dreams – Colleen Keller Breuning

A Wish for April

A Wish for April

When twilight comes knocking on winter’s door;
The dusk beckons with its deep purple skies.
Distant stars burgeon with flaming ardour,
The woods come to life in glow of moonrise.

Faeries dance underneath the pale moon’s light;
Gold and peach, a daffodil pas de deux.
Sweet melody of flutes colors the night,
In soft tapestry of jewel tones and hues.

My heart is weary as the night grows long,
So I close my tired eyes and kneel in prayer.
I take comfort in the nightingale’s song,
A sense of hope fills the early spring air.

Awakened from my dreams, I count to ten,
And I am wishing for April again.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2024
March 23, 2024

It’s Saturday again, and I’m not sure exactly where this sonnet came from. Let’s just call it sheer luck, haha! I have been piecing together lines for the last few days, and the poem turned out much differently than how it started. Sometimes phrases just pop into my head, and I have to jot them down quickly, lest I forget. Some lines come to me, but don’t fit into the current poem. They get tossed into my random line pages for using another time. This is just a little whimsical ditty about dreaming of the magic of spring, and the dancing of the flowers (faeries) under the moon.

Yes, spring officially came this week, but it doesn’t seem like it. Today was a dreary, rainy, cold and extremely windy day. We get a wicked west wind that rushes down the street and hits the front of our house dead on. This afternoon when I stepped out in the yard, it felt like hurricane force winds! My poor daffodils and jonquils were bending and brushing the ground – fortunately, they are quite resilient! I guess I’m just wishing for April to get here, as March has never been my favorite month. It’s a most impatient month, even worse than January when you are sort of resigned to it being winter. Right now it is too cold to wear sandals, and even I (who rarely complains about cold weather) am ready to pack away my cable knit sweaters until fall! Only 9 more days….

Until then, I wish you warmth, peace and love!

Xoxo,

Colleen

Mood: Whimsy
Inspiration: “The Four Seasons – Spring” by Vivaldi

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 38.15 – Sheer Luck
Hard Bonus: Incorporate a song title by Dean Martin (“Deep Purple,” “Dream” & “April Again”)
Easy Bonus: Reference faeries

Dreams of The Wildflower

Dreams of the Wildflower

Sleep
descends
like warm winds
that carry me
in the deep of night
colors swirl in my mind
as I drift into the void
I have a strange dream about you
purple paisleys and blue stars morphing
as we dance beneath the smoldering sun
lips graze and I blossom beneath your touch
like a wildflower springing to life
and I’ve never been so happy
pure love pulses through my veins
but where do our dreams go
when life brings you down
I hold them close
in my heart
until
dawn

Colleen Keller Breuning ©2024
January 20, 2024

Hello, friends and family! This poem was inspired by some vivid, colorful dreams that I experienced during my bout with COVID back in the fall. I remember seeing beautiful swirling purple paisleys and blue stars as I closed my eyes and drifted off. I was so sick and on several meds including an anti-viral, but the dreams were so weird and delightful. I’m really not sure if the disease or the medication caused these dreams!

We got about 6 more inches of snow yesterday, and it was a very soft, powdery snow. I have been working long hours again this week and did not get a chance to go out in the snow until this afternoon. Dan and I bundled up and braved the 18-degree temps for a long walk around the lake. The skies were a crisp blue, and the snow sparkled like crystals when the sun hit. A large part of the shaded western edge of the lake had frozen, and geese were walking on the ice. It felt so refreshing to get outside and breathe the frigid air. It cleared my mind and allowed me to bask in the winter beauty.

Here’s one of the funny points of our week… Dan had to perform an emergency C-Section. On the loveseat. It seems little Bobby got a wild hair on Wednesday night and for some reason, he was able crawl into the innards of the furniture. Dan noticed him struggling, he had somehow squeezed through a tiny opening between the wood frame and up into the back upholstery! He was meowing loudly and hissing out of fear and distress. You could feel him through the furniture and see him moving! We tried every way possible to free him, turning the loveseat upside down, inspecting for an opening, but there was nothing! Finally, it became clear we had to cut it open. Dan retrieved his hunting knife and carefully slit the fabric on the backside. I was able to see Bobby on the other side of the opening and coaxed him out. Then he bolted up the stairs and hid for an hour. We are able to laugh about it now.

Naturally, the cats have been completely obsessed with the loveseat since then, sniffing at it and napping on it. First Dan stuffed the inside with every throw pillow and unused blanket he could find, and sealed it up with – you guessed it – duct tape! Now the poor loveseat has a long, nasty C-Section scar lol. We’ve never had to do something this drastic because of a “stupid pet trick!” The next day one of Dan’s clients told him their kitten got behind the drywall, and they had to cut a huge hole in the wall to get it out! We are just grateful that Bobby didn’t decide to do this shenanigan while we were on our trip to Florida. So, all things considered, it could have been a lot worse. Oh well! We had been talking about replacing the living room furniture soon anyway…. are cat-proof sofas a thing?

I wish you all a lovely weekend! Stay warm and enjoy the beauty of the winter season!

Xoxo,

Colleen

Mood: Peaceful
Inspiration: “Soulmate” by Andrea Vanzo

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 28.15 – Where Do Dreams Go?
Hard Bonus: Include a quote or line from Martin Luther King Jr. (“I have a dream”)
Easy Bonus: Incorporate a wish

The Art of Letting Go

The Art of Letting Go

pain
unwinds
hold me tight
fingers entwined
throughout the long night
as fear churns through my mind
awaken me from bad dreams
quiet my screams as darkness falls
grotesque shadows dance upon my walls
the light at the end of the tunnel glows
the point of no return, nobody knows
though grains of sand are trickling fast
our opportunities have passed
albeit through storms and strife
fused together, one life
my anchor, my rock
love pure and true
I am lost
without
you

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2023
November 9, 2023

Mood: Emotional
Inspiration: “Politik” by Coldplay

Dear Family and Friends,

There is just so much heartbreak in the world these days, so much pain. Being an empath, it seeps underneath my skin and eats away at my soul some days. It is hard to just shake off, sometimes I listen to music to try and purge it out of my being. But pieces of the sadness remain and fester.

When I am sick, these feelings intensify and emotion wells up inside me until I can release it in some way – talking, writing, crying…. I wrote snippets of this on the plane coming home from Florida, still struggling physically from the aftermath of COVID, exhausted and missing my love so badly. Feeling like I had no control in my life, feeling hopeless, having trouble catching my breath…..

Would I ever feel better again after COVID, how long would it take to get my health back this time around? The first time took months. So many negative thoughts drowning out the positivity and gratitude I have for my wonderful life! Then I get angry and frustrated at myself for feeling this way. It’s a vicious circle. Things could be worse, how lucky I am to be as healthy as I have been thus far in life. But I’m an impatient woman who doesn’t like to be held back by anything, especially a damned manufactured virus!

No, patience has never been one of my virtues. My poker face is transparent, and I wear my emotions on my sleeve. I am that person who has it written all over her face, with eye rolls and sighs. Anxiety has ruled my seas, and at times whipped into a frenzy and debilitating. Some days it feels like I’m drowning. It’s hard to breathe at times, it makes me fearful, bad dreams, worrying about the future, what if I get sick, what if he gets sick, we’re getting older, how much time do we have left? Will my Mom be okay, my husband, my kids, my grandkids? It all spins about in my head, psychedelic COVID dreams taunt me, and I wake in a cold sweat. Then I open my eyes and breathe. I am alive. I am human. I will be okay. Life will go on. Things will get better. One day at a time.

So that’s what this poem is about – being in the grips of anxiety and dealing with one’s fear about the future. Hang tight, and keep on going, my friends and family. I love you!
xoxo, Colleen

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 19.15 – Opportunity
Hard Bonus: Include a song title by Andrew Lloyd Weber (“The Light At the End of the Tunnel”; “Point of No Return”)
Easy Bonus: Use the word “albeit”

Promises, Promises

Promises, Promises

Promises of a pink morning sky,
a resplendent sun breaking dawn.
White clouds of hope rise up so high
we are born, we live and pass on.

Some promises never come true
when hardship and sadness abound.
A tall pile of bills overdue,
teardrops falling upon the ground.

Promises of husband and wife
tempered with blessings and sorrow.
A curve in the circle of life,
a winding path for tomorrow.

Few promises are meant to last,
even when made with great renown.
When deception and lies are cast,
strong foundations come tumbling down.

Promises are safest in my dreams,
drifiting free in the galaxy.
Riding high on errant moonbeams,
finding peace for eternity.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 202
April 22, 2023

Happy Saturday, all! I hope you are having a great weekend so far. I was a little rushed to write this, and for some reason had a hard time making this poem come together. I just started pondering on the meaning of promises throughout my life, or the different promises others may experience. How I have kept my end of a promise and been badly burned at times, or how promises just sort of erode without intention or malice. I’ve grown older, maybe a bit wiser and all I can say is “C’est la vie.” That’s life.

My week has been busy, but a good kind of busy. At my accounting firm YHB, we celebrated the April 18 tax deadline at a local Winchester brewery. It was a lovely early evening, spent raising a toast to good work done, and another tax season behind us. The rest of the week has been a flourish of activities, and I spent yesterday trading in my car (a process which I absolutely hate – anyone out there feel the same)?

Today was fun, we had a spur of the moment Girl’s Day! I went thrifting with my sister Sarah and her girls Cami and Quinn. We drove into Leesburg to buy vinyl at Dig Records, then had a quick lunch at Puccio’s Deli across the street. It was pouring, so we decided to head back to Purcellville and hit a few more thrift stores. In additional to some great $3, $5 and $8 albums, I snagged a new side desk for my home office, a cool pair of antique iron floor candleholders, and a silverplated scalloped serving plate. We had such a great time.

All the rain today was very needed, but it is making me sleepy, so I’m planning to curl up with a glass of wine in front of the tv soon. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo
Colleen

Mood: Wistful
Inspiration: “I Promise” by Radiohead

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 42.14 Topic: Promises, Promises
Hard Bonus: Incorporate a line or lyric from “The Lion King” movie or musical (The Circle of Life)
Easy Bonus: Include a pile of bills

Dragon Hunters

Dragon Hunters

Linen clouds drift by,
dragon hunters swift and spry,
morphing in the sky.

Fluffy figures fair
cast their magic everywhere,
marching through the air.

Let’s chase the gold sun
like china dolls on the run;
the hunt has begun.

Through marshes we wade,
hues of emerald and jade,
as pastel skies fade.

The darkness descends;
hidden deep inside the glen
is the dragon’s den.

Dragon roars echo
louder than the cackling crow,
amber eyes aglow.

Black velvet twilight,
creeping shivers in the night;
just hold my hand tight.

In our veins fear flows;
should we stay or should we go?
heaven only knows.

Nothing’s what it seems;
slay that dragon with moon beams,
wake up from your dreams.

Hatcher and Posie,
won’t you dragon hunt with me?
I miss you dearly….

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2023
February 4, 2023

I just loved the whimsical topic of Dragon Hunter this week. It inspired me to write a rhyming haiku series, not always easy to do with the syllable limits. It immediately took me back to my own childhood days of cloud gazing, and when I did the same with my own kids. What a magical thing it is! I still do it when I get a chance, but often it is when Dan is driving and we both notice the beautiful cloud shapes in the Virginia sky. I probably take as many cloud pictures as I do cat pictures – well, maybe not. Certainly not as many pictures I take of my grandchildren Posie and Hatcher, when I get the chance to be with them!

This week’s poem is dedicated to Posie and Hatcher. They are my heart’s delight, and Katie sends me photos daily of them. They are growing and changing each day. When we saw them in October and December, I gave Posie a bunch of Katie’s things that I had saved from when she was a child. There was one particular pale pink satin leotard and matching skirt that Katie wore nonstop – and Posie wore it to her gymnastic class and riding her scooter yesterday! You can’t imagine how deeply that touched my heart. And little Hatcher is growing and just got a big boy haircut – WOW, he looks even more handsome than before! I simply cannot wait to see them and play with them again. Grandchildren are so very special.

I hope you have a chance to breathe deep and cloud gaze this weekend. It is so relaxing to just watch the clouds drift by and morph into different shapes. It’s good for the soul, and it brings immediate serenity to me. Have a wonderful weekend, all!

XOXO

Colleen

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 31.14 Topic: Dragon Hunter
Hard Bonus: Incorporate a lyric by The Clash (Should I stay or should I go)
Easy Bonus: Include your favorite childhood toy (doll)

Cool Blue Water

Cool Blue Water

Hope springs eternal in my heart
Ever ready for a fresh start
A place for dreams and reverie
Where cool blue water waits for me.

Give me the splendid silent sun
As bees and flowers come undone
Running through fields of green, so free
Where cool blue water waits for me.

Drifting down in the aqueduct
I vow my life to reconstruct
I accept time absolutely
Where cool blue water waits for me.

Hope springs eternal in my heart,
Where cool blue water waits for me.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2023
January 28, 2023

Hello! A late post again, and y’all know why….. Work, work, work! That’s all I do! You know the old saying. The overtime at work has been crazy this month, and I’ve barely had time for anything else. There is so much for us to push out in the month of January it is insane. I’ve been logging 20-30 hours of OT every week this month. I think I already wrote that last week. But just THREE MORE DAYS until things ease up. We are an amazing team, we’ve got this. *BREATHE DEEP*

I have gotten so much done and learned so much this past month. I really love my work, and definitely enjoy serving our clients at my accounting firm. It has been such a tremendous experience! But you know the saying “All work and no play makes Jack a dull, dull boy.” (I think that is from The Shining, one of the best movies!) Yes, that’s kind of how I feel this month. DULL, lol. Dan and I are both so busy that we have not done one social thing all month – except go to a holiday work event, which was very nice indeed! I have worked every single day, including weekends, this month except New Year’s Day. The overtime pay has been nice, but I’m ready to at least get my weekends back.

I started writing this last Sunday, but then got super busy and did not get back to it until this evening. I really miss writing more often and especially reading my fellow blogger’s blogs. I feel guilty about that, even though they probably understand – if not, please bear with me during this season. I miss photography. I miss going to a winery on weekends. I miss seeing my family and friends. I miss Face Timing with the grandkids more.

But it’s all good. Life is good. I actually have two outings planned for next weekend – woo hoo! I don’t really have anything else to say. I wish you all a wonderful weekend, and hope you stay warm. Sending love to y’all.

xoxo Colleen

Mood: Sleepy
Inspiration: “The Water Diviner” by Ludovico Einaudi

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 30.14 Topic: Hope Springs Eternal
Hard Bonus: Use a line or quote by Walt Whitman (“Give me the splendid silent sun” and “I accept time absolutely”)
Easy Bonus: Include an aqueduct

Aim for the Stars

Aim For the Stars

She dances, a tiny beauty
Leaping through cloud formations
Blonde hair flying in the breeze.

She gallops, full of laughter
Perched on her pink silk pony
She steals your heart away with ease.

Her smile glints golden sunlight
Radiant, warm and lovely
Follow all your whimsies, little sweetheart
Follow all your dreams, little sweetheart
Whirl on, twirl on,
Aiming for the stars.

She runs free, elusive spirit
Changing with every moment
She’s such a beauty to behold.

I wish time would freeze forever
Memories branded on my heart
But days fly and I’m growing old.

Her smile glints golden sunlight
Radiant, warm and lovely
Follow all your whimsies, little sweetheart
Follow all your dreams, little sweetheart
Whirl on, twirl on,
Aiming for the stars.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2022
April 2, 2022

I needed to write something happy and light today, after posting that heavier poem “Withered Sunflowers” last week. So this week, here is something a little whimsical and uplifting!

This is dedicated to my sweet granddaughter, Posie. I’ll share with you a little insight into my poetry writing process. I started this scribble scrabble back in January on the plane ride back home, after attending her 2^nd birthday. As usual, I had my music on and my notebook at the ready. I wrote parts of this piece as I listened to Radiohead’s song “No Surprises.” It kind of follows the rhythm of the lyrics from the first half of the song, not exact, as I tweaked the syllables and stanza structures a bit. I jotted out a couple of stanzas and then this poem was left unfinished in my notebook until this morning. I played that song again and put on the final touches.

That’s always a fun way for me to create a poem, to be inspired by the music! And Posie, of course – she is a true delight, and she is my heart!

Mood: Whimsical
Inspiration: Posie Mae and “No Surprises” by Radiohead

Golden Parachutes

Golden Parachutes

On Monday mornings I wake up with dread.
My heart is pounding, gut heavy with rocks,
Exploding pressure cooker in my head…
Bracing for chaos as I punch the clock.

Mountains of emails and telephone calls,
Dealing with problems and bad attitudes.
I’m losing all patience, hitting the wall…
I’d like just one moment of solitude.

The week is endless, no relief in sight.
Day after day, corporate misery.
No golden parachutes and no stock rights…
Retirement seems to have eluded me.

My nerves are frazzled and my brain is numb…
Wondering if Friday will ever come.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2021
February 26, 2021

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 51.13 Topic: I’ll Have Just One
Hard Bonus (2 points): Reference a Sesame Street Character (Frazzle)
Easy Bonus (1 Point): Mention a Cooking Disaster (Exploding Pressure Cooker)

Secret Phrase Guesses:

1.  Dream Land
2.  Clouds in my coffee
3.  Stairway to Heaven
4.  Jacob’s Ladder
5.  Fluffy Pink Clouds
6.  Head In the Clouds
7.  On Cloud Nine
8.  Cotton Candy Cloud
9.  Field of Dreams and Lavender
10. Sweet Dreams are Made of This

Topic:  Tyler   Pic:  Jessica

Bells on Christmas Eve

Bells on Christmas Eve

Jupiter aligned with Saturn
and winter took a bitter turn.
Our flashlights scanned the galaxy
as the hoot owl whispered softly.

Do you remember hearing bells
jingling as Christmas Eve snow fell?
By my window cold and icy,
as the hoot owl whispered softly.

Where did you go? Why did you leave?
Bells break the silence as I grieve.
My shattered dreams a memory
as the hoot owl whispered softly.

Jupiter aligned with Saturn
as the hoot owl whispered softly.

For my Mom and Dad…. memories surround me this Christmas as we prepare for a very different and lonely holiday season without being able to be with family due to COVID. I am missing my family intensely this holiday season, particularly sad we cannot visit with Mom this Christmas. This poem contains elements and references to both of them; the repeating line was triggered by hearing a hoot owl several nights ago outside my window, the first time in our 8 years living here. My Mom loves owls, and she is a constant in our lives. ❤

Today I will be chopping walnuts, just like Dad did every Christmas Eve for his delicious walnut cake. I will never forget the excitement that both Dad and Mom brought all of us kids during the Christmas season. There are so many cherished memories – writing this took me back to the time as a child when I woke up on Christmas Eve, so excited that I heard jingle bells and tried to look out the icy window to see if Santa was on our roof! Even though we didn’t have a lot of material things growing up – we had a lot of love and that’s all that matters. I wish each of you a peaceful Christmas with lots of love and blessings. xoxo

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 42.13 Topic: The Meaning of Dreams
Hard Bonus (2 points): Mention a Childhood Memory (hearing bells jingling on Christmas Eve)
Easy Bonus (1 Point): Include Something Battery Operated (flashlights)

SECRET BONUS GUESSES:

1.  White fox
2.  The snow fox
3.  North Pole
4.  White out conditions
5.  The fox and the hound
6.  Foxy loxy
7.  Sly like a fox
8.  Fox is my spirit animal
9.  Snowblind
10.  Walking in a winter wonderland

Topic: Craig Picture: Lika

Dreams of the Rainbow Bridge

Dreams of the Rainbow Bridge

Somewhere far over the rainbow,
beyond the mountains and seas,
there is a place of peace and beauty
where the cats and dogs run free.

My dreams have been invaded,
colored by memories so sweet.
I saw you running in the distance;
my heart skipped several beats.

I tried to shout, mouth frozen,
no sound escaping my lungs.
It’s impossible to think or speak
when the cat’s got your tongue.

Somehow you sensed my presence,
running, leaping up into my arms.
And just like before, I held you tight
to protect you from life’s harms.

Hearts glowing with endless love,
we sang and danced in the rain,
glad you were whole once more,
beautiful and free from all pain.

Then your image began to fade,
as dawn broke, the sun bursting anew.
So I’ll hold on tight, waiting again for night,
dreams of the Rainbow Bridge and you.

For my sweet Tommy Breuning…. I love you.

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 30.13 Topic: Cats or Dogs
Hard Bonus (2 points): Include the phrase ‘cat got your tongue’
Easy Bonus (1 Point): Incorporate any song title by Andrew Lloyd Webber (“Memories,” from Cats; “Beautiful” from Love Never Dies)

SECRET BONUS GUESSES:

1. Cats and Dogs (in blog)
2. Cat’s got your tongue (in blog)
3. Rainbow Bridge (in blog)
4. It’s A Dog’s World
5. Best friends
6. Tongues Out
7. Trouble waiting to happen
8. Thelma and Louise
9. Trouble with a Capital T
10. Catty friends

Topic: Jay Picture: Christine