Dream for a Soldier

This poem was inspired by a dream I had last year. I didn't understand it at the time, why I dreamed this scene, this place, this time, this soldier.

Dream for a Soldier

Invisible, I sit, waiting - waiting to know
Invulnerable, he sits, knowing - knowing to wait

In a dream, he's next to me
We share a breath there by the sea

Silenced knowers board the train
I am his grief, I hold his pain

With unshed tears, he turns his gaze
From his loss, to their praise

Now he's brave and proud and true
Waging war in him for you

I, the dreamer, dream him home
He, the soldier, sits alone

Light a candle, say a prayer
Wish for peace in his heart there

Here I sit writing - writing for William
There, he stands, fighting - fighting for me.

~Robin O'Neal, 3/2009


*I sent this poem along with a letter of explanation to a soldier named William who is serving with my friend's brother in Afghanistan. Their unit lost four men in a Hummer explosion in March. As I began to ponder the reality of these soldiers' daily lives, my dream came back to me, suggesting that perhaps I need to step far outside of my own idyllic suburban "problems" and recognize the truth that is the truth of a world at war.

Pondering LOVE Poem

It's Valentine's Day so I'm pondering
LOVE...
I learned recently that
some other culture (can't recall which one now,
but they must be spiritually advanced)
has over 100 words to describe
different kinds of
LOVE.
You know, like Eskimos have
all those different descriptive words for
Snow (which makes me wonder - if you're an Eskimo
are Snow and LOVE sort of the same?)
and folks in the rainforest (what do you call them anyway?)
use specific words to differentiate raindrops,
by their shape, size, and falling patterns

So, I'm wondering if -
when you have more options
for expressing LOVE,
for describing LOVE,
for understanding all the complex
forms that the one word
LOVE
explains -
might it actually alter
the feeling that is
LOVE?

How could we apply
the very same verb
to tell about a movie,
our favorite food,
our children, pets, parents,
spouse/lover/partner/soul mate
and God?

Still, love in all facets
is GOOD
and I thank you,
St. Valentine,
for a day to ponder what
LOVE means.

Healing Places - a poem for Amanda

Healing Places - a poem for Amanda

Take her away
into her story,
the enchanting forever-after place
where no one discusses different diseases
or takes pictures of bile ducts
with rock band rubbermaid machines.

Take her away
into healing waters
with angel fish and smiling dolphins
where mermaids serve deliciously sweet sandwiches
on starfish platters and lullabye waves
rock her gently to sleep

Take her away
to a rainbow slide
in a blue sky playground
where toes are tickled by cloud puffs
as her whee! tree swing takes flight
amongst the birds

Take her home
to her beautiful soul
the shiny spirit of perfect love
where she knows that it will all be ok
and one day we'll understand why
we had these tests, walked this road, prayed these prayers.

For now, when she closes those blue eyes
please take her away
to the healing places
where it's easy to
swim and slide and swing and fly

Let her be here
and dream herself away.

~Robin O'Neal, 1/22/09

Just Past Twilight

It came to me,
outside
in the darkness
with my dog

The halo moon crescent,
waxing me with beauty
(wait, that was last night)
where are you tonight, moon?
Clouds keep you from view, but
I know you're here

Thick trunk oak friend beckoning,
branches reaching up, up
no matter the sky

I meld into otherness
to twilight space, dark time
still, wide awake

Floating in dream pools
of gameboards, pages, masks,
free-flying robins, car rides with girls

Treading water with dreams
and their dreamers
The cool warm waves
lapping against me,
so gentle and serene

Like words of a poem -
or a dream once lost -
Finding me

Here, outside
in the darkness
with my dog.

~Robin O'Neal, 1/3/09