The Muse

Gold cherry

By D G Moody

Sun, 21 Jan 2024
  • 748 reads
25 comments
 

She comes to me by night,

while I’m still half asleep;

stoops down beside my bed

to whisper softly in my ear

for my inspiration to meet

a line so perfect and neat,

that I will when once awake

copy down for all to hear,

but then sleep interferes;

so that when at daybreak

I no longer find her face;

for she has left and there

is nothing for me to make;

all is gone like melted snow,

leaving the line displaced,

and my memory hollow.

 

© D G Moody 2024

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Comments

Submitted by Rhymes And Reasons on

'Every artist and poet needs a muse to bring him devine inspiration.' Lovely Verse! heart

 

Submitted by D G Moody on

Thank you Jacques. And this does happen, often in dreams; so advice to young poets - get it down straight away! BTW; I've already edited - for instead of as.

Also, thank you dear editors for the cherries.

Dougie Moody

Submitted by celticman on

hollow-memory syndrome. Happens to me all the time. Musing. 

 

Submitted by D G Moody on

A Perfect description Jack! And it proves (to me at least) that we are connected to much more than we realise.

Dougie Moody

Submitted by Penny4athought on

Yes, those vivid dreams that impart some knowledge, a beautiful line for a poem or song, or a peek into the universe's secrets but it drifts away out of your grasp as you wake up, leaving you struggling to remember what it was--I think most can relate to this kind of dream-- well done, your poem captured that frustrating moment very well.  smiley

Penny4athought

Submitted by D G Moody on

Yes! You've got it right Penny; the thing is I've always suspected that we are conencted to much more than we realise. And it knocks on the head the conceit that we write 'unassisted'

Dougie Moody

Submitted by Turlough on

I spend the first fifteen minutes of every day trying to remember that clever line I thought of while I was falling asleep in bed the night before.

This is a very good poem and a pleasure to read.

Turlough

Submitted by D G Moody on

Thanks Turlough; it seems we all have theis condition to some extent. My weakness is in not getting out of bed at three in the morning, when I might as well write.

Dougie Moody

Submitted by Turlough on

Sometimes I do get out of bed at three in the morning and write and find it quite satisfying until the rest of the world comes to life from which point onwards I am walking round the place like a zombie. So it's a case of six dozen of one and half a cup of the other.

Turlough

Submitted by Shannan on

I have lived many of those moments, and now sleep with pen and paper next to my bed... when I remember ;)

 

Submitted by D G Moody on

Ah, wisdom speaks! You are so right Shannan. I have that, and still often let the line slip.

Dougie Moody

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

That is the trouble with muses - or memory - or both! Congratulations on the cherries DG

 

Submitted by D G Moody on

Thanks Claudine, the cherries were appreciated; maybe with them maybe I can seduce my muse? Goodness a rhyme already!

Dougie Moody

Submitted by Tom Brown on

I know how it feels, I do remember some dreams they are very interesting you know, but when I get up usually I can't remember a thing. So if I wake up after one I try to memorise repeating some phrases falling asleep again. But when I wake up I've forgotton all the words also completely, I know what had happened just not the words- at all. It doesn't work.

It seems I dream mostly of people, all kinds of people I knew. Does make sense I have had no contact for years and years just my aunt and uncle and my brother. I don't like it I actually like people a lot. Serious now...

Oh yes, had a minor operation some time ago while I was waking from the anasthetic the doctors whispered in my ear: The operation was a great success! What do you make of that!?

Keep well! Tom

 

Submitted by D G Moody on

Thanks Tom; I've got a quote somewhere, about dreams being the royal road to the unconscious; and Like you I have an active dream life; maybe it's an age thing.

Dougie Moody

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

You've touched conciselfy a scenario many associate with!

I remember pushing one of the children into town very many years ago, and trying to work out a catchy way for them to remember in song some Bible history we'd been looking at and thinking about. Something came to mind and I think I was passing the library and went in and found a free leaflet to write on (possibly also buying a pen nearby).

The night before last I thought I'd solved a number puzzle we'd been unsuccesfully doing in the middle of the night. I did remember that solution in the morning but also notied then the glaring mistake.

Paper and pen by the bedside is useful, but where too tired to get roused, I shrug and pray if it was really useful something will prompt memory or subconcious sometime! Rhianno

 

Submitted by D G Moody on

Thanks Rhiannon. And yes, our busy minds sometimes need to be put on hold for a while, then what we need to know or recall will come in it's own time. My wife's an avid crossword solver, and she'll sometimes ask me a clue; and I either get it immediately, or it will pop up later - usually after she'd got it anyway! enlightened

Dougie Moody

Submitted by sean mcnulty on

A lovely poem. This is our Facebook and Twitter Pick of the Day. Please share and retweet!

 

Submitted by D G Moody on

Thank you Sean, it is an honour to be picked, but alas I don't do twitter - though still on Facebook.

Dougie Moody

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

This is wonderful. I can relate, those valuable ideas and lines as you drift away, several hours later, layer and layer of unfathomable brain activity has covered them like snow. For she has left, I wonder where she goes.

 

Submitted by D G Moody on

Good question Jane. Assuming our muse is an aspect of ourselves I'm guessing she/he waits for an invitation.

Dougie Moody

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Dreams mathematics and chess : I had German as a major in high school I think you have "mastered" a new language once you start dreaming in it.

Mathematics is a bit different often when one works futile through the night on a problem exhausted you fall asleep with nothing to show, but when you wake up the next morning the solution is clear in your mind. This does happen many people can testify.

“Mathematician's late night optimism” is the opposite, late in the night you believe you have found some beautiful elegant proof but when your read it in the morning it is nonsense.

Chess is altogether another story more of a nightmare. While you are working out moves the positions change by themselves it's very confusing. It is extremely frustrating and I think for better players it must be worse.

Tom Brown

 

Submitted by D G Moody on

What interesting examples Tom. I can see how a learned language can be dreamed in, and the mathematics problem would be working 'behind the scenes' in ones' subconscious, and chess, that was interesting; maybe it being a highly complex and fluid endeavor it defies ordinary cognition?

Dougie Moody

Submitted by Tom Brown on

The others make sense but how one could solve a mathematics problem in your sleep I don't understand it could only be thought on a deeper very abstract level. Most people probably would not believe you in any case.

As for precise complex calculations as in chess and arithmetic you can't do in dreams that seems obvious. As they speak of dissociation and association maybe?

I am writing another of my little essays on dreams Dougie, I will be using my own comments on your story hope it's Ok. Altogether the three comments then.

All the best! & Tom

 

Submitted by D G Moody on

You'll be most welcome Tom - to use the comments; I'll be looking forward to reading the result. 

Best.....Dougie

Dougie Moody