March Musings #26: Echoes of a Dream

Have you ever awakened and knew you were still in one of your dreams? 

Lately, dreams have been dancing in the fertile playground of my mind. Hearing Yanni's Echoes of a Dream play on my car radio made me think of the dreams that disturbed my sleep pattern and echoed in my mind throughout the day.

I have written about this before and from that poem post my slicer friend, 

Kevin Hodgson, created a video poem, Further Dreaming.

Dreaming in story format is a phenomenon that happens during sleep time. Dreams may be based on how we feel before retiring for the night. They could be triggered by what we are worrying about, hoping for, or our to-do list. 

Remembering my dreams may be a way to spark creativity, get in touch with my emotions, or just be echoes of my mind wandering in the darkness of sleep. I wonder, why I have lingering thoughts haunting me when I wake. 

Today, I may have woke feeling uneasy but on a positive note, whatever was echoing in my mind provided me with an idea for writing. I just wish I could remember what I dreamt about last night. That might make an interesting story.

 

Day 26 of Two Writing Teachers' March Slice of Life Story Challenge

March Musings Day 14: Dream Big

Thanks Alyssa H. for creating 
this inspiration poster.

My dreams tug at my heart. They are my longings, the urgings of my soul, and the guiding lights on the road to owning my brave. 

"To me, #brave means being and bringing my best, most confident, authentic, and powerful self to whatever situations I face. Inherent in that is constructive action and full responsibility." - Kimberly Davis

My dreams follow me from morning to night. They may not be totally actualized YET but they are worthy of my pursuit.

Line lifted to create a golden shovel poem* 

based on Langston Hughes' line from Dreams: 

"Hold fast to dreams."

In the rush to hold

my hurried life in the fast

lane, I sometimes forget to

slow down to reach my dreams.
©CVarsalona, 2018

************

Seasonal Advice to Self

Hold fast to dreams,

Floating high 

Like kites of summer

Seeking to fly.

Hold fast to my dreams.

Never letting go

Realizing hope

Is tucked in snow.

©CVarsalona, 2018

************

I Can Statements for Constructive Action:  

I can own my brave.

I can continue to dream big one step at a time.

I can give thanks for each actualization of my dreams.

 

Day 14 of Two Writing Teachers' March Slice of Life Story Challenge

*Golden Shovel Poem How To: Lift a line from a poem. Turn that line into a golden shovel poem.  That is done by lining up the words of the original line in the right column, one word at a time, and create a new line ending in each word. If the borrowed line, called a striking line, is five words long, you will end up with a five line poem. If it is 7 words long, you would end up with a seven line poem, and so on. 

Strange Dreams

Have you ever had a strange dream that made you wish you had a pen and paper to record it?

The mind can be a strange playground!

wandering in the darkness of sleep,

moving silently through unwalked corridors,

holding court with people never met,

engaging in unknown happenings-

The mind can be a strange playground!

bringing waking to a startled moment,

a wrestled, unfinished, lingering thought,

opening daylight with uncharted waters,

that float in the midst of unfinished business.

The mind can be a strange playground!

©CVarsalona, 2017

Thank you to two colleagues who set the stage for this flight of the mind poem that really was lurking in the clutches of a recent dream. Kevin Hodgson's response, "The mind can be a strange playground," to Fran Haley's slice, Song of Invisibility, set my mind thinking. While not remembering all the details of a dream (probably set off by my post, Whoosh), I quickly wrote back to Fran and Kevin.

After my frustrating experience with computer glitches and my vanishing work, I tried to fall asleep. Yoga breathing was one of my remedies but it took a long time to enter dreamland that was filled with all sorts of weird happenings. I wake rested but am trying to remember bits and pieces of what transpired. 

From this crazy experience, a Wonder Bundle Learning Experience on dreams evolved. That ELA lesson plan for 5th grade, using Wonderopolis' Wonder of the Day, #988, Have You Ever Had Crazy Dreams?, is found at the Wonder Ground. 

It is time for this week's Poetry Friday. Buffy Silverman is hosting at Buffy's Blog. 

SPECIAL NOTE: I am collecting poetry for my spring gallery, Springsations, this weekend. Please send in your offering if you have not done so yet. Come celebrate springtime with me.

Tweet a Dream

New hashtags surface all the time on Twitter, so when I received a tweet from a colleague, Sean Gaillard, recognizing Monday as not only #CelebrateMonday but #TweetaDream Day, my interest was picqued.

What is the #TweetADream campaign?

As the non=profit organization, Our Future World, notes their global #TweetADream campaign is a happening in more than 35 countries. Today, June 1, 2015, International Children's Day, students and teachers across the world are asked to tweet their dreams "in a massive Twitter action, giving a voice to young people's dreams around the world."

This inspirational quote spurred me on to create my own image to celebrate dreams for the future.

LET'S #TweetaDream to INSPIRE our youth

to pursue their passions,

follow their dreams,

and

realize the myriad of possibilities

awaiting them in their futures.

BUILD TOMORROW FOR TODAY'S YOUTH!