Survivors

Survivors

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Helen's Dream

by Steve King
© 2003
All rights reserved


For years after,
she served pomegranates and wine
in the keep of her new/old lord.
The wine would soften their laughs for a time,
until the war stories
and then the war games,
and the names of the dead,
and their dead memories;
'til death took hold of their wine-filled mornings,
took hold of their morning wine-dreams.

She never saw the sea again from a boat,
though in her dreams she watched the waves,
heard them o'ertopping
along the reach of some far safe harbor,
felt once more the unrelenting pull
of sea on yielding shore.

Not for adventure.
Not now.
Not again for love, nor vanity.
Not now.
There wasn't time enough, she thought,
to nurture a new race of memories.

Nights, she heard the winds sing
through olive trees,
remembering the other-world scents,
wondering how it all had come to pass,
wondered at its passing.

Yet she remained, and must remain:
Her beauty was part of their wine-dreams, too,
though they hardly talked of her now.

13 comments:

  1. A GOOD OLN, Steve! This line IS ME, so I zeroed in here: "There wasn't time enough, she thought, to nurture a new race of memories."

    Life is not OVER, of course...but it is just too late to 'start anything new'--or so I am thinking tonight!

    "Practice being satisfied", someone told me...meaning be thankful for what I have, don't think about what I do not have.

    Thank you for these those you evoked in my head--grin!
    PEACE!

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  2. i really like the contrast between their dreams and hers though a bit sad at her having never seen the waves again...emotive piece...i like...

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  3. I liked the commitment fact you brought out in your piece

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  4. I like her memories, her dreams are alive in her .. and lovely contrast to what it is today...these lines are beautiful to me:

    Not for adventure.
    Not now.
    Not again for love, nor vanity.
    Not now.
    There wasn't time enough, she thought,
    to nurture a new race of memories.

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  5. Emotionally stirring, this. The play-up on the power of dreams, of memory and thought...fantasy, escape, they may play an intricate part in it, but it does not change the power of the act.

    I have to agree with Steve, though: "There wasn't time enough, she thought, to nurture a new race of memories." particularly caught my eye, as lines go...

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  6. The entire write is lyrical, Steve! You have the story, the song, the poem...all so beautifully presented. A wonderful OpenLinkNight offering, most enjoyed :)

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  7. Really liked the story approach behind this piece, another great job, as always.

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  8. Nostalgic and very well written. Thank you.

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  9. She carries her dreams within, lovely write.

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  10. You really get a sense of a life lived fully through your words, though I feel the sense of loss throughout.

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  11. "her beauty was part of their wine dreams too" but beauty past...tho she might have launched a thousand ships. Poignant, lovely write!

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  12. Am I wrong to read this as Helen returned to Sparta and Menelaus? With all the talk of war, regret, the sea this is how I read it. Excellent evocation and gorgeous storytelling.

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  13. you pulled me into the story with the serving of pomegranates and wine..her dreams unfold before the reader...sad story...giving up everything for "is it worth it"..? thought provoking and great storytelling steve

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