My Son, In His Sleep

[PrinceMyshkin]

for Rafael


My two boys lie dreaming
in their rooms at either end of the house.
Between them they've captured the night
with their sleep.

For them, I would like to create dragons
they might slay without pain.
(But how will this come out?)

They are dreaming their ages,
their present, their birth--so near
it touches them still. They are dreaming,
perhaps, of me and of Frances,
whom they made whole. They touched me alive
with drops that blossomed, they bloomed her,
they wombed her, without from within.
They bind us, they wind us
with days and with hours.
With the real, with the now.
With their dreams,
which are actual, actual now.

For them, I would like to make dragons
they might slay without pain,
whose blood will be actual,
but will not stain.

(But how will it come out?)


*

My older son stirred
in his room across the hall. Just now,
Rafael stirred.
I note this that history,
which will be full of so many,
lesser events, should know

that my son,

in his sleep,

just now,

stirred.





J. Newman Sudden Proclamations copyright 1992

[Granny5]

for Rafael


My two boys lie dreaming
in their rooms at either end of the house.
Between them they've captured the night
with their sleep.

For them, I would like to create dragons
they might slay without pain.
(But how will this come out?)

They are dreaming their ages,
their present, their birth--so near
it touches them still. They are dreaming,
perhaps, of me and of Frances,
whom they made whole. They touched me alive
with drops that blossomed, they bloomed her,
they wombed her, without from within.
They bind us, they wind us
with days and with hours.
With the real, with the now.
With their dreams,
which are actual, actual now.

For them, I would like to make dragons
they might slay without pain,
whose blood will be actual,
but will not stain.

(But how will it come out?)


*

My older son stirred
in his room across the hall. Just now,
Rafael stirred.
I note this that history,
which will be full of so many,
lesser events, should know

that my son,

in his sleep,

just now,

stirred.





J. Newman Sudden Proclamations copyright 1992

This is so moving .... it touches a Mother's heart. Thanks for posting it. Beautiful.

[Virgil]

My goodness Prince, that was wonderful. :thumbs_up So many good lines, but I'll highlight this one: "Between them they've captured the night/with their sleep." For some reason that is encompassing of the world. I'm particularly taken by that one.

[Pendragon]

Did anybody ever nominate you for "Father of the Year", Jerry? You just got my vote, mon ami.

[CdnReader]

Remember all those other times I said that "this" poem of yours was my favourite? I was lying. THIS is my favourite. :)

[PrinceMyshkin]

Remember all those other times I said that "this" poem of yours was my favourite? I was lying. THIS is my favourite. :)

What I remember so happily about the writing of it is the simultaneity of the writing and what it describes. Frances was out, teaching an evening class. I was conscious of the vulnerability as the boy (5 & 3 or 4) as they slept, and I began writing about that, writing to and for myself pretty much but then I became self-conscious: I was writing a poem, after all. Therefore it would have to have a shape, which implied an end point... and eventually I felt stuck. And then, yes, Rafael turned over in his sleep, and I may even have intuited the happy future he would make for himself.

The next morning I offered to read it to him and did. He blushed, announced that he was going to write a poem for me and "Mama," reached for part of the morning newspaper and a pencil and recited aloud as he pretended to be writing:


My family,
Best to me
Each morning!

His literary influence, I think is obvious!

[firefangled]

I remember this one. It is so wonderful and touching. I think I commented before how it reminds me of a Michael Ondaatje poem, Griffin of the Night.

[symphony]

did i comment on this one? no?! if not, why not?!
but anyway, what more could i have said other than a smitten "wow"... but this deserves so much more....

there were times when i tried to write something for my father....but then decided my pen's too frail to catch up with my feelings towards him as yet, may be someday.....