Passing through the Dream
Today I’d like to write about my book of original sayings (aphorisms) called Passing through the Dream. The book is divided into one hundred brief chapters that elaborate on a specific philosophical point. For example my chapter called, “Change Won’t Wait,” describes the nature of change and its effects on the human condition. Another chapter called, “Writing into God,” describes the writing process as it relates to the divine. Each chapter is also composed of couplets (two line verses) that mostly rhyme and help create a sense of beauty to each section.
The title itself - Passing through the Dream - is based on the timeless teaching that life is a dream form which the soul needs to awaken. Like a play that begins and ends, the dream is also over when the soul transcends the world. We are basically spiritual beings having a physical experience.
To summarize the book, it represents “observations about human nature and societal values. Written with unflinching honesty, it also reflects my own attempt to understand the world and its relentless uncertainty.” It’s organized into aphorisms that offer spiritual imagery as well as humorous language that helps make the book inspirational and whimsical. These original sayings represent the culmination of my search for meaning and faith in uncertain times.
It is useful, I think, to give some examples of these sayings to clarify the book’s themes. For instance, the chapter, “God is Much More Than He” discusses God as being much more than simply masculine:
- When “he” becomes God and “she” is left out, / The pronoun called “he” is less than the truth.
- So many women are fearless and wise. / Their patience and faith are God in disguise.
- When God is too small, some can’t believe. / They need a God that isn’t just “He”.
The original sayings in the book can also be humorous at times. In the chapter, “The End of the World: “The End of the world!” the seers declare; / Yet they have been wrong for thousands of years.
Another example of humor occurs in the chapter, “On Being Right”:
- If someone is right and brags all the time, / He’s either a god or a very good liar.
- Most who speak loudly are sure of themselves. / When they start yelling, they soon are ignored.
One of the purposes of the original sayings is to describe my ideas without the need for the reader to go through long poems and stories, to discover my philosophical and religious beliefs. They are basically a summary of my ideas about life. For example, the aphorism called “The Mystery of Love,” expresses the notion about love in a concise way that still is empathetic in theme: Love has compassion for those in distress. / It offers to help when others forget.
This notion of love as empathy is acknowledged in these two lines, yet still presents an understanding of one form of love.
The concept of using couplets has been exciting for me, because the last two lines of many of my individual poems almost always have these lines as the most memorable. By creating these twelve verses, I have been able to focus solely on the part of a poem I’m best at composing and are the most uplifting.
If you have a chance to preview my book, Passing through the Dream, it’s on my website and on Amazon.com. Thanks for your support. I will continue to write these newsletters once a week as long as the inspiration will allow it. Have a great day, and I’ll see you next week.
(Please remember these are my own ideas, and I’m not attempting to persuade anyone to change theirs.)
Quotes:
“Every artist creates with open eyes what she sees in her dreams.” Marge Piercy
“Breathe, dreams, silence, invincible calm, you triumph.” Paul Valery
“I have a dream! To be free at last! Free at last! Free at last. And if a man has nothing to die for, then his life is worth nothing.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“He wanders, like a day-appearing dream, Through the dim wildernesses of the mind; Through desert woods and tracts, which seem like ocean, homeless, boundless, unconfined.” Percy Bysshe Shelley
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