other words, restful sleep is doubly precious these days.
Saturday morning after the first week back at school
(with apologies to Robert Frost)
A single crow
in a maple tree
sang the morning
awake for me.
Clarion clear,
first thing I heard.
I grumbled, rolled over
and flipped it the bird.
©Molly Hogan
Here’s hoping you’re enjoying restful nights.
This week’s Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted by Denise Krebs at her blog, Dare to Care. She’s sharing a wonderful In One Word poem inspired by April Halprin Wayland. Check it out and perhaps you’ll learn a new word just like I did!
Nix the comfort zone 
Oh, Molly.🙊 (But now you mention it – a peewee has been pinging out our windows again – and I am not very impressed with its repetitive, relentless donks at such an early hour.)
I read recently that banana tea is good for sleep, because of magnesium/potassium content. There’s recipes all over google, if you get to that point. Methinks there’s too much stress in your life.🙁
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Oh, I suspect I’d like to hear a peewee–at least for a little bit. (I’ll have to google it later.) I really am sleeping fine, just dreaming a lot. I’ve always had weirdly detailed dreams when I can remember them. In college I had a friend who was convinced I was seriously disturbed because of my dreams. Maybe she had a point! But, on the other hand, we’re still friends, so maybe that says something about her, too! lol
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Oh – I’m pleased to hear you’re getting sleep! Maybe you need to start writing a book. You’re plotting it in your sleep.😜
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LOL, Molly! I love your detailed dreams, especially the orange kittens with black marker stripes. Your dreams are way better than mine. Your poem is hilarious! I have a tabby cat, named Tigress who sometimes scratches me awake. My 18-year-old black, little fluff ball cat, who only weighs 6 pounds, MEOWS me awake. Hopefully, once you get back to your school routine you will sleep better. Possibly, chamomile tea, relaxation methods before sleep, or listening to relaxing music before or during sleep might help.
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I was especially surprised by those black stripes when I realized they’d been drawn on! Cats are definitely not conducive to a good night’s sleep, and it sounds like your tabby cat is aptly named. And really, I’m sleeping fine, Just dreaming vividly.
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Oh, Molly, those dreams are amazing, one after the other, I laughed aloud at your nighttime antics. Thankful for you, that they were dreams! Crazy! Your poem is great, and very appropriate for the first Saturday after school starts! Oh, you needed sleep. “Sang the morning awake for me” is lovely. (Can you tell me, is there a specific Frost poem you are apologizing for? I couldn’t find which one. Thanks.)
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When I remember my dreams, they tend to be extremely detailed and odd, to say the least! lol In recent nights I haven’t remembered any of them. Maybe that’s a good thing? lol And to answer your question, I had Frost’s “Dust of Snow” in mind…very loosely! “The way a crow/ shook down on me/the dust of snow/from a hemlock tree…”
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I sometimes wonder if other professions have a dream life that waxes and wanes as the calendar (and school) year moves through seasons. Thank you for an interesting post and a poem that brought a smile to my face!
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Well, I know my dreams were influenced by waitressing when I was younger and those still work their way into my sleeping life sometimes. I’m not sure about the seasonal aspect though…interesting thought!
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I haven’t had many dreams lately, but none like yours, almost picture-book worthy, Molly! I have been waking at terribly early hours, like 2am, wondering why. Your poem gave me a big laugh this morning, our first one that’s really cold, high in the 70s, welcome! I’m happy you were able to yell back at that darn crow!
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2am wake ups aren’t my favorite! I seem to cycle through those. My favorite cure is to put myself back to sleep writing acrostics in my mind…often using the word insomnia! lol Hope you’re sleeping better soon!
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I had a glimpse into a dream recently also… I tried to write it down but some of it had already faded. I did laugh at your verse… good dreams for the future.
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It’s interesting how quickly dreams fade or how a random comment someone makes the next day can remind you of the full script of a dream.
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The unexpected turn of the poem’s last lines made me laugh. Those dreams are very memorable! I have a recurring forgot-the-passport one that drives me crazy…
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Oh! I’ve had that passport dream as well. No fun!
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Restful nights? Only sometimes. Such detailed and scary memories of your dream you shared. I love the first stanza in your poem and a crow singing the morning awake. I can see why the “I” of the poem would flip it the bird, she needed more sleep.
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I love the weird odd connections that dreams weave–Sharpie socks on kittens? An embroidery slave? I just have to shake my head and laugh.
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I love everything about this post. The logic of dreams never fails to amuse me (once I’m all the way awake and able to see how little sense it makes). The poem is so good and relatable. Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
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I should probably have given you a nod, Ruth, since I think it was your Facebook post about your dream that made me think of sharing these along with the poem.
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Love this poem. Wrote multiple nasty-bird poems in the beginning of the pandemic, when they insisted on waking me before dawn on spring and summer days.
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I typically love waking to bird song, even the persistent cries of cat birds, but this crow was SO loud and not a regular visitor. I didn’t appreciate it crashing the party! lol
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Great poem Molly, I like the sing-songy-ness of the two succinct stanza’s–and dry humor. Those lovely birds can often create quite a ruckus at the wrong hours for us humans–one bird once woke me about 2 or 3 am and kept going till dawn. And Ooo what dreams you’ve had…
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I wonder what kind of bird it was that was singing through the night. I love hearing the owls at night, but don’t hear them too often. That’s something worth being woken for!
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Your dreams are stories in themselves! It’s no wonder, after such restless sleep, that you weren’t feeling charitable towards a bird who woke you! I love a good riff on Robert Frost – this one is no exception! Thanks for sharing it today.
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Molly, I thought I had weird dreams but yours are wild and filled with unexpected happenings. I am so surprised that you remember so much of your dreams. What an ending to your poem: I grumbled, rolled over
and flipped it the bird. Hope you get some rest tonight before school begins a new week of work.
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I don’t always dream like this, Carol, but the beginning of the school year is apparently dream-inspiring!
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Your poem is perfect. 🙂 I loved reading all the dream details. I’ve never dreamed I was abducted to be made an embroidery slave, but I’ve had the, “What?! I’m pregnant? At my age? No wonder I’m so tired!” dream. 🙂
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The embroidery slave one is new for me as well! lol
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OMG! Those dreams are priceless as is the poem you’ve paired with them. I wish I could remember enough details of my dreams to write them down. I always dream about being pregnant and having babies, even at 60. Is it a mom thing?
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I wonder if it’s more of an exhaustion thing than a mom thing! The only reason I remember these is because when I do recall odd dreams, I tend to write them down first thing.
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Hee hee hee–my favorite irreverent Molly, punching kidnappers, birthing twins, flipping birds.
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lol–I was distinctly disgruntled when she drugged me again after I punched her. Soooo unfair! lol
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Just as funny as the first time I read it!!
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Embroidery slaves, kittens and crow alarm clocks. What images you process each night. I try to let my dreams go lately, they are not happy.
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