rembrandt paintingPeterson
She Dreamt of Rebellion
by Venetia Peterson

She dreamt of rebellion that night;
the screaming flames, the silent smoke.
Her morning resonated with echoes.
She went from cup to cup,
thought to scrambling thought.
Then meditated on what
could be gained in a “faithful marriage.”

My expectations are scribbled
on used envelopes and in my digital notebook
where schedules demand unburdened time.
To care for others chaffs against dreams.
In a spare thought I wonder.
Did she do the laundry?
Did she brush her own hair?

What rhymes with never?
I mediate on what was lost.

To see the world after disillusionment
takes knowledge and disbelief.
The grace of a day has become
a gamblers throw: a trick of moments,
a calculated choice, a fated chance.
I look towards the age of frailty and wisdom.
You are captured in youth and mystery dressed in pearls.

I send myself an Email asking: “Have our dreams made us fools or rebels?”

PAINTING: “Portrait of a Lady with a Lapdog” by Rembrandt van Rijn (c. 1662).

PHOTO: The author.

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: There are turning points in our lives. This poem expresses the chance or choice taken, and the lingering questions as we face the results in our defining moments.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Protecting a gang of sparrows from the neighbor’s yellow cat can be exhausting. In between, Venetia manages to write poetry and short stories in Toronto, Canada