The Muse

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

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. 

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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