Sunday, July 18, 2010

nocturne

"Sleeping Couple" by Ivan Koulakov

it is that time of night
when i withdraw quietly
inside myself
and i go in silence
and rest my head
upon my pillow
and he comes in silence
and rests his head
upon his pillow
that lies at my pillow’s side
and he breathes in shallow draws
and troubles my soul’s harmony
and he turns slightly to one side
and disturbs my body’s repose
and i turn slightly to one side
and look out of the window
into the nebulous night
and i begin
with my nocturnal hallucinations
once more
and the trees are deep
and the sky is low
 and the moon is lackadaisical and alone
and the floor is carpeted with blossoms
iridescent and shaped like stars
 and my candle flickers and shortens
and the rose petals flutter on the rose
and i hear your breaths deepen and slow
and the sky splits open
like the flanks of a tender wound
and the rain rains
and the stars fall out of the sky
and i twist my head
and lay my pulsing lips
upon your murmuring eyes
and your opaque lips unfold and pull me in
and i plummet into the length of your shadow
and your heart is pillow
and my head is cloud
and breaths no longer trouble harmony
nor thoughts disturb repose
and time dissolves like vertigo
and i dream that i am painting my lips
vermilion black
and that i am flying with paper wings
clasped to my shoulder blades
lest wax wings melt and i fall
and i dream that icarus did not die
but sleeps on the bed of the sea
and that morpheus sleeps at his side
and together they dream our fates
and in a lapse of dream
they will turn slightly to one side
and that is when storms will arise

40 comments:

Jai Joshi said...

Just mesmerising. So many beautiful and vivid images. Great work, Nevine.

Jai

Wild Rose said...

Once again i have fallen in love with the image and your writing makes me fly to strange and wonderful dimensions. The image of the couple captures me as two lovers that are very close yet you each seem to be cold to another in bed. That welcoming warmth of the mates when tucking in is amiss. He lays on his pillow, you lay on yours and he disturbs your stillness and only when you gaze outside does your mind drift into a more peaceful place as you fall further into your dream/hallucinations.

You paint such a vivid dream my sweet Nevine you crafted it so masterfully. I feel like you are wishing to be rescued by this shadowy visitor in your dream and the ending is perfect..."they will turn slightly to one side and that is when storms will rise"

Things will definitely change either for the best or the worst during that storm. Fiction of course but i sailed with you in the dream because i wanted to see through your eyes and see where your soul and mind anchored.

Have a lovely Sunday my delight ~

Wild Rose~

S. Susan Deborah said...

"the moon is lackadaisical" -- What a lovely image this is!

I don't know whether it is because this piece is titled "nocturne" or whether there are images of sleep, I find this piece lulling me into realms of so many images. And the image you have used is so soothing: The man almost wrapping the woman within himself. A lovely image of love and warmth.

Nevine, does the pattern of the arrangement of lines signify any image.

Joy always,
Susan

Anonymous said...

Nevine most of the time I can pick out atleast one thing I love more then the rest... not this time. i was so into it... like I was there *or wished to have been* I know this feeling and wish one day it will come back...

you nevine are amazing...

Martin said...

"..and time dissolves like vertigo.." It certainly does, as dreams merge in mutual slumber.

Betty Manousos said...

LOVE it, Nevine!! You got me with this one. I just visualized those happy moments that potentially all of us are seeking for.
Your poem reflects such beautiful and peaceful moments. May your life be filled with sunshine (and no storms).
Great and vivid images, powerful feelings, excellent choice of words.
The succession of images reflects a divine impression!

TTYL
A bunch of hugs, my sweet friend,
B xx

Betty Manousos said...

What a coincidence!
I was about to put that title on one of my future posts!
xo

Deb Kirkeeide said...

Your words are filled with such vivid and magical imagery - I love how I am so easily transported to that world.

Dulçe ♥ said...

Once more you live up to the title of your blog my dear Nevine!
I guess that's the moment, the night , when we lie in bed that those deviations and other mind talk start playing in our heads...

I so often need to get up from bed and write those lines... for in the morning they might have vanished and never come back again, or at least not exactly the same way.

Your nocturnal images are astounding. And I love the pic you chose to go with it...

Thanks for sharing these magnificent work with us.

D.

Madame DeFarge said...

This is how I'd like to fall asleep. Instead, I have to tolerate snoring, leg twitching, snuffling and duvet stealing. Can I have your dream please?

steveroni said...

Well, Madame DeFarge comment IS funny--however I wish that I had gotten mine in before that.

BEGIN-- Forget "begin", i do not KNOW where to begin. One line DID strike me as being every lover's dream of earthly paradise:

"and i plummet into the length of your shadow.."

How I L O V E the feel of that line as my tongue curls itself around it, and as it drops out of my own mouth before the whole poetic La Creme melts...

OH! OH! But this is a prized GEM in the basket of the Queen's treasures (your posts). I fear staying here, for I shall write things which should not be WRITTEN by a man.

This blog is one to LOVE...truly, Sweet Sultan-Nevine

Nevine Sultan said...

Jai – Thank you! I'm happy you liked it.

Wild Rose – I love your interpretation of the last line because yes, the storm could either be a herald of good to come or it could just be a storm in the literal sense. And I’m very intrigued by your interpretation of the image… it seemed rather warm and cuddly to me. But I love about art that it is similar to poetry in the sense that two people can look at one piece of artwork and see two entirely different things. As for your take on the main action, it is spot on what I had in mind in terms of the coldness between the two lovers that is only warmed by her plunging into her dreamworld. Lovely that you share your thoughts in such detail, Wild Rose, and I so greatly appreciate knowing how my writing settles in your mind. A big thank you, and a lovely week to you!

Nevine Sultan said...

Susan – I was thinking about that image in a bit of the same way… in the “wrapping” sense. It seems he would like to envelop her in his arms but she shies away and prefers to go into her imagination… and only then does she accept his offer. The pattern… no, I didn’t have a specific image in mind with that pattern. It’s just the way the lines fell. I had actually written this piece as one big block, to begin with, because that was how I had imagined it… like a fluid dream. But then I decided to break it down because it seemed too clunky as it was… and not airy… and I wanted for there to be a certain airiness and freedom about this piece. So glad you enjoyed the images, Susan, and your feedback always leaves me smiling warmly and leaves my heart just beaming from top to bottom. :-)

Sir Thomas – How sweet you always are… with your words that are like little gum drops. Positively sweet, Sir Thomas. Thank you for your lovely visit!

Martin – Don’t they just? I like the image of dreams merging in “mutual slumber”. It’s very powerful.

Nevine Sultan said...

Betty – Thank you so much my very sweet friend for your kind wishes. I do always hope for sunshine with no storms, and not only for myself, but for everyone. I have always imagined this thing… where the gods are sleeping at the bottom of the sea… or sitting around on their thrones in the sky… and they’re dreaming of things that will happen to us… It’s a bit of a spooky image but I like it! So happy you liked my dream poem, Betty. And I can only imagine what your future post with “Nocturne” for a title will be like… I’m sure it will be just gorgeous! I can’t wait to see it, now!!! Bunches of hugs back!

Deb – How nice to see you here! And I’m thrilled you found this poem to be “magical”. I think the whole dream world is filled with magic of every kind. Glad to have transported you for a while.

Nevine Sultan said...

Dulce – It’s funny because that’s exactly how I wrote this piece. I woke up in the middle of the night with the thought in my head, and I scribbled some notes in the notebook I keep on my nightstand, and then I worked with it a bit the next morning. Sometimes, when we sleep, things come to the surface of our imagination unexpectedly… and we have to capture them before they disappear. So happy you enjoyed it, Sweetest!

Mme. DeFarge – Help yourself, Mme. Though, I have to say, we all have to deal with your list of sleeping activities, and we all engage in a little of it ourselves. I think it’s what makes sleeping with a partner such a pleasure… Don’t you? :-)

Steveroni – You can write anything you so desire, here. And you are the gem, Steveroni… always so kind and filled with lovely things to say… and filled with contemplative thoughts. I do so appreciate your visits. And I’m so happy you liked this “gem”! ;-)

Wild Rose said...

Sweet Nevine i agree that the image is rather cuddly as a matter of fact that is what i said on my earlier comment but what seemed cold were the lines.. you each laying on your own pillows and then you feeling a bit disturbed by his breathing and so on...but i loved it, an amazing piece.

Always my pleasure to read you.

Wild Rose~

Nevine Sultan said...

Wild Rose - And it's always my pleasure to hear from you... and hear your thoughts... so beautifully imagined and expressed. Yes, the lines are cold to begin with... sometimes I feel it is all about going inside our imagination to find that warmth that we need not only for ourselves, but for sharing with others as well. I do so love these discussions... they make blogging such a meaningful experience. Top of the morning to you, Wild Rose!

GYPSYWOMAN said...

oh, dear nevine! i think i 'was' there - in this magnificently beautiful dream - it seems that you and i frequently share the same dream - and this one, as always, magnificently and beautifully written!

laughingwolf said...

holy cow, each reading reveals things i missed previously... amazing :)

Nancy said...

Images images images, and layers and layers of thoughts and words that make my head swim. You have an endless imagination, don't you Nevine? And you always find the right art to go with your words. I loved this poem in every way.

Owen said...

Writing like this... no, this writing... it roils storms in my heart, like Icarus and Morpheus roiling storms from the bottom of the sea.

This writing... it tears the bright burning facade off the sun and leaves us staring, blinded, by the even brighter inner brilliance... burned by incandescant heat

This writing... it stirs our memories, stirs our souls, stirs our hearts, stirs and stirs...

This writing... it shines

This writing... it weeps

It rises up, higher and higher...

Craftsman of light said...

Nevine,
You make Darkness scintillate,
You make silence into a body that one can almost carress.
You make me gulp down my words and make me 'just watch' whats going on...

And even when the wax has melted off my wings i'm still flying in the exotic images of your words.
To love this poem is to love who you are.
And You have a certain way of provoking the constellations in the name of 'Nocturne'.

Vraiment, splendide dans tous les sens!!:-).
Merci!

Blasphemous Aesthete said...

The closeness of "The One" triggered all such emotions? It was a tumultuous explosion of vivid imagery and passionate heartbeats.

Nice Read, will read more of you.

Cheers
Blasphemous Aesthete

Nevine Sultan said...

Jenean - Yes, there are so many synchronicities, aren't there? I so enjoy that... and also enjoy knowing that you've shared the "knowledge" of some of these images before. Thanks for your sweet words, Jenean.

LW - Holy cow! How many times did you read it? ;-) Glad you liked this one, LW. Thanks for the cheers!

Nancy - I do hope I have an endless imagination. The truth, though, is that sometimes I do hit that proverbial brick wall... and my imagination just abandons me... leaving me gasping for images please! It's delightful to know you think me a bottomless well. Thank you for the always kind words, Nancy.

Nevine Sultan said...

Owen - Your words... your words leave me smiling... and hoping that they will always have this effect... this stirring... and rising... never falling. I just can't imitate your style, Owen. It's yours and yours alone... and I would recognize it anywhere. Thank you for always leaving me feeling like a million bucks!

COL - And how can I thank you enough for your lovely words that are always like poetry? I can picture you flying... with no wings... the dents in your shoulder blades from where the wings used to hang. I hope you will always fly to dreamy places... and never into the darkness... wings or no wings... sometimes we only need our spirits to soar. Merci, J. Je t'apprecie!

Anonymous Someone - How to answer that first question? So many things can trigger an emotion. Let us just say that it is how we perceive an experience that defines how we will react. Nice of you to stop in for a visit... and thank you much for leaving your kind thoughts.

Man Named Kim said...

"...and i plummet into the length of your shadow..."

Love this line. you've done it again. i'm undone

Unknown said...

wonderful- dreams & shadows merging!
amazing snaps! from where do u get such lovely ideas? wish I were there...

Calvy said...

And the reverie, I had a deja vu!

Nice post.

http://calvy.wordpress.com

Ashley Ashbee said...

Nevine, you really understand the consciousness of body one develops in bed: heat, breath, heartbeats and the effect of that on our thoughts. We're very much alive in bed, especially when we can't stop thinking. At the same time, we can feel both connected and disconnected to the person lying next to us.

These are my favourites of your observations:

and my candle flickers and shortens
and the rose petals flutter on the rose
and i hear your breaths deepen and slow
and the sky splits open
like the flanks of a tender wound

My, we become so aware and thoughtful at night, don't we, when sleep doesn't come and there's nothing to do but think.

Nevine Sultan said...

Kim - So nice to see you here. Thanks for stopping in!

Smita - Where have you been? I clicked on your blog a number of times in the past few weeks, and you were nowhere to be found. Happy to see you are back... Will be visiting you soon! And thank you for the lovely words.

Calvy - Thank you for stopping in... and for leaving your thoughts. Much appreciated!

Nevine Sultan said...

Ashley - You are such a perceptive reader! How I love that. There is nothing more blissful for a writer, I think, than to know that she is understood... and appreciated. That connect/disconnect was exactly what I hoped to capture in the first part of this poem. And yes, I am a night owl, too, and my thoughts do drift and wander when there is nothing but the darkness around me and the silence talking inside my head. I do have to admit, those moments are so precious to me. I think that most night owls have a high appreciation for those quiet night hours. They are perfect for contemplation. Thank you for your lovely visit, Ashley. You always have such meaningful thoughts!

Desert Rose said...

how did i ever missed that one Nevine! it is very well expressed..i feel you there,i almost saw the pillow and felt your stare in the silence that is tropubled by his sleeping sound..i love this piece you have a real way with words you kept me stunned till the last line..impressive dear..such a pleasure reading you always.last line is perfect! rereading it again and again..BRAVO!
Desert Rose
Abeer

Nevine Sultan said...

Abeer, I love your name! And it's awesome to see you here again! Your words have left me smiling. I am glad to know you were held in thrall until the end. I take it you have a preference for the romantic pieces. I do like to indulge in love poetry every once in a while. It's so soothing, especially because I tend to write such raw pieces sometimes. It sort of gives me a break from my own darkness, if you know what I mean. But, it's nice to know you will be dropping in regularly. I do appreciate your vote of confidence! Thank you, Abeer. :-)

Desert Rose said...

I love your name too! reminds me of a dear friend of mine..and she left cairo too but to Germany! you can count on me being here regularly dear lady..your blog is awesome and i am enjoying it!

love&tight hugs!
Abeer

steveroni said...

A compulsion to return here, Nevine. And as I re-read "Nocturne" and ponder your sweeter (oops!)words all I can think is this:

EXQUISITE!

No response expected.......

Nevine Sultan said...

Abeer - I look forward to your visits. And tight hugs back to you!

Steveroni - ;-) How about it?

A Cuban In London said...

This is such a short but very sweet piece. First of all, what worked for me the best was that preparation at the beginning. The whole night ritual. You come to bed, he comes to bed. His pillow, your pillow. Your side of the bed, his side of the bed. And then, it's as if a whole orchestra launched into a big, majestic, bigger-than-big symphony. It was a fantastic piece. Many thanks.

Greetings from London.

Nevine Sultan said...

Cuban, so gracious of you to leave me your thoughts here. And I loved how you described what this meant for you. The orchestra unfolding... Wow! That makes quite a symphony of my humble poem. Much appreciated, always, your take on things! Thank you.

Ashley Ashbee said...

You're so welcome, Nevine! And that's for your kind, thoughtful response. Comments on insight mean so much coming from a writer as talented as you!

Nevine Sultan said...

Ashley, please... it is my pleasure!