"Figment" by Sierra July, Poet of the Week

Editor's Note:  Toward the end of every year, Songs of Eretz must bid farewell to Frequent Contributors who have decided to move on to other projects.  Sadly, this year we must say goodbye to Sierra July, a charter member of the Frequent Contributor group who has been with us since January 1, 2016.  Sierra's eclectic mix of science fiction, fantasy, and mainstream elements, and her easy-to-follow yet profoundly philosophical narrative style of poetry will be dearly missed.

As a final tribute to this up-and-coming poet, Songs of Eretz will feature Sierra as our Poet of the Week for the week of November 19, 2018.  We invite you to enjoy one of Sierra's poems every weekday this week, beginning today with "Figment."

Figment

Sierra July

Twilight fell on two bodies

Swaying in a garden swing

Head slumped on shoulder,

Eyes closed but twitching

Trapped at rest and wake

Behind those eyelids

Red and orange light filtered through

Warmth from life or memory

Hands clasped together

But when the dream ceased

As dawn crept forward

There was no one there

Poet's Notes:  Thinking about how the light plays tricks, I wrote this with the image of a mirage in mind. I wanted not only to paint a mirage but create one, so the last line leaves the poem a bit open-ended. You can imagine one person is waking from a dream and finding themselves alone, or that the two are both a figment of the imagination.  

Editor’s Further Note:  For me, this is poem became an interesting poetic exploration of hypnagogia, a frequently overlooked state of consciousness.