Someone spoke to me last night,
told me the truth. Just a few words,
but I recognized it.
I knew I should make myself get up,
write it down, but it was late,
and I was exhausted from working
all day in the garden, moving rocks.
Now, I remember only the flavor --
not like food, sweet or sharp.
More like a fine powder, like dust.
And I wasn't elated or frightened,
but simply rapt, aware.
That's how it is sometimes --
God comes to your window,
all bright light and black wings,
and you're just too tired to open it.
Dust, by Dorianne Laux, from What We Carry
Don't your best inspirations sometimes come in the middle of the
night, seemingly out of no where? I put a pencil and notebook on
my bedside table, but most times am too tired to sit up, turn on
the light and jot it down. And besides, if I'm in a deep sleep, there
is no way I am going to jeopardize my chances of falling back to
sleep, by waking up to scribble something! If it is a particularly
poignant thought, I usually remember it the next morning and am
amazed at the random stroke of genius.
Yeah dat has happened to me too.... many many times!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAs a composer and writer, I know exactly what you mean. Some of my best ideas come in the night, and like you I've learned that if they're really all that good, I'll remember them in the morning.
ReplyDeleteYes, it happens during the day too when I'm busy or can't find a pen.
ReplyDeleteMy best ideas come when I have plenty of time to sit and reflect. I have to waste time in order to be creative. As you can imagine...I don't get a lot of house work done. I rather wish I could multi-task at night by sleeping and cooking up creative ideas at the same time. But alas, I've never been one to do so.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing new under the sun, hey?
ReplyDeleteJust when you think you're weird, you get a crowd of people doing the same thing! I still have a drawer of paper and pens next to my bed, though. Trouble is, fidgeting around the drawers in the dark is enough to wake the Machinist, then it will be "are you coming to bed now, Doll?" and I've been in bed next to him for the past four hours!
hee hee...
I agree Willow, I always have my splashes of inspiration at night and seem to remember. Wonderful poem, xv.
ReplyDeletei just scribble in the dark. sometimes it's an adventure to try to decipher it in the morning. :-)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful poem, Happy New Year Willow.
ReplyDeleteMy best ideas always come to me in the shower. :) (But then again, I'm a Cancer and a water sign.)
ReplyDeleteMine come in the shower too.
ReplyDeleteAt night though, the dreams are so vivid and the information intuitive. I think because they are so strong that I will have no trouble remembering in the morning.
But alas, no.
It is really frustrating to feel that you are on the verge of something big! But what???
since becoming a mature student some three years ago I've always had a pen and notepad beside the bed. I sometimes wake up scribble a para and go straight back to sleep, barely recalling having done it in the morning.
ReplyDeleteLovely poem, willow - where do you find the time to do all the research for your lovely blog posts?
I love the poem and its layers of meaning. It reminds me obliquely of a saying from a monk quoted in one of Susan Jeffers' books, (if I remember correctly). I think it was something like, 'The way ahead is smooth, why do you cast rocks on it?'
ReplyDeleteA different meaning from 'Dust', but they both speak to me of being too busy to listen to the most important things!
I have to write it down. Then I can relax and sleep, sure in the knowledge that I WILL be able to read it in the morning.
ReplyDeleteLynette and Natalie, I was going to mention that the second best time for ideas is in the shower! Maybe the hot water on my brain? ;^)
ReplyDeleteAll bright light and black wings a vivid highlight in a generally fine poem. Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteI often write stories in my head while dozing or sleeping . . . and then wish I had committed those words to paper while they were still fresh in my mind!
ReplyDeleteLovely poem. And the picture of Juliette Binoche is dreamy, too. She recently did an expressive dance piece in London; it sounded so interesting. She seems like a brave person.
Inspiration has no timetable, so the old adage of "be prepared" is dead on. Like so many here, I keep a notepad and cards handy almost all the time. My life is littered with them, but I don't lose too many thoughts. At my age, that has value!
ReplyDeleteI have let the moment pass and regretted that decision far too many times. But my plate is still full and life has already given me too much to ponder and produce.
ReplyDeleteLove the poem and the post.
ReplyDeleteYup, those ideas would always show up at unexpected time ...
ReplyDeleteI carry an idea notebook with me wherever I go. Because you JUST KNOW the greatest ideas will come to you when you're unprepared. There have actually been studies done about how creative we are when we're doing mundane and repetitive chores. But is there anything nicer than waking up in the morning and finding that great idea left on your pillow like a gift?! :-)
ReplyDeleteIf it's an idea for some bit to write about, I can usually carry it forth through my dreams until the morning. A poem is different - I may try repeating things to myself over and over to make it sink in, but sometimes I just have to get up and write it all down.
ReplyDeleteSleep doesn't come easy to me - especially staying asleep, but the poetry is worth the effort.
I loved the lines: "all bright light and black wings, and you're too tired to open it."
Kat
I can't tell you how many best sellers I've failed to write because I couldn't find a pen in the house that would write. Pappy :)
ReplyDeleteI deal with this often (especially when I have upped the B vitamins), it is frustrating not to be able to remember. Sometimes even waking enough to write will make the thought drift away. What I try to tell myself is that the process was there and worked, even if I cannot remember it. It will come out at some time and I will think it is a new thought when it actually was there all along.
ReplyDeleteSuch a poignant little piece from Dorianne Laux. Thank you! I'll have to check him out.
ReplyDeleteAs I'm falling asleep, I get some of the most Incredible visions before my eyes. If I've been at the guitar (which I'm not very good with), I'll compose entire, beautiful and intricate songs in my head. If I've been painting or drawing, I see the most astonishing colors and designs, the likes of which I could Never grasp during waking hours. I suspect it's not me conjuring these fantastic inspirations.
Willow, that's beautiful. Words that hold much interpretation.
ReplyDeleteAs for the ideas that come to me in the middle of the night.... well, the next day they are somtimes a little - shall we say, over the top.
Have a great day! Kim
I've "lost" many an inspiration to middle of the night sleepiness.
ReplyDeleteYes. I've lost a lot of beautiful thoughts that way. Paper and pen by the bed is a great idea.
ReplyDeleteI also seem to be equally filled with inspiration while driving or shoveling manure!
Love this piece of poetry. So very true. Sometimes I write it down but lots of times I, too just like to go back to sleep hoping that I will remember...often I don't. I guess in our sleep we are actually quiet enough to hear, hey? We need more quiet, to help us tune in to that voice. Thanks. Peace, JLD
ReplyDeletemy best thoughts seem to come when i'm in motion--either on a long drive or walking. of course i never have a pencil or paper on me though i have considered carrying a small recorder....then one day i decided if it was a truly great thought it would stick around...
ReplyDeleteLike you, I have a pad and pen at my bedside...but I can never read my scribblings in the morning...is that a sign...LOL
ReplyDeleteThe only explanation I have for what seems to be a typical situation for most correspondents here is that at night when we're asleep we're defenceless and vulnerable. Our muscles are relaxed, our barriers down. It's the time for the unexpected and the daring to stroll in and take control.
ReplyDeleteDon't let go of that pen and paper, willow. And don't worry, there's always tomorrow to catch up on sleep. You cannot say the same about the perfect sentence :-).
Loved the poem and the picture of Binoche.
Greetings from London.
Oh, gosh, you too! I have learned to scribble with the lights off. The next morning I read what I have written and think, "Whaaaa...?" But sometimes I can actually read it.
ReplyDeleteI agree, turning on the light to write something would mean I would not get to sleep. Besides if you get really fired up you will be up writing all night!
ReplyDeleteDreams hold our creative cache.
Yet, if it is not a stroke of genius I am sure I will forget it by morning and waste several frustrating minutes trying to recall my CLEVER thought that occurred last night!
ReplyDeleteUGH! Vicious circle is it not??
in the dark, without fully waking up, i often jot down a few words.
ReplyDeletesometimes the memory of my revelation comes flooding back. sometimes i look at what i've written and think, "huh??"
Beautiful photo...really captivates. My best stuff rolls in just before I fall to sleep or as I'm waking up or whenever my mind softens. The suggestions (almost never harsh or strong) come to me soft and usually to my right shoulder and ear...just suggestions, like, maybe add red, maybe it's time to start the monotypes, or.. call him.....
ReplyDeleteLast night I had a vivid dream of driving into a new, exciting city with my younger daughter and realized I had forgotten my camera at home!.. I was so upset but remember feeling in my dreamstate that these things happen sometimes!
ReplyDeleteI often wish I wasn't too lazy/busy to write down some of the fun things my grrandchildren say or do when they are with me...I always think I will remember but I usually can't...
willow, thank you, i relate, i can't say they are my best ideas, but they are certainly coming from a deeper place, and they seem to come back if i haven't written them down.
ReplyDeleteAll too true Willow.
ReplyDeleteThen there are the brilliant ideas that come in the night and you write them down because they are so brilliant; then in the morning you go "What???"
I was having brilliant awakenings during the middle of the night- kept pen and paper handy- in the morning I would read things like "Sausage!" or "ghost flowers"
ReplyDeleteor "egg bunch", having read Jungian theory about dreams and half wake- I decided I may be headed for trouble - my pen is where it belongs now- in the toilet where my best ideas occur.
so yes, so 'of course'
ReplyDeleteso well said
thank you, yet again
i've always thought my best creative ideas came when i was doing some mundane task like weeding the garden or chopping broccoli. i'll be daydreaming and then blink the thought just materializes out of nowhere. i love those moments.
ReplyDeletei hear you on the not wanting to risk falling back to sleep. i too suffer from that.
wonderful post, willow!
Exquisite poem. All bright light and black wings.
ReplyDeleteI tend to remember my night thoughts, but I also find they visit my in my car. Especially on a dark and rainy day.
I have the same luck with brilliant ideas in the middle of a moment that's inopportune... I suppose it happens to us all. :)
ReplyDeletewhat a lovely poem willow! and yes--i do the same---usually what wakes me isn't always an idea but something that needs to get done for work! oy! looking forward to more inspiration in '09!
ReplyDeleteA beautiful poem ...
ReplyDeleteI often attempt a memorization kind of game with myself. Repeating the thought over and over until I'm quite sure it's been burned into my brain only to find it completely gone when I go to retrieve it ... after a trip to the bathroom, and sometimes only minutes later. Sigh.
However some of my best ideas also happen when Miss D and are having our twice daily walks around this little village in darkness. Those ideas, thankfully, usually stay with me.
cheers from Black Street
In those moments, I always opt to drift back to precious sleep and trust that my subconscious made a note for me ...
ReplyDeleteJudith de Dreamy
at night i do little tricks in my mind to try to remember for the next day. it would be easier just to get up and write it down. i spend so much energy trying to remember and still i forget. still it's lovely to have those thoughts and even to forget them...
ReplyDeletehello, i'm popping over from dear Lala's castle in spain.
happy new year to you!
The means for sorting out my Sock Puppet Woman situation came to me during that indescribable period between sleep and wakefulness, which is when my mind seems to do its best work. I had the presence of mind to keep repeating the magic thoughts to myself over and over during that state so that there was no way I would forget them when I woke. I probably would've gotten much better sleep if I'd had that pencil and notebook handy! (: )
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by my site! :) I actually read every post you write, however I just don't always comment. :) You're a wonderfully talented writer, and I enjoy what you share.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day! Oh, and if you care to, you may subscribe to mine also. Take care!
Sarah
Night allways is a good advisor!
ReplyDeleteI think the lady in the photo has much resemblances with Juliette Binoche! Beautiful!
Joe "puts a ring out." He has these bright, each differently colored, plastic rings that he plops on the floor next to bed, so when he wakes up, he'll remember whatever it was. OR he puts rings out to remind him of things to do--cracks me up, but it works for him! For me, I just wind up saying "hmmmm...now why did I put that ring out again?" ;)))
ReplyDeleteA lovely poem. Thank you. When I was a writer I had zillions of ideas popping all the time and lots of little pieces of papers and lots of notebooks, including dream journals. But now, I trust as Steph said that if it is important to me I will remember it in the daytime and too, take the time to jot it down. Which I hardly do anymore. Funny how life takes you through cycles of passions that later arent anymore.
ReplyDeleteThis opens up a whole realm of possibilities. I'm fortunate enough to almost always remember any such thoughts though.
ReplyDeleteIt's the classical music I hear in the wee small hours that I have no way to jot down as i can't write music, can't even carry a tune and such. Too bad as it's so intricate and textured.
My best ideas tend to come in streaks that can't be explained. Sometimes when I recognize that I'm on a roll with good ideas, I stay up for hours and the ideas just keep coming.
ReplyDeleteSleep is overrated. When inspiration happens, I get up and get to it ... no matter what time it is.
ReplyDeleteyes, I started carrying a little Moleskine notebook to catch thoughts when they happen. Hopefully it will start my little poetry motor that has been dormant since my college days.... you bloggers are very inspiring :-)
ReplyDeleteR
Hello Willow, I'm often inspired by musicians when they talk to the audience between their songs. My little journal is noted with dialogue of Billy Joel, Ringo, Stevie Nicks, etc. I like to capture this dimension of the artist, and actually just posted about this. Found you through Peggy Johnstone's blog, loved visiting here.
ReplyDeleteSame here..I think I could write a novella in my head on some nights. Not tonight, though..I'm exhausted and just had a hot cuppa blueberry tea..It's off to the land of Nod for me...
ReplyDeleteTonight I plan to sleep the sleep of the dead - because last night was very short due to blogging! So, no jotting down anything - the fog has rolled in, I would prefer snow flakes - but I will leave the window uncovered and wake early................maybe then I'll have ideas to pen!
ReplyDeleteWarm new year hugs - looking forward to the beauty you continue to share Willow.
Mary - Across The Pond.
I'm a night owl myself so I know exactly what you mean. On the verge of sleep or dreams these lovely ideas float into my mind and there is always the struggle between waking and sleeping to get up and put them to paper. I have random post-it's and scraps of paper covering my house in a patch-work of ideas...
ReplyDeleteShowers are also another wonderful place for ideas - I also think it's the hot water on the brain, Willow, stimulating nerve cells or some such idea... I've ended up with many soggy scribblings as well:)
ReplyDeleteThis does happen to me, exactly as you've said. I too keep a pen/pad by the bed and also am too concenred I'll never fall back asleep. This was easier when I was single, where I could quick turn on a flashlight, jot, and then bury myself back under my down quilt.
ReplyDeleteI do wake up with wisdom whispering though. I find if I don't get up while still in semi-sleep in the morning and jot it right away, I will lose it. Even brushing my teeth will be enough to set my mind out of that ether-y place and into the world of distraction --"I'm hungry" or "Who e-mailed last night" etc...