by Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet

I Am the Moment

Sea turtle hatchling racing to the safety of the ocean. Photo by Christopher Farrugia from Unsplash.

I Am the Moment

I am that flash of green as the sun goes down.

I am the crest of a wave before it breaks on the shore,

a lightning bolt that ushers in a clap of thunder.

I am the moment of a butterfly’s first flight,

the rush of sea turtle hatchlings to the safety of the sea.

I am the moment when lovers’ eyes first meet.

I am that half-forgotten melody that lingers in your mind,

a half-remembered dream that eludes you when you wake.

I am that pang of regret for a kind word left unspoken.

I am the blink of an eye, the shadow of a smile.

I am that rare, pivotal moment when opportunity knocks.

I am the moment…and then I am gone!

Sea turtle hatchlings. Photo by Ricardo-Braham from Unsplash.

Copyright© 2023 by Cheryl Batavia

To My Fellow Bloggers:

This poem woke me up in the middle of the night a few nights ago, so I got up and wrote a rough draft before going back to sleep. You may also have had similar experiences. I would be interested in hearing about writing inspirations from your dreams or those that wake you up demanding to be written. ❤

69 Comments

  1. This felt a very special poem as I read through, line after line I was immersed in the moments you beautifully describe. Many of my poems are such middle of the night events that won’t let me sleep until I have emptied them out of i-don’t-know-where. Your poem does have that special quality 🙂

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  3. Well done Cheryl for capturing such a wonderful piece of imaginative creativity during the night … I often have dreamy pieces of inspiration during my sleep, and then immediately jot down some snippets of my dream or even a rough draft …

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    1. Glad you like the poem, Ivor. 🙂 I must say I am not surprised that you wake up and write down “dreamy pieces of inspiration” at night. Your work is filled with wonderful whimsical creativity. Thank you for sharing your thoughts! ❤ ❤ ❤

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  4. Oh this is such a lovely poem and I could feel every beautiful moment Cheryl. I so much loved the repeat and imagery. I absolutely love when this happens and I’m struck by what it feels like lightening. to write. I have made myself sleep and stop waking up for poetry since it also gets tiring when it happens so much! Now I wake for other things like some critter flashing the outdoor lights in the middle of the night. Debating on our window treatments to our bedroom!~

    🤣😅

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    1. What a delightful response, Cindy! ❤ Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences. I don't wake up with poems on my mind too often, but I enjoy the experience when I do.

      It sounds like you need blackout curtains or shades in the bedroom, but then you wouldn't be aware of human intruders. We have similar issues with nocturnal animals like armadillos and raccoons turning on the security lights. Hopefully, triggering a security light would be sufficient to discourage prowlers without you getting up to check. 🙂

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      1. You are welcome! My pleasure. “I am” does feel an awkward phrase, but it can lead to some brilliant and exploratory lines, as it did for you. We sometimes use Scott Momaday’s gorgeous poem, “The Delight Song of Tsoai-talee,” in writing workshops. He uses the phrase, “I am” (if you’re not familiar). I love those sleep-inspired poetic thoughts. 💖 They feel divinely inspired! Best to trust them. 👏🏻😊 Thank you. You too, Cheryl!

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, D, for your kind remarks. Nothing wrong with people-watching! 🙂 Directly or indirectly, much of our writing inspiration comes from our observations of and interactions with other people. Nature is another frequent source of inspiration.

      Have a great weekend! ❤

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  9. Waking up at the middle of the night to write… sometimes, it happens to me, too. And I’m so glad you did it, Cheryl! 💚🩵 Your poem is beautiful! “We are all the moment, and then we are gone.” Thank you! 🙏🏻 Have a lovely weekend. ☀️

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    1. Filipa, Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Indeed “We are all the moment.” That is a phrase that came out of sleep. I doubt if I would have written it otherwise.

      It is good to know you also wake up in the middle of the night to write. It means a great deal to me that you like the poem! You too, enjoy your weekend! ❤ ❤ ❤

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  11. Cheryl, this is so touching and heartfelt. Sometimes, a fleeting line or two will be in my dreams usually reflective of what was buzzing in my head before I fell asleep. I have made notes on my phone since that’s the easiest way for me to capture the moment. 💖

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  13. It’s very immediate, urgent almost

    I do have dreams or impressions that wake me in the middle of the night – but I don’t tend to write them. In December 2021, I spent a night certain that I would lose everything if I didn’t renew my passport immediately (it still had 3 months before expiry). I acted on the impressions and spent a lot of money on the online renewal service the following day. I received the new passport within a week. In early March 22, a fire broke out in the upper storeys, making the entire building unsafe. I believe that if I hadn’t renewed the passport early, I would not have been able to provide evidence of being a UK citizen for purposes of finding alternative accommodations.

    Great poem.

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  14. I love your poem. Your turtle photos are wonderful. Moments in time are all we ever have… this present moment.
    We are all just baby turtles scrambling through the sand to the ocean that lies just beyond this moment!

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    1. I have always admired your beautiful poems, Ingrid, and I am happy to know that you sometimes wake up with fully-formed lines of poetry. There is always something authentic and satisfying about those lines of poetry generated in sleep. I wish it happened more often!

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    1. JoAnna, thank you for your kind response! ❤ I also used to keep a notebook beside the bed. I don't do it now because the light would disturb Robert, but I do get up and go to the other room to write 🙂 I hope you are feeling better now. Wishing you health, joy, and lots of inspiration!

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  17. Very insightful Cheryl. Last year was a difficult one for us and your line “I am that pang of regret for a kind word left unspoken” is something that has been on my mind for a long time and woken me up several times as well. A reoccurring moment (two to be exact).

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  20. I don’t know how I missed this wonderful post of yours, Cheryl. The way you have written this poem has won my heart. It has a beautiful mix of truth, emotion and creativity. Every moment has its relevance, and remembrance, but it passes like sand from hands.
    It’s true that many thoughts come when we go to sleep, ideas come from dreams too. I think the ideas will remain in mind, but most of the time, I forget in the morning. I had a boss, not a poet, but sincere officer, who used to wake up in the midnight to write his ideas for official issues. I hope to do so in future. Thank you, Cheryl for this thought provoking poem 💖💕

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    1. An absolutely Amazing poem! I loved it all but especially –
      “I am the moment of a butterfly’s first flight,

      the rush of sea turtle hatchlings to the safety of the sea.

      I am the moment when lovers’ eyes first meet.”

      Thank you so much for capturing this poem as you did and for sharing it with the world!
      Thanks to Dwight for the inspiration your poem gave him and for his leading me to you and your blog!! I’m so looking forward to following You!!
      😁🎁✨👍

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      1. Thank you so much for your kind words! It means so much to me that you enjoyed the poem! ❤ ❤ ❤

        Dwight and I have lived in many of the same places and had some similar experiences. Both of our fathers were ministers and both of us are retired teachers. I love Dwight's poems and paintings and admire him for his many and varied talents. His post about sea turtles is wonderful! 🙂

        Thank you for subscribing to my blog. I will check yours out. 🙂

        Like

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