Dwarf Star
Dwarf Star
My mind wants so much
to relive those nights
we danced like fireflies
that it forces itself
from its scalp-shelled sheath,
squeezes through the sponge
of gray matter, pushes
through the pores of cranium,
to rest, panting, in my then-longer hair, which shifts
as I skip, galumph, swoop arms
in free-frolic–I was never
the most elegant mover even when dancing
like fireflies–then climbs through the
slide of strands as best it can– for the mind also
hasn’t such well-coordinated arms–
until it stabilizes itself
just at the shelf
of my left ear.
There, it strains to hear–
and smiles as it does–my own panting breath, chipped
by laughter;
smiles as it listens to
the panting breath of feet, mine bared, as they inhale and ex-
the dew-drunk grass, blades clumping together
like buddies on a long day’s night–
delights in the voiced context
of tree-frogs–the intervaled keen which it cannot help comparing
to Phillip Glass, Steve Reich–it’s a mind after all,
and rather high-
falutin’–
the bass thunks of the bigger ones
out in the pond–
Mind shivers–once, twice–
in the cool indigo drapes,
and marvels, as blue blackens,
at the mirrored starscape in the field, the fireflies
dancing just like themselves, in blinkered
galaxies–
The mind wants so much
to still this moment, even though it’s long
past, to stash it–
as if flicker
could be stilled and stashed,
as if the pure delight of movement–
movement as free as the barely seen can sometimes be–
could be re-membered–then’s arms and legs re-fitted
and made to dance–
as if stars could be mirrored
by something palmed, fisted, ferreted
away,
as if anything
could live that way–
*********************************
Here’s a poem that I am still calling a draft for now, but that I like. I’m not sure about the title–also thinking of “Re-membering”– and I’m not sure about the close. I am linking it to Alan’s prompt on Poetry Jam about thirst and also to Real Toads open link Monday. Something strange has happened to my comments so that I am not getting notifications of when they are posted, so I am sorry if I am late returning visits. k.
Explore posts in the same categories: poetry, Uncategorized
Tags: dance on poem, Dwarf Star poem, dwarf stars are the ones that still emit light right?, I am worried about my brain, manicddaily, Phillip Glass has nothing on tree frogs, Re-membered, the dance of the fireflies in the mind
You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.
ManicDDaily 
July 3, 2014 at 7:32 am
a little lighter faire after the last couple days….smiles….love the firefly imagery…as dancers and little blinkering galaxies…and i like where you address your own lack of grace at times…the last couple lines starting with as if stars could be mirrored, i like much
July 3, 2014 at 1:19 pm
Ha! Yes. k.
July 3, 2014 at 9:35 am
love the yearning for those delightful moments…
July 3, 2014 at 12:00 pm
danced like fireflies – I love this such beautiful image and this just sings off the page
July 3, 2014 at 1:18 pm
Thanks, Alan! k.
July 3, 2014 at 3:33 pm
I certainly like that early morning feel. 🙂
Greetings from London.
July 3, 2014 at 4:25 pm
Lots of mood and movement here, k–energetic yet delicate, somehow, like things that tickle at the edge–I especially like the galaxies of fireflies and the re-membering, of course, but the use of colors and the sense of dance make this very alive all through–the passage about the mind rising through its ‘scalp-shelled sheath’ is especially evocative. I like it *at least* as much as you do–;_) very cool.
July 3, 2014 at 4:39 pm
Thanks. Too long and a bit indeterminate but I like it perhaps because I like dancing around in damp grass so much– or at least I have in my lifetime! Take care. Many thanks. K.
July 3, 2014 at 7:12 pm
I would love to see fireflies again ~ I specially love this part:
The mind wants so much
to still this moment, even though it’s long
past, to stash it–
as if flicker
could be stilled and stashed,
as if the pure delight of movement–
July 3, 2014 at 10:33 pm
I love this, k. the fireflies and the galumphing, the dew drunk grass and especially these lines, ‘…my own panting breath, chipped / by laughter; / smiles as it listens to / the panting breath of feet’. Also love tree frogs, indigo drapes… the whole thing.
July 7, 2014 at 10:25 am
I think your close is very strong. That image could work alone, and brings the whole description to completion. Your title is also very intriguing in context with the personal remembrance.
July 7, 2014 at 10:35 am
Thanks, Kerry–the title IS a little enigmatic, but it resonated for me, so I used it. The poem is a bit long, but perhaps I can return to it sometime and cut. Thanks again for all your inspiration and support. k.
On Mon, Jul 7, 2014 at 11:25 AM, ManicDDaily wrote:
>
July 7, 2014 at 1:22 pm
I love the joyful tone of this poem, full of such wonderful imagery and movement. I love the dancing like fireflies, and smiled especially at “I was never the most elegant mover”….I also love the grass blade buddies!
July 7, 2014 at 7:13 pm
I love this! It has a powerful and very evocative imagery. Good job, K!
July 7, 2014 at 8:16 pm
something about the ‘cool indigo drapes’ that grabs me, K. and then your close… ~
July 8, 2014 at 4:03 am
lovely imagery
July 8, 2014 at 4:05 am
This is really brilliant stuff, the primary trope (of dancing with fireflies) a delight, and the peripheral tangos of memory, thought, the starry sky and the music of the spheres all work so well together. It was such fun to read and I was cheering for the dance all the way. The title could have given a better lead into the dance — I get the dwarf star’s connection with fireflies, and perhaps our significance (or lack of it) trying to dowse for it in memory — but it needs more of a bounce, a dance — plural perhaps, or a dancing firmament. Stellar (sorry!) write.
July 8, 2014 at 4:19 am
Thanks, Brendan. I agree that the title is a bit of a downer! I think maybe re-membering, or, as you say something more associated with the dance would be better. Thanks though for your kind comment . K.
>
July 9, 2014 at 9:05 pm
“movement as free as the barely seen can sometimes be–” that is really gorgeous. My being a-l-m-o-s-t 50 (and married forever 🙂 I can relate to this poem.
July 9, 2014 at 10:47 pm
Ha. Thanks, Margaret , it is such a treat to see pics of your lovely family. K.
>
July 11, 2014 at 11:52 am
Great stuff. I love fireflies and this poem has so many layers I will have to come back for another read.