Remember The Lake/Dreaming
Somewhere else, the lake is dreaming
too–one inhale, one exhale–
its seiche tied to my body
as if memory has chained me
to the lakewater–rolling restless in bed.
The old story clings like plastic tape:
they said if the greengray water’s low,
you can see
a church steeple, its spire cutting
low water.
a church steeple, its spire cutting
low water.
Someone swears they saw it in ’88,
then again in 2018–
sharp as a crooked finger.
sharp as a crooked finger.
I imagine the steeple
is what keeps the lake dreaming.
is what keeps the lake dreaming.
I whisper its name into the water,
to see what it may carry back.
10 thoughts on "Remember The Lake/Dreaming"
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Simply serene. Shaun the way you paint and weave is just so incredible. You bring us with you.
This is my favorite line
“its seiche tied to my body”
I had to.look up seiche and that line ……oh !!!!
Thank you Shaun, for so many things.
Yep, agree with Coleman. You word paint story in an intimate way that invites the reader in.
I looked up seiche, too. Nice use of the word and the sound. “its seiche tied to my body”
Also love “The old story clings like plastic tape:”
I thought of Frank Herbert when I saw the word. Never saw it in a poem!
Shaun,
What you do with nature and place in your poetry is special. You let ys walk through each moment right next to you.
“I whisper its name into the water,
to see what it may carry back.” WOW!
Special verse, Shaun!
This is an absolute gem, Shaun. I feel like that sieche is lulling me along through the haunting story.
This is so full of creative imagery and story. Thank you, Shaun for your visions.
The haunting image of the church spire breaking the water like “a crooked finger” beautifully captures how local lore and memory anchor us to a place. 💙 I look forward to hearing more of your poetry on KSPS open mike!
“its seiche tied to my body
as if memory has chained me” grabbed me like others before.
In French, we used the same word seiche, and its homophone “sèche” means dry, which in the context of a lake dreaming poem lit all kinds of fireworks in my brain. Thank you for sharing this beautiful poem.
Wow! Thank you so much, Fanny. I love that connection between *seiche*, and “sèche” having this sort of interplay!