Thursday, September 28, 2017

Ginsberg Slept Here


image from pinterest.com


Ginsberg Slept Here

“I love sleep--for my life tends to fall apart when
I’m awake.”--Ernest Hemingway.

Sleep can be a waking state as well, whereby
people vote as if blind.

Marlowe referred to the Big Sleep induced by a
.45 or blackjack.

As a youth, sleep could be pushed aside, in 
favor of romance or play.

****************************************************
As I age,
sleep comes in fits and
groggy spurts.

Sleep used to 
include dreams every night;
presently,

dreams click through
sleep like changing channels
all night long.

*************************************************
If we truly are
powerful beings, does sleep
recharge us, or just
supply us recreation
and fantasy fulfillment?

There are several
theories about whose dream we are
part of or master
of, and sleep is supposed to
sort it all out; smile.

I have come to love naps,
for they fill in the gaps

in my fitful sleep.


Glenn Buttkus

american sentences, collom lunes, tanka & haiku.

Posted over at dVerse Poets Pub MTB  

15 comments:

Frank Hubeny said...

Very nice, Glenn, including the audio. I liked the idea of dreams being like flipping channels. They do seem that way to me, now that you mention it, that is when I can remember them, but then I didn't remember much of what was on TV and so I stopped watching it altogether. Now there is plenty of internet in its place to click through like the older channels. Nice ending with naps, gaps and fitful sleep.

Scott Hastie said...

Starting to trip over some of your poems now Glen on FB - love your measured lucidity on this one, which kicked through so clearly in your read through...

Kim M. Russell said...

That's another great quote, Glenn! My husband would agree with that. Oh, that is so familiar:
'presently,
dreams click through
sleep like changing channels
all night long'.
I wish I could nap to fill in the gaps - my brain fights against it!

brudberg said...

I recognize so much the sleep coming in fits. In small sequences - like the disconnected pieces of film left after cutting. Really inspired writing tonight Glen

Anonymous said...

I think naps are the way forward...short and to the point....long sleeps are a distant song for me too...unless Whisky induced but then the waking is not so comfortable;) It's not a far stretch for me to think Ginsberg might have slept there ;)

Jane Dougherty said...

Sleep seems sketchy to me too. Those long uninterrupted wacky dreams are a thing of the past. Shame.

indybev said...


Elusive sleep seems to be a common thread so far. I'm for power naps as well! Sleep time seems to be the time when my brain is most active. Arrrrgh!

Alison H said...

I love your take on sleep through the ages of man. I am at an age where when I need rest there is nothing more welcoming than a comfy bed and sleep however fitful it may be.

Vivian Zems said...

Naps definitely fill gaps in fitful sleep..... like this line. Well penned. Audio's great.

said...

I love this section:

"As I age,
sleep comes in fits and
groggy spurts.

Sleep used to
include dreams every night;
presently"

~marley

Jilly said...

Great write, Glenn. There is one theory that the dream state is real life and our waking moments are the refueling. Interesting.
The channel flipping is so accurate. (Love the Hemmingway quote)

Truedessa said...

I had to smile at the thought of dreams clicking like changing channels. It does seem like that some nights as I go from here to there and find myself in some random place and time. Naps are actually very good for the mind, body and spirit.

lynn__ said...

I enjoyed your views into the psychology of sleep...and Hemingway's too.

Frank J. Tassone said...

I struggle with interrupted sleep myself lately. Really enjoyed how you blended haiku and tanka to portray the contours of sleep in fits and starts!

Nosaint said...

It is true, dreams change as we age and sleep itself, too. I am waking up at 6am every day when I used to want to sleep until 10. And my dreams are lazy, same motifs over and over again. I can relate to what you wrote about dreams clicking through the channels. Seems that my sleep TV is playing reruns.