Welcome to Eureka Street

back to site

ARTS AND CULTURE

The dialect of dream

  • 12 December 2007
Recollection 'As when a man goes so deep into his dream he will never remember that he was there.' Tomas Transtromer, translated by Robert Bly Enough will be there if you can learn the language of fragments fathom and translate the dialect of dream be untroubled that such meanings can never be exactly what they seem: familiar faces that change to strangers irrational duties fleeting bliss hint of cruelty precious messages that taste like kisses. In gaping hindsight snatch them back or let them dwindle with the night. Viva Vita Lizard on a pyramid newt in its stream spider hurrying in its web wolf howling at the moon whale wallowing in ocean rainforest swallowing storm rose distilling its potion worm in the deep loam albatross and its shadow rabbit in a burrow polar bear on the floe beetle scuttling in the furrow sunfish floating out at sea calculus of all it means to be. Offering Inside the shell the sea has painted itself such an accurate portrait nacreous lustrous swirl of currents frozen as if knowing salt air might one day pry you open and offer you votively from the swept sea floor show off ocean's surreal artistry as it inhabits these milky vortices.
Forgot your password?
Subscribe