Under Cover
©2015 Susan Noyes Anderson
Image: The Dream, by Jacek Yerka
I draw my sleep beneath a golf ball moon,
where verdant trees sprout tiny, ticking clocks.
Deep waters hold me close in rippled arms,
enfold me in a soft, white bed of rocks.
There is a calm, a strange but present peace.
All that I need is waiting on the shore.
My spirit slumbers, dreaming of release.
Night holds me helpless; dawn unlocks the door.
∞§∞
Jacek Yerka, a Polish artist of some renown, was born in 1952, the year of my own birth. His talent is undeniable, and among his dreamlike paintings are many favorites of mine. This one, simply entitled “Dream,” hit me in a rather unexpected way. While I am a big fan of all things dreamy, this particular depiction by Yerka evokes in me a sensation of being cast adrift in a way not quite pleasant, removed from familiar friends and surroundings to float aimlessly beneath a cool and somewhat unfriendly moon. Happily, the little dog stands vigil, waiting with a warmly lit candle to welcome me back to shore. A nightstand, also bedecked with a warmer, friendlier light (and what’s left of a bedtime snack), even offers a possible escape route!
Tags: art, dreams, Jacek Yerka