“I fear that should you read my mind
You’ll find my mind ain’t there.
I fear I’m holding you behind.
Don’t leave to run off where
Nighttime’s dreamings cannot stand.
I must not hesitate.
I fear I’ll reach my outstretched hand
Too fashionably late.”
Linked to dVerse Quadrille hosted by Victoria Ceretto-Slotto with prompt word “fear”. The pub opens at 3 PM EST. Come join us!
Photo: “Three Uprights” by the author linked to K’lee and Dale‘s Cosmic Photo Challenge with theme “three”.
It looks like jasenphoto’s Tuesday Photo Challenge also has “Three” as a theme. So I am linking this as well
A beautiful poem and a serene photo, lovely, thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Dale! And thanks for the photo challenges from K’lee and you!
LikeLike
I love the idea of an imaginary friend having an imaginary fear. Reminds me of the Supernatural episode where a bad guy was killing off kids’ imaginary friends.
LikeLiked by 1 person
With an imaginary friend one can do all kinds of magical stuff. Thanks, Jessica!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re gonna meet yourself coming and going
LikeLiked by 1 person
She talks back also. Thanks, Walter!
LikeLike
Wow
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very real (not imaginary) truths in this.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, that is one of nice things about an imaginary friend. They can speak the truth without it being questioned and let it settle in one’s mind. Thanks, Jilly!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I enjoyed the poem, specially the last fear”I fear I’ll reach my outstretched hand
Too fashionably late.
I liked most the picture, highlighting an object (part of a fence or porch?) that usually would pass unoticed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Danik! The picture of a fence in a park overlooking a pond had three posts in it and there were also three fears. I tried to make this conform to K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge which had the theme “three” and so I emphasized those posts. Glad to see you here!
LikeLike
A lovely poem, Frank.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Robbie!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hii Frank , I love reading your posts. I nominated you for the Versatile Blogger award. Please check out the link below..
https://throughmyheartweb.wordpress.com/2017/07/31/the-versatile-blogger-award/
😇
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for the nomination! I normally don’t continue the award chains, but I am very grateful for your nomination.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😇😇
LikeLiked by 1 person
RepTile SurViVing
Mammal Fuzzy Hugs
Neo Cortical reaSon
TRapped
iN
priSoNs
FuTures
pasSings Fear
More as LorE NoW
And TruE.. FriEnd
Frank.. Words arE FuN..
And perHaps WortH A PreSent
FutUrE PasSinG bY For ART..:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, words are fun. Thank you, Fred!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hehe..
someone
told me
once before
in Layman’s
terms of made
i.. should then..
be.. diagnosed more
with textromancy..
And it’s true2.. A
Psychiatrist
offered
me
Epilepsy
Drugs for
Hypergraphia
until i told him
it makes me FeeL
Good to do it and
it gives the wife a break
from an otherwise verbal flood
for
a sure
Fredache
as you might
imagine2.. hAha..;)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, very nice word: “textromancy”. Words (and sounds) do have power over us. “Hypergraphia” is another interesting word. It is the first time I heard of it. And “Fredache”: delightful description. No need for cures for this. Best wishes and keep writing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hypergraphia..
Also a Diagnosis
‘Arm-Chaired’
For Lewis
Carroll..
No
Writers
Block
With
This
‘Condition’..;)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such a fun one. I like projecting fear, imaginary or not, onto an imaginary friend. Let her handle it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I imagine she usually handles it well. Thank you, Victoria!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Even imaginary friends can have fears and bad days 🙂 Makes them all the more real, right? 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! And it is fun imagining them so. Thank you, Lillian!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a cute thought, the imaginary-friend, and his three fears.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll admit the “three” came from K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge. I am glad they didn’t say “ten”. Thank you, Annell!
LikeLike
And I had a little boy as an imaginary friend! I like this poem so much especially the last fear – of being too fashionably late.
LikeLiked by 2 people
That last fear was mystery to me as well when it appeared somewhat out of nowhere. Thank you, Toni!
LikeLike
Has your friend ever visited Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends? It’s can be both fun and frightening.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had to look that cartoon show up. It sounds interesting. I’ll have to see if the library has some of the programs. Thanks, Linda!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t think you need to be imaginary to have those fears! Nicely done, as always. Impressive to fit metre and rhyme into such tight word constraints.
LikeLiked by 1 person
One doesn’t have to be imaginary to have them. I am glad you liked the meter and rhyme. Thanks, Sarah!
LikeLike
Love this. Very imaginative.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s what imaginary friends are for, to stimulate the imagination. Thank you, Sascha!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love the idea of the imaginary friends too, and what a great fear to have I don’t think I would be over-fond of mind reading, I would probably be in endless trouble. My Emily had an imaginary friend for years who was blind and had a guide dog…it was an interesting period of our lives…I am glad she couldn’t mind-read.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We can sort of mind read each other’s minds when we imagine with empathy what the other might be feeling, although it is only a guess. Having a blind imaginary friend with a guide dog is being very creative. Thanks, Alison!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A delightful take on fear, Frank!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Amaya!
LikeLike
I love the way you think, Frank! The photo is so lovely and serene.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Beverly! I was looking for some way to get “three” involved so I could meet K’lee and Dale’s photo challenge.
LikeLike
What lovely wood on the fence. That’s seen a few imaginary friends and fears I bet! Lovely Frank!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Peter! That is a railing of some sort at Half Day Forest Preserve overlooking Half Day Pond. It is attached to a small shelter and picnic table.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Frank, you are truly RhymeMaster, in my book. This is wonderful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am glad you liked the rhyme. The meter sort of comes easy but each one goes through many drafts. Thank you, De!
LikeLike
Nice one, frank.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you!
LikeLike
Frank, this is possibly one of the deepest puzzle pieces of the night. I will read this again. Right now, I’ll just say is stands original, and wonderfully ambiguous. High marks in my book!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Charley! Imaginary friends are puzzling and trying to imagine what they are feeling may be a way for those who have them to practice empathy. I haven’t looked into the topic psychologically, but I might. It is sort of a way to make a cartoon image of interpersonal reality and say something about that reality obliquely. It would be deliberately ambiguous.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had to read this twice… I thought you said you were going to do a cartoon. What a great idea! A cartoon that examines through situational humor the psychological ramifications of imaginary friends.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve thought of doing cartoons, but I don’t keep drawing. I keep writing stuff and forget about the pencils. One day I’ll post a cartoon. I think imaginary friends are like cartoons, so just writing about them is creating a cartoon presentation of reality which contains real relationships.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will look forward to seeing your work.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very nice! I especially enjoyed these lines “Don’t leave to run off where
Nighttime’s dreamings cannot stand.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nightmares hopefully can’t stand, but I suspect sometimes they do and then fear pervades one. Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A fine achievement, the rhyme schemes help the message. The photo is good enough. it could be used as a dVerse poetic prompt, Perhaps one day, you will host the Pub again, and use six of your images as prompts.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will be hosting this Thursday. The theme will be “trimeter”. This poem was an attempt to write a poem that had some lines with three accented syllables per line. It is good idea to use photo prompts for these. Normally, I just focus on a different form. Thanks for the idea, Glenn!
LikeLike
Awesome work as always, Frank! Thanks yet again for adding your stellar voice to our challenge!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome, K’lee! Thanks for the photo prompt. I like the use of “cosmic” in the name of the photo challenge.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely, Frank! I like to think Cosmic encompasses just about anything someone can come up with?
LikeLiked by 1 person
It does and it is a clever description.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now we’ll have to do a challenge incorporating this word somehow…?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love this, Frank. What a clever idea to have an imaginary friend with imaginary fears!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Once you have an imaginary friend, just about any magical realism is possible. Thank you, Sara!
LikeLike
Great rhymes and wonderfully imaginative. I like how the three wood posts fit with the three fears.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I tried to get “three” in there as much as possible. Thanks, Lynn!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The final 2 lines especially got to me–they feel very authentic, and evoked sadness.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They were the point of the poem. Even this imaginary friend may let the other person down. Thanks, Jael!
LikeLike
Most welcome. I hadn’t thought about an imaginary friend sometimes letting us down, but now I realize there have been times I’ve asked mine to “take me with you”…and of course, that’s the one thing he cannot do…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I usually think of imaginary friends as muses or “my” intuition or where ever I get the next thing to say. I suspect we may think they can let us down, but it is likely our own failure to get the message.
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You made it very safe to mention these (imaginary) fears 😉 I really enjoy the first one (reading the mind not there).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Janice! From an imaginary friend’s perspective (or a muse’s perspective) that might be a fear that the other will start ignoring them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love the rhyming pattern here, Frank. Very clever and you speak much truth.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Victoria! I am practicing a form of common meter that has trimeter lines in it for a post I plan to make on dVerse on Thursday. I am glad you enjoyed it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think you’ve got it. the challenge of other forms is fun.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have the same fear as your imaginary friend; to reach out my hand too late. I try in life when the oppotunity arises.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me, too. It is in general a fear of failing someone one doesn’t want to fail, but feeling that one will fail in spite of one’s best intentions. Thank you, Olga!
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Too fashionably late…” sigh.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Missing the opportunity almost by mistake. Thank you, Maria!
LikeLike
Great poem Frank
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Ben!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Do two imaginary’s = one real?
LikeLiked by 1 person
It sort of depends on what one means by “imaginary friend” and “real”. An alternate word for imaginary friend could be “muse” or one’s “intuition” both of which can fail us at times. Do they fear failing us or are they us fearing that we will fail ourselves? Some don’t believe any of these words describe something real, more or less outside of us, let alone something that can have fears. Others think nothing else matters. There may be some truth in both positions.
LikeLike
My imaginary friend is giggling but won’t tell me the answers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like the easy rhythm of this. The AB rhyme is perfect for this idea.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! I sometimes use an ABCB rhyme and add alliteration or assonance instead. I am glad you enjoyed the sound of the poem.
LikeLike
An awesome one as well. Humorous in someways but also very real. The speaker fearing she’ll read his thoughts (none there). That she’ll leave him behind, that he has dreams but he reaches out to keep her and its too late! Real concerns!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Some of those fears a real person could have in a relationship with another. There is humor just having an imaginary friend as a character. Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful poem.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I loved the second and the last lines most….wonderful poem…I somehow felt all the imagined persons are one’s own different conscious levels…!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is probably a reasonable interpretation of them. I am not sure how individuated we all are. Thank you, Sreeja!
LikeLike
Beautiful poem! The words are be delightful!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Jeren! I am glad you liked them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nicely done, Frank, with imagined and real fears. I like the use of threes, too.
This makes me think of my daughters’ stuffed animal friends, who had lots of fears!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interesting that your daughter’s stuffed animal friends had fears. I was sort of guessing that an imaginary friend would be afraid of anything hoping to mirror our own fears in relationships. Thank you, Merril!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is entertaining. I think your friend is charming.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Imelda! Imaginary friends are charming.
LikeLiked by 1 person
… and can be all we want to be. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lovely poem.I hope you could visit my site too and give feedback on how i can improve my works. 😊 thanks😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
One thing I’ve found is to write with others. Most everything I post is linked to a group writing or photography prompt, sometimes more than one. In this post I write with the dVerse Poets as the poetry prompt and there are two photography prompts I link to as well. There are many of these prompts available, too many to write with all of them. Part of the fun is to find the ones you like best and write regularly with them. You are welcome to join any of these just by linking your post to theirs. To get the most advantage out of this you should also read and comment on the people who linked something with you. That takes time, but it gets you familiar with these other people and their blogs and that will give you ideas on where you want to take your blog. Best wishes!
LikeLike
Thank you for your advice. This will help me for sure. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love your take on ‘fear’, Frank. It made me smile…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Nimi!
LikeLike
An intriguing poem – touching in the way the imaginary friends fears being left behind.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is like an abandonment I imagine. Thank you, Andrea!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I nominated you for the Black Cat Blue Sea Award!
LikeLike
Love your different take on three. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Irene!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fab poem and LOVE your photo. Beautiful 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Judith!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Frank, this is awesome! I love that you contributed this photo to Frank’s challenge, plus the poem. Very creative / unique. Many blessings 🙂 Debbie
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Debbie! I enjoy adding poems to photo challenges. May blessings go your way as well!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I didn’t have imaginary friends as a child. Had to wait until I was an adult to understand how incredibly important they are and the rich gifts they bring. That said, I really like your poem.
Elizabeth
LikeLiked by 1 person
As a child I didn’t either, at least, to my recollection. I do find them rather nice now. They give one a humorous way to talk to oneself without a monologue. Thanks, Elizabeth!
LikeLike
And they do make for some very interesting writing…You might like this,
https://soulsmusic.wordpress.com/2014/04/26/dialogue-with-my-dragon/
Elizabeth
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dragons are very interesting manifestations of imaginary friends or characters in one’s own story. We are probably more than our individual selves or awarenesses and are influenced in ways we don’t understand. Imaginary friends might be forms of reality. They might be more real than we are prepared to accept.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely, lol. I’ve been invited to chat with Sherry at Poets United, at the end of August. She asked me to outline my experiences with the dragons. It will be on a Monday, and I’ll try to remember to post it to Facebook. You might be interested?
Elizabeth
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I’m interested. I follow Poets United although I don’t link there often. I will look for the chat you will have with Sherry later this August. I only occasionally use Facebook. Do you have a Facebook page? I didn’t see it on your blog.
LikeLike
Yes and we are friends. Crawford is my maiden name, as well as my pen name. I don’t post too often on Facebook. Been very busy getting ready for an Art Show.
Elizabeth
LikeLiked by 1 person
I see you there! I use Facebook, Twitter and Google+ as places to share what other people post. Other than that I don’t have much time to look at any of them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Between the Art Show, the class I’m teaching online, and my occasional blog posts, I’m lucky if I remember to eat on occasion, lol…
Elizabeth
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love this poem. Frank. I used to have imaginary friends when I was a child. I was an only child and always wanted a brother or sister so thus the reason for my imaginary friends. Your poem brings on some great memories.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Eugenia! I can see a child having an imaginary friend. I wonder to what extent we are separate as individuals. We seem connected and our thoughts may be connected as well with others. I think there may be a way to justify imaginary friends as real and not just internal to us as individuals, whatever individuals are defined to be.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree because the imaginary friend we create is part of us.
LikeLiked by 1 person