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Kamau Braithwaite - Dream Poet© Lauri Jean Crowe
"...for bones are vegetable arms
that clutch dreams
that grow the fatty pork of flesh
the gods will eat..."
Dreams espoused in poetry and literature abound. In fact, poetry it would seem is the perfect medium for relating the transcendent and often fleeting nature of dreams. How else can one better capture the momentary flashes of imagery, symbol and meaning that dreams typically involve? Some would say a painting, a photograph, or another visual means of communication. However, as both an artist and poet I have always sought to express my own dreams in writing, especially poetry. Poetry is about economy of word use. Choosing the best possible alphabetical letters in the most appropriate combinations to make words come to life, to make my own images take on a tactile form in the objective universe so that others can share them as well. So it is with dreams. One of my favorite poets is Kamau Brathwaite whose words are quoted above. Of all his works, his collection of poems called Black and Blues is the one I like best. It is a fabulous collection of poetry divided into three parts - "Fragments", "Drought", and "Flowers". The excerpt above is quoted from "Fragments" and I can think of nothing more fragmentary than the dream state. Brathwaite's poetry, which are often categorized as proems (a combination of prose and poetry so eloquent they deserve their own encapsulation), is a journey into that which is tribal, mystical, almost a song so it did not surprise me to see dreams mentioned or poems which expressed the triumphs of a collective people as well as their struggles. Kamau Brathwaite definitely falls into the category of the Art of Dreams, even as his academic poetical works fall into a science of meter, rhyme and distinction which have won him many awards. I would like to share my love of Kamau Brathwaite's work with my readers here at the Art & Science of Dreams. So, I have a challenge for you and you can win your very own copy of Black + Blues. Here's the rules: 1. Create a poem based on your own dreams, expressing them in poetic form (no restrictions as to rhyme, free verse or haiku, do the form that best expresses your own dream mythos). 2. Submit the poem in the body of an email to ljcrowe@suite101.com. 3. All poems must be received by January 30, 2002. 4. No attachments will be opened. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Kamau Braithwaite - Dream Poet in Dream Interpretation is owned by Lauri Jean Crowe. Permission to republish Kamau Braithwaite - Dream Poet in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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