A Slow Moving Dream
by Michael Crane
1.
The hero of this poem
is developing a serum whereby
he could slow down time.
The place of this poem
is a remote village
where everybody is the same.
The villagers of this poem
wear the same clothes
Same hairstyles. Same eyes.
Everyone sees the same things.
The shapes of the clouds
never change. Always square.
2.
The hero of this poem,
wanted to see triangle clouds.
He wanted slow moving rivers.
The countryside of this poem
Is flat. The trees are flat.
The hills are flat. No mountains
The God of this poem
created everything the same
except this poem’s hero.
The God was tired of envy
“Give everyone the same vision
and there will be happiness.”
3.
The hero of this poem
was invented by the God
to give the villagers a hobby.
The villain of this poem
has no form or substance
Moves fast. Strikes quickly
The laughter in this poem
is loud and cruel
The smiles have sharp claws.
A choir of mad butcher birds
squabble in the flat trees
for one beautiful, lonely fig.
4.
The hero of this poem
went through life unharmed.
His only weapon was a dream.
The dream of this poem
is not like the clouds.
It changes. It is the same.
The clouds of this poem
were jealous of the dream.
They formed a mist over our hero.
The mist of this dream
could only be seen by the clouds
and villains. No one else.
5.
The hero of this poem
worked on the serum.
A dash of love. A dash of oblivion.
The formula of this poem
was written by a ghost,
One part hope. One part Death.
The villain of this poem
searched for the serum
to slow down time.
Only the villain knows,
why the slowing down of time
is so important to our hero.
6.
The hero of this poem
lived alone in a bungalow
at the mouth of the river.
The river of this poem
has bright green eyes.
The river hates silence.
The silence of this poem
can be measured by a machine
that no one will invent.
To hear the silence
one must first imagine
a slow moving river.
7.
The hero of this poem,
could not speak logic.
His language was of dreams.
The language of this poem
is spoken slowly, quietly.
It moves like a beautiful girl.
The girl of this poem
is actually an old woman
who in the end drinks the serum.
No one not even the clouds
were prepared for that twist.
The river is speechless.
8.
The hero of this poem,
has grey eyes. He sees
what cannot be seen.
The eyes of this poem
are the colours of rainbows.
Each colour has an opinion.
The rainbows of this poem
do not arch. They are flat.
The clouds cry square raindrops.
Can you see what is happening?
This poem is unfolding for you
like a slow blooming rose.
9.
The hero of this poem
does not have an incurable disease.
his genitals were removed at birth.
The gender of this poem
is being discussed at length
by the green eyed villagers.
The argument of this poem
had been changing before you like
a slow moving river.
A formless shape with claws
is moving towards this poem.
The screams are deafening.
10.
The hero of this poem,
is in no hurry to finish
making his magic serum.
The patience of this poem,
can be compared to a river
that time has slowed down.
The river of this poem
has a long winding body,
slithering slowly through the shadows.
Somewhere in the shadows
there is a choir of lost souls
singing a slow moving hymn.
11.
The hero of this poem
is burning on a wooden stake
in the centre of the village.
The villagers of this poem
had caught our hero sleeping
on a slow moving dream.
The dream of this poem
is on fire. The flames leap
like a form with claws.
There is a wailing scream
as the hero of this poem
burns inside his own created fire.
12.
The hero of this poem
has no famous last words.
No one could understand him anyway.
To understand this poem
you must go back to the beginning:
a serum that slows down time.
The rhythm of this poem
has tripped over its own feet,
it lies flat like a rainbow.
The smiling corpses awaken.
They walk to our hero’s body
like a slow moving river.
13.
The hero of this poem
is categorically dead.
His grey eyes are wide opened.
The vision of this poem
can see the green eyed villagers
walking to the mouth of the river.
The river of this poem
has been given the burden
of a recently burnt corpse.
Time has broken the spine
of the river with a clenched fist
made from triangle clouds.
14.
The hero of this poem
is carried by the current
of a slow moving, green-eyed river.
The green eyes of this poem
are looking at themselves
through a tall thin broken mirror.
The broken mirror of this poem
is in the corner of the room
in the bungalow at the mouth of the river
Inside the bungalow a search
is being carried out by the villagers
for a serum that slows down time.
15.
The hero of this poem
has died a dreamless death.
The villagers are still laughing.
The villagers of this poem
have fallen through the mirror
and are screaming like mad butcher birds.
The butcher birds of this poem
are flying above a crippled river
which is crawling slowly to the sea.
Time blinks its green eyes
as a slow moving sea
drowns in a burning ocean
16.
The hero of this poem
bids you farewell from the other side.
He is standing with the smiling corpses.
The corpses of this poem
are smiling because their eyes
can see the end is near.
The end of this poem
starts at the beginning:
a serum that slows down time.
Imagine if you could slow down time
and that life unfolded for you
like a slow blooming rose.
Michael Crane has been widely published in literary journals and newspapers in Australia and recently has had work accepted in Canada and the US. He organises the Poetry Idol Final for the Melbourne Writers Festival, is managing editor of the annual literary journal, The Paradise Anthology, and performs musical poems and songs with singer songwriter Trish Anderson of acclaimed band GIT.
